Rules & Regulations
DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
MUHR AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN ARAB AND IN ASIAN AND AFRICAN
CINEMA RULES & REGULATIONS
1. General: The Dubai International Film Festival (hereafter referred to as “DIFF” or “the Festival”) is a nonprofit cultural event that takes place annually in December in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. DIFF is an international film festival featuring cinema from all over the world but it has two overriding objectives. First, DIFF aims to celebrate excellence in Arab and international cinema and to be a destination festival to which the international film community can travel in order to discover the state of the art of the region’s cinema. Second, DIFF aims to promote cultural harmony and to build an international cultural bridge linking the East with European and Western worlds and also the Islamic and non-Islamic communities at a time in history when this has become called for and is necessary. The programming of DIFF will also reflect Dubai’s cosmopolitan and multicultural community.
2. Dates: The 5th edition of DIFF will be held from December 11 - 18, 2008.
3. Competitions for Arab, Asian and African Cinema: The 2008 edition of DIFF will introduce Muhr Awards for Excellence in Arab, Asian and African Cinema for feature, short and documentary films. Films in these categories that meet the following criteria are eligible for entry in competition and may be chosen for inclusion in the Official Selection of the DIFF Competition:
i. The film must have been produced after September 1, 2007.
ii. The film must be submitted to DIFF before September 5, 2008.
iii. The film must be a Gulf premiere*1.
iv. The film must not previously have been shown on any television channel nor streamed via the internet to any public audience.
v. For Arab Muhr competition the film must be directed by a director of Arab nationality (passport holder) or origin*2 and the subject and storyline of the film must be centered around the Arab world and/or Arab history or culture. For AsiaAfrica Muhr the film must be directed by a director of Asian/African nationality or origin*3 and the subject and storyline of the film must be centered around the Asian or African world and/or Asian or African history or culture.
vi. Anyone or any entity (i.e. rights holder, producer, production company, etc.) is free to submit a film to the DIFF Competition provided that the criteria of this Article 3 are met.
vii. In the event that your film does not get selected for a DIFF Competition, DIFF may still select the film for DIFF’s Out of Competition sections as applicable.
*1 The film must not have been screened in the Gulf region for any audiences before December 17, 2008, with the exception of the films that participated in the Gulf Film Festival in 2008.
*2 List of eligible countries for participation in competition for Arab Cinema are: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
*3 List of eligible countries for participation in competition for Asia and African Cinema are: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, People’s Republic of China, Republic of China (Taiwan), Congo – Kinshasa, Democratic Republic Congo (Zaire), Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Reunion, Rwanda, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tibet, Togo, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe.
Competition Categories:
Feature Films
In order to be selected as a “feature film”, your film must be a work of fiction that is 60 minutes or longer in duration and the screening format can be 35mm print or video projection. (Note: See Article 19 of these Regulations for permitted video formats). A maximum of 10 to 15 films will be selected for the DIFF Competition’s section for feature films.
Documentary Films
In order to be selected as a documentary, your film must be a work of nonfiction that is a minimum of 25 minutes in duration and the screening format can be 35mm print or video projection. (Note: See Article 19 of these Regulations for permitted video formats). A maximum of 10 to 15 films will be selected for the DIFF Competition’s section for documentary films.
Short Films
In order to be selected in the short film section, your film must be a work of fiction that is 59 minutes long or less in duration and the screening format can be 35mm print or video projection. (Note: See Article 19 of these Regulations for permitted video formats). A maximum of 10 to 15 films will be selected for the DIFF Competition’s section for shorts films.
Awards and Prize Money
There will be a total of 16 Muhr prizes awarded in the Feature Films category. 8 in each of the two Muhr competitions : Best Film - US$ 50,000; Special Jury Prize - US$ 40,000 where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director of each film; Best Actor - US$ 10,000; Best Actress – US$ 10,000; Best Screenplay – US$ 7,000; Best Editor – US$ 7,000; Best Composer – US$ 7,000 and Best Cinematographer – US$ 7,000.
There will be a total of 6 Muhr prizes in the Documentary Films category. 3 in each of the two Muhr competitions: First Prize - US$ 40,000; Second Prize - US$ 25,000; Special Jury Prize - US$ 25,000. The cash prize will be awarded to the Director of each film.
There will be a total of 6 Muhr prizes in the Short Films category. 3 in each of the two Muhr competitions: Best Film - US$ 30,000; Second Prize - US$ 15,000; Special Jury Prize - US$ 15,000. The cash prize will be awarded to the Director of each film.
DIFF Selection Committee
DIFF will appoint a selection committee to review submitted feature, short and documentary films. The committee will decide on official selections to enter the 3 categories of the DIFF Muhr Competition.
DIFF Juries
DIFF will appoint 3 separate juries for each Muhr competition from the international community to decide on prize winners for each of the categories in the DIFF Competition. The jury for the feature competition will be comprised of 5 members; the jury for the documentary competition will be comprised of 3 members and the jury for the short competition will be comprised of 3 members.
Subtitling of DVDs
DIFF requires the submitted DVDs of all non-English language films to contain English subtitles.
Shipping of Submissions
Please see Article 15 below.
Selected Films
If your film is selected for inclusion in the DIFF Competition, you will be contacted on or about November 1, 2008.
4. DIFF Submission Form: In order to submit a film for consideration in the DIFF Competitions, a submission form must be completed online, as well as printed out and accompany the DVD. These Regulations form a part of the DIFF Submission Form and are incorporated by reference therein.
5. Deadline for DIFF Submission Form and Supporting Materials: The deadline for submitting the form for the Muhr Arab and for the AsiaAfrica Competitions is August 31, 2008. In order for a film to be considered for the Festival, DIFF must receive all the documentation and supporting materials as stipulated on the DIFF Submission Form, including a DVD of the film. Any and all material received after the deadline will not be accepted.
6. Subtitling and Dialogue Lists: It is DIFF’s general policy to screen all non-English language films in their original language version with English subtitles. Exceptions to these general rules will be made on a case by case basis in order to meet operational requirements. A dialogue list in English language for all non-English language films must be provided for all films selected for DIFF.
7. Print Insurance: Prints of all films selected for the Competitions will be insured throughout the period in which they are in the Festival’s custody. In the case of loss or damage during DIFF, the Festival will be responsible only for the replacement value of the print. DIFF assumes this obligation only in the event that the print was originally received by the Festival in good condition.
8. Editorial Changes: No editorial cuts or changes to any film will be made at any time by DIFF for any reason or under any circumstances.
9. Promotional Materials: If your film is selected for the Festival, DIFF requests an Electronic Press Kit (EPK) for the film, a DVD of the trailer and a DigiBeta tape of the trailer for promotional purposes. The submitter or other rights holder(s) grants permission to DIFF to use these materials for such purposes.
10. Number of Screenings: If your film is selected for the Festival, DIFF retains the right to screen it to its public audiences up to three times. The film may be screened in advance of the festival an additional (fourth) time for accredited press and industry members.
11. Acceptance of these Regulations: Participation in DIFF and submitting the Form online implies acceptance of these Regulations. It is the responsibility of producers, distributors, or other authorized representatives submitting a film to ensure that they are lawfully entitled to enter a film in DIFF, which includes having obtained all necessary releases including, but not limited to the use of images, likenesses, music licenses and intellectual property rights. Submission of a film and signature by the film’s authorized representative of the DIFF Submission Form signifies full agreement with, and consent to, these Regulations.
12. Submitted DVDs: DVDs must be submitted for the DIFF Competition by September 5, 2008 for consideration. All shipping costs of unsolicited DVDs must be borne by the sender. Please note that it is not possible for DIFF to return to the sender any DVDs or other film materials submitted as part of the submission process, whether solicited or not by DIFF. DVD is the only accepted format for submissions to the DIFF Competition. No tapes of any type will be accepted by DIFF for previewing purposes.
13. Films Selected for the Competitions: All films selected for the Competition will be at the discretion of the relevant DIFF Selection Committee. The committee will decide on official selections to enter the 3 categories of the DIFF Competition. It is DIFF policy not to offer comments or reasons for films not selected for the DIFF Competition. Please note that the final DIFF Competition selections for DIFF 2008 will be announced on or about November 15, 2008. Please check the DIFF website for announcement of selected films on or about November 1, 2008. An official letter will be sent confirming the selection and advising the submitter of further requirements and next steps. If your film has not been selected for DIFF 2008, you will be informed by letter which may not reach you for up to 2 weeks after the selection decision has been made. Please note that all Out of Competition selections at DIFF are made by invitation of the Festival Artistic Director and the DIFF Programming team.
14. Anti-Piracy Precautions: DIFF endeavors to take all possible anti-piracy precautions. All prints and associated copyrighted materials will be securely stored while on DIFF premises. Access is limited to our nominated staff only and all movement of prints will be strictly monitored. No duplication or loaning is permitted and no prints will ever leave the custody and care of DIFF or its authorized agents during the Festival.
15. Shipping of Submissions
All submissions to be sent to:
Dubai International Film Festival
Dubai Media City, CNN Building
P.O. Box 53777
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Attention: Submissions Manager
RE: [film name], [online submission ID #]
Tel: +971 4 391 3378 (Main Switchboard) Fax: +971 4 367 2892
Email: submissions@dubaimediacity.ae
Please label the cover of the DVD, with the following details:
i. Title of the film.
ii. The full name of the Director.
iii. The duration of the film.
iv. The original language of the film.
v. Date of completion of production.
Please ensure that the film title and all other requested information are provided in English.
16. Submission of Works in Progress: It is possible to submit a working copy of the film. When filling out the DIFF Submission Form, please state if it is the final version or a working version. However, the final title of the film should be listed and not the working title. DIFF must receive a DVD of the final version of the film by November 30, 2008.
17. Previous DIFF Submissions: Films that have been previously submitted to DIFF will not be considered.
18. Ownership and Storage of Submissions: DIFF retains the right to keep all submissions as well as associated materials for its use. DIFF reserves the right to transfer submissions to a master hard drive library, building a digital reference archive. DIFF will not publicly screen any films without the express written consent of the appropriate rights holder(s).
19. Deadline for Receipt of Prints & Format of Screening Copy: If your film is selected for screening at DIFF, DIFF must receive the print or tape (as applicable) of your film for screening purposes on or before November 15, 2008. You must supply us with a 35mm print or a tape in Digital Betacam PAL format or Betacam SP PAL format. HDCAM format presentations will only be accepted by prior permission.
20. Shipping of Prints selected for screening at DIFF 2008: Shipping costs to and from DIFF’s premises will be incurred by DIFF. DIFF undertakes to return the prints within 2 weeks of the close of the Festival.
21. Film Scheduling: DIFF Management will decide in its discretion the dates and order of screening of each film in the DIFF Competition. Once a film has been selected in the DIFF Competition, it will not be able to be withdrawn nor to be presented anywhere in the Gulf before its screening at DIFF 2008.
22. Video Release of Film: All rights holders submitting a film to the DIFF Competition agree that in the event their film wins a prize at DIFF, they will ensure that wording is placed on the DVD case which indicates that the film was part of the Official Selection of the Dubai International Film Festival and indicating the prize it won.
23. Festival Management’s Discretion: DIFF will decide in its discretion on all issues and matters not foreseen by these Regulations. DIFF further retains the right to permit exceptions to the application of these Regulations at any time in its discretion.
