Dubai Film Connection (DFC), the co-production market hosted at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), will take entries until August 1 for this year’s film festival to be held in December.

DFC offers directors of Arab origin more than $120,000 in prize money and industry connections. The co-production market also matches the short-listed director/producer teams with specialists in film production, sales, distribution and funding to further their projects.

“DFC has established itself as a tangible platform for Arab film-makers from around the world to accomplish their dream projects,” said Shivani Pandya, managing director, DIFF.

“All completed DFC projects have gone on to win global acclaim. This is further testament to the growing international stature of the festival.”

“One of the founding objectives of DIFF has been to encourage regional film-making talent, not only through creative support but financial and production assistance & know-how. DFC has successfully accomplished this goal, and has drawn the interest of filmmakers of Arab origin globally to Dubai,” she added.

Winners at DFC receive three DIFF Awards each offering $25,000; the $25,000 Desert Door DIFF Work in Progress Award, and the $10,000 Bahrain Film Production Company/DIFF Development Award.

This year, Film Clinic Egypt is instituting an award of $10,000 for a first-time feature filmmaker.

“At Film Clinic we are passionate about supporting emerging talent in the Arab world,” said Mohamed Hefzy, managing director, Film Clinic.

“We're very proud to be presenting this award to a first time filmmaker, especially at Dubai International Film Festival as it is a main hub for Arab filmmakers and an important festival internationally,” he added.

DFC 2010 will run from December 12 to 19 at the Dubai International Film Festival. – TradeArabia News Service