Dubai: The Dubai International Film Festival is once again delighted to announce that it will be partnering with The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Interior for the Festival’s 14th Edition.

This will be the fourth year that Ministry of Interior’s Cinema Award will be presented, with USD 100,000 gifted to the winner of the competition which will run from the 6-13 December, 2017.

In the previous years’ competition Darin Sallam emerged victorious and was awarded with the coveted Ministry of Interior Award and USD 100,000 for ‘Best Societal Screenplay’.

The nominated filmmakers that will be vying for the top prize in this year’s Ministry of Interior Cinema Awards include; Nayla Al Khaja, Emirati film director and producer, with her short film Animal’. Joining her is Rawia Abdullah, returning to DIFF for the fifth time with her latest work ‘The Contact Line of Domfront’; and Amal Al-Agroobi, who is also returning to DIFF having premiered her first short Half Emirati in 2012, with Disruptive Servant’. The nominees that will be completing the line-up for the coveted Ministry of Interior Cinema Awards are; Wael Abumansour with Amusement Park’; Kombars’, by award-winning Bahraini filmmaker Mohammed Rashed BuAli; Mohammed Helail’s Eight Other People’; and The Crown of Olives’ by Muzna Almusafer.

The winner will be presented at the Muhr Award Ceremony on the 13th December, 2017.

Continuing on a great journey of success The Ministry of Interior Cinema Awards’ committee will continue to work with the Dubai Film Market’s production and post-production support programme, Enjaaz, to select a stand-out project from the Arab world that highlights prominent societal issues that affect families and communities.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, DIFF’s Artistic Director, commented on the Award: “The Ministry of Interior Cinema Awards was designed with the idea of nurturing the next generation of scriptwriters so they may have the best platform on which they can propel themselves to new heights. Winner’s gone by are a testament to what this award has to offer to Arab cinema and we hope that we can continue to foster the stars of the future and help them to reach their potential and realise their dreams.”

Abdel Muttalib Al Hammadi, Deputy Chairman of the Ministry of Interior’s Cinema Awards Committee, reaffirmed MOI’s commitment to supporting cinema in the region at the 14th edition of DIFF, he said: “The Dubai International Film Festival’s ongoing work to support burgeoning and established cinema and art has continued to play a key role in helping crucial issues reach a wider populace. At the Ministry of Interior, we are committed not only to create opportunities for Emirati, local and regional talent to take their ideas from script to screen, but also to enrich education across our society through the medium of film.”

He added: “As our community continues to evolve and grow, it is crucial to ensure we recognize and support art that tackle societal and cultural issues. Through the award, we hope to highlight such talent as well as inspire future generations of filmmakers in their endeavors.”

Ticket packages are on sale now for the 14th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival which will take place from 6 – 13 December, 2017. For more information on ticket packages and registration for media, students and industry professionals, visit the DIFF website at diff.ae. 

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© Press Release 2017