The fifth edition of the Gulf Film Festival (GFF), the home of experimental and contemporary cinema from the Arabian Peninsula, will be held in Dubai from April 10 to 16.

The fifth edition of the festival will continue its key competitions: the Gulf Competition for professional and student filmmakers and the International Competition for Short Films.

The festival is also home to multiple out-of-competition segments including an ‘In Focus’ segment, master classes, nightly industry discussions and other special events.

The Gulf Competition is open to filmmakers from the Arabian Peninsula including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Yemen and Iraq, as well as filmmakers of other nationalities with films showcasing the region.

The Gulf Student Competition is open to works from the region made or produced by students during their academic study, or as part of a college project.

Entries in the Gulf Competition are invited in feature films (fiction and non-fiction) and shorts. Students compete in short films only; the international competition is open to shorts (fiction and non-fiction) only. Winners will receive more than Dh500,000 ($136,124) in prize money.

Submissions to the festival are now open and will continue until February 29.

The festival, an unmatched meeting ground, incubator and showcase of Gulf talent, is growing from strength to strength.

Its fourth edition recorded double-digit audience growth, with more than 30 screenings going on standby across all categories of the festival; average cinema occupancy rose 11 per cent to 60 per cent; and over half the Festival’s screenings drew 60 per cent or more capacity houses – including 21 screenings over 75 per cent.

“The fifth edition of the Gulf Film Festival will once again highlight the emerging film talent in the Arabian peninsula, offering filmmakers a strong platform to showcase their works,” said Masoud Amralla Al Ali, festival director, Gulf Film Festival.

“The festival, over the years, has established a distinct identity as the definitive voice of the Gulf film industry, serving often as the first point to watch films by Gulf-based student and professional filmmakers. Its diverse initiatives have strengthened the interaction between audience members, media, industry guests and international and regional filmmakers.”

All films submitted must be produced after January 1, 2011, a statement said.

Feature films must be a work of fiction and non-fiction that equals or exceeds 60 minutes in length. Short films must be a work of fiction and non-fiction that does not exceed 59 minutes in length, according to the statement. – TradeArabia News Service