The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has opened its doors to films and filmmakers for its eighth edition to be held from December 7 to 14.

A leading film festival of the Middle East, Africa and near Asia, Diff has invited entries for its 2011 official screening selection, including the prestigious Muhr Arab, Muhr Asia Africa and Muhr Emirati competitions, and its out-of-competition section.

The Muhr Awards, presented for shorts, documentaries and feature films, offer a $600,000 purse and are open to directors of Arab origin from around the world, their counterparts from Asia and Africa and UAE nationals respectively.

The festival’s out-of-competition section includes the popular Arabian Nights, Cinema for Children, Cinema of AsiaAfrica, Cinema of the World and In Focus segments.

Entry for both sections, expected to number in the thousands, is free and will be accepted until August 31. The final shortlist will be announced in November, said a Diff statement.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, artistic director, Diff, said the festival is a proven springboard for films and filmmakers into the global and regional limelight.

“Our festival is an established destination for discovery of Arab, Asian and African cinema; our track record in catapulting films to the international domain is unmatched in the region,” Al Ali stated.

"Major international festivals, studios, film business leaders, media and audiences take a keen interest in our selection because of the strength of our team and the quality of our offering."

"We are thrilled to once more bring deserving films to the world’s attention, and look forward to some challenging months of whittling down our final selection," he added.

Reflecting its work in both showcasing and developing talent, the Dubai International Film Festival is also inviting filmmakers to participate in its initiatives spanning the filmmaking cycle.

Filmmakers of Arab origin, for example, are welcome to apply for the Festival’s successful co-production and post-production initiatives, as well as its myriad international collaborations. 

The Dubai Film Connection, DIFF’s co-production market, will shortlist 15 director-producer teams to receive more than $100,000 in funding, invaluable industry networking and access to specialists who help realize their documentary and feature film works in progress.

Submissions for the fifth Dubai Film Connection, scheduled for December 8 to 11, will close August 1, the festival organisers said.

The festival’s post-production support programme, Enjaaz, is also accepting applications until August 1. Enjaaz offers 15 filmmakers up to $100,000 each to help their projects move through the final stage of filmmaking, they added.-TradeArabia News Service