Emirates Film Competition extends submissions deadline to July 20

The Emirates Film Competition (EFC), organized by ADACH; which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, announced today that the original 2011 submissions deadline of July 1 has been extended to July 20. Launched in 2001 as one of the first film competitions in the United Arab Emirates, the event formally joined Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF)’s program in 2010. Beginning with the aim of supporting film production in the Gulf region, the EFC quickly became the foremost platform for local and regional filmmakers to showcase and share their work and experiences. Each year, the EFC has also offered workshops, screened international shorts and published books on important topics in filmmaking as well as profiles of prominent international filmmakers. From the outset, the event's competition and prizes have been at the heart of building the UAE's film culture and film industry. Under the stewardship of its Director Ali Al-Jabri, the EFC works alongside ADFF's other initiatives aimed at providing filmmakers from the Gulf and the entire Arab world with greater exposure through an international platform. Standing true to its initial vision, the EFC today is a key section of ADFF and continues to nurture local and regional talent while fostering the ongoing development of filmmaking and the film industry in the UAE. The EFC is open to short films by established and upcoming filmmakers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. All films that meet ADFF’s submission guidelines will also be considered for selection in the festival’s international Shorts Competition. Submission information Films can be submitted through the ADFF website until July 20. http://www.abudhabifilmfestival.ae/en/program/efc/rules-and-regulations. Abu Dhabi Film Festival The Abu Dhabi Film Festival (formerly the Middle East International Film Festival) was established in 2007, with the aim of helping to create a vibrant film culture throughout the region. Presented each October by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, the event is committed to curating exceptional programs to engage and educate the local community, inspire filmmakers and nurture the growth of the regional film industry. With its commitment to presenting works by Arab filmmakers in competition alongside those by major talents of world cinema, the Festival offers Abu Dhabi’s diverse and enthusiastic audiences a means of engaging with their own and others’ cultures through the art of cinema. At the same time, a strong focus on the bold new voices of Arab cinema connects with Abu Dhabi’s role as a burgeoning cultural capital in the region and marks the Festival as a place for the world to discover and gauge the pulse of recent Arab filmmaking.