Oneminutesjr. Workshop Films Screened on www.dubaifilmfest.com

Dubai, March 23, 2008: The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced the conclusion of the successful 'OneMinutesJr' video production workshop for youth in Cairo, bringing to a close its three-session partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The workshops were supported by DIFF, and sessions were held in Mumbai, Dubai and Cairo by adolescent filmmakers. The resulting videos can be seen on the DIFF website (www.dubaifilmfest.com) on March 30, 2008.

The Cairo session, generously hosted by the Goethe Institute, took place 20-24 February, and drew 18 participants aged 12 to 19 from in and around Cairo to learn basic camera skills and create stories based on the theme "Daily Life."

The participants were asked to develop ideas about things they see everyday, dreams and goals them have for themselves, and aspects of their lives.  Alberto de Michele and Jennifer Petterson, two artists from Amsterdam who represent the One Minutes Foundation, taught the participants about story development and production skills, and helped the participants shoot and edit their one minute story.

Shivani Pandya, DIFF's Managing Director, said: "the oneminutesjr workshops were an extension of our mandate to develop and nurture filmmaking talent across the region, and to reaffirm our social commitment. We were very pleased with the way the workshops were conducted, and we urge those who are interested in cinema as a platform for cross-cultural understanding to view the remarkable videos online."

The final 18 films were shown at a screening at the Goethe Institute attended by parents, friends and the community, including members of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union. 

Karen Cirillo, Executive Producer, Children's Broadcasting Initiatives, UNICEF, commented on the OneMinutesJr. initiative: "Partnering with DIFF was an excellent opportunity for us to continue our expansion throughout the world. DIFF's aim to expand the filmmaking community throughout the region dovetails with ours, which is to position film as the ideal instrument for young people to express themselves and to learn about each other through a universal visual language."

DIFF has partnered with UNICEF in past festival editions; in 2006, the film Invisible Children, produced by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, was screened as part of a fundraiser, where all proceeds were donated to UNICEF.

DIFF 2008 will take place from December 11 to 18, 2008.

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About UNICEF: 
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

About DIFF: 
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) was launched in December 2004 under the theme: Bridging Cultures. Meeting Minds.

DIFF is held under the honorary Chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. DIFF is a not-for-profit cultural event, presented and organised by the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority.

As the previous editions of DIFF have demonstrated, the Festival not only presents cinematic excellence from around the world, but is also an important high-profile platform for aspiring home-grown talent. With its Muhr Awards for Excellence in Arab and Africa/Asia cinema, the festival provides an impetus for artists to stretch their limits.

"Bridging Cultures. Meeting Minds," has been hailed by all as a unique and relevant theme to promote better understanding and mutual respect between different communities and countries.

Since its inception, DIFF has become an important meeting point for international and regional filmmakers and industry professionals setting the foundation for potential future collaborations.

The past four editions of DIFF have presented more than 250 films, documentaries and shorts from more than 48 countries.

For any further information and regular updates, please log on to www.dubaifilmfest.com

For further information, please contact:
Majid Wasi
Senior Account Manager
Asidrah
Tel:  +9714 361 3333
Fax: +9714 368 8001
Email: majid.wasi@asidrah.ae
 

© Press Release 2008