Submissions

All DIFF Out of Competition selections are made by invitation through the DIFF Programming Team. However, the films submitted on-line will also be reviewed and will be considered for the Out of Competition Programmes.

Entries for theh Muhr Arab and AsiaAfrica Awards as well as Out of Competition films must be submitted before August 31, 2009 by completing the application form online.

Muhr Awards

DIFF introduced the Muhr Awards for Arab Cinema in 2006, with the aim of honouring Arab filmmakers at a regional and international level. In three years, the Muhr Awards has recognised 50 Arab filmmakers and talents and distributed cash awards, while also critically contributing towards raising the awardees’ profile globally.

Building on the enormous success of the Muhr Arab Awards, DIFF expanded it in 2008 to include a competition for cinema originating from Asia and Africa. The Muhr AsiaAfrica Awards celebrates the perseverance of independent filmmakers from younger countries with a budding tradition of cinema and also from established countries with well-known cinema industries.

The Muhr Awards are determined by a prestigious international jury. The competition presents more than US$550,000 in cash prizes to the recipients of the Muhr Awards.

Films participating in the Muhr competition can be in the short film, feature or documentary formats. The awards also honour outstanding work in the areas of acting, cinematography, editing, music and scriptwriting in the feature film categories.

In 2008, DIFF partnered with the prestigious International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) to launch the annual Prize of the International Critics for the Best Feature Film in the Muhr Arab Awards.

Muhr Awards Prize Money

There will be a total of 16 Muhr prizes awarded in the Feature Films category, with 8 prizes each in the Muhr Arab and Muhr AsiaAfrica competitions.

- Best Film – US$50,000
- Special Jury Prize – US$40,000
- Best Actor – US$8,000
- Best Actress – US$8,000
- Best Cinematographer – US$8,000
- Best Editor - US$8,000
- Best Music Composer - US$8,000
- Best Scriptwriter - US$8,000

There will be a total of six Muhr prizes awarded in the Documentary Films category, with three each in the Muhr Arab and Muhr AsiaAfrica competitions.

- First Prize – US$40,000
- Special Jury Prize – US$30,000
- Second Prize – US$20,000

There will be a total of six Muhr prizes awarded in the Short Films category, with three each in the Muhr Arab and Muhr AsiaAfrica competitions.

- First Prize – US$30,000
- Special Jury Prize – US$20,000
- Second Prize – US$10,000

All cash prizes in the Documentary and Short Films categories will be awarded to the director(s) of the winning films.

Muhr Jury

Members of the Muhr Awards Jury are internationally recognised film professionals and eminent filmmakers, who have achieved great acclaim in their area of expertise.

DIFF will appoint five separate juries to decide on prize winners in the following categories:

Muhr Arab Feature Films
Muhr Arab Documentary Films
Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature Films
Muhr AsiaAfrica Documentary Films
Muhr Arab & Muhr AsiaAfrica Short Films