Abu Dhabi’s Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) has launched a new competition programme, New Horizons, dedicated to first- and second-time directors from all over the world. MEIFF 2010 takes place from 14 to 23 October in Abu Dhabi. Filmmakers have until 1 July to submit their entries.
Films in competition will vie for the MEIFF’s Black Pearl Awards for Best New Narrative Film, Best New Narrative Film from the Arab World, Best New Documentary, Best New Documentary from the Arab World, each with a $100,000 cash prize.
“Given the growing vibrancy of young filmmakers in the region, and the great interest by the international industry community, we simply wanted to make the Middle East International Film Festival even more of a driving force in terms of opportunity, recognition and networking for new talent in both fiction and non-fiction films,’ says MEIFF project director Rashed Al-Mazrouei.
MEIFF 2010 will also present two separate competitive sections devoted to short films and another competition focused on work by filmmakers from the UAE or GGC countries.
Additionally, a Showcase section offers a further glimpse of important contributions to filmmaking around the world with screenings of some of the best examples of international cinema, contending for the Black Pearl Audience Choice Award.
Films devoted to broadening public awareness of significant environmental issues are presented in a sidebar called, “What in the world are we doing to our world?’
A Special Programmes section includes restorations and rediscoveries, as well as presentations devoted to exposing exciting new developments and trends in international filmmaking.
For more information log onto www.meiff.com/info/submissions.
