The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has won two awards at the eighth annual International Business Awards (IBA).

The 2011 International Business Awards, nicknamed the Stevie for the Greek word “crowned”, will be presented at an event to be held October 11 at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

The leading film festival in the region was named Distinguished Honouree in the IBA’s Best Consumer Event category, underlining its top-notch programme, operations and facilities. Other finalists in the category included organisations in Spain, South Korea and Turkey.

DIFF also figured in the IBA’s Communications category, winning the ‘Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Multicultural’ award for its seventh edition.

“We are delighted to receive the twin honours at the International Business Awards for our seventh edition held in 2010,” said Abdulhamid Juma, chairman of the Dubai International Film Festival.

“Over the years, DIFF has not only established its credentials as the definitive film festival of the Arab world,  serving as a platform to showcase the finest films from the region, but also set benchmarks in consumer event management.”

The IBA honours follow the Festival’s recent certification to ISO 9001: 2008 standards of quality management, a rarity for cultural events and film festivals worldwide.

The IBA awards are shortlisted from more than 3,000 entries received from organisations and individuals in more than 50 nations. Honourees and winners are determined through two rounds of judging by close to 200 professionals worldwide, with criteria including originality, creativity and unique accomplishments.

Organisations all over the world are eligible to compete in the Stevie awards, and can enter in any of more than 40 categories.

The seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival showcased an impressive line-up of 157 films from 57 countries including an outstanding array of contemporary Arab cinema. These included 41 world premieres, 13 international premieres, 58 Middle East premieres and 32 Gulf premieres, and a host of A-list talent.

DIFF is currently receiving entries for its eighth edition, including its Muhr competitions for Emirati, Arab, and AsiaAfrica cinema, as well as for its out-of-competition segments. The deadline for submissions is August 31, a statement said. – TradeArabia News Service