Deadline: 10 March 2011
About GFF
The Gulf Film Festival is an annual non-profit cultural event that aims to celebrate the highest standards of Gulf cinema. The Festival takes place in April in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The GFF has two objectives:
1. The Festival aims to develop the local and regional film culture in the Gulf, creating greater opportunities for filmmakers from the region to screen their films and develop future film projects.
2. The Festival aims to celebrate excellence in Gulf cinema and be a destination festival for the international film community to discover state of the art Gulf Cinema.
The Fourth edition of the GFF will be held from April 14 to 20, 2011.
Rules & Regulations
The Gulf Film Festival (hereafter referred to as “GFF” or the “Festival” as the context requires) is an annual non-profit cultural event that takes place in April in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. GFF is wholly owned and organized by the Dubai Entertainment and Media Organisation (“DEMO”) and supported by The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (“DCAA”).
The Festival features two main competitions:
* The Gulf Competition: Open to films by Gulf filmmakers and students, or filmmakers of other nationalities with a film that showcases the region and its landscape.
* The International Competition: Open to short films from around the world.
GULF COMPETITION & INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
The Gulf Competition will present three different categories (A) feature films, (B) short films and (C) documentary films. While the Student Competition will present two categories (A) short films and (B) documentary films.
The International Competition will present 15 short films only.
ELIGIBILITY FOR SELECTION:
1. Gulf Competition Eligibility
Unless a special waiver is granted by GFF:
(i) All entry films in the feature, documentary and short formats must meet at least one of the following conditions:
o Films must be directed by a filmmaker of Gulf Nationality or Origin as defined hereunder.
o The subject and storyline of the film should be centered on the Gulf region, Gulf history and/or Gulf culture. Gulf nationality or origin shall mean people from one or more of the following countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Yemen.
General Eligibility
Films should meet all of the following eligibility conditions:
(ii) Films must not have been screened in the UAE for any audiences before GFF. With exceptions for films that have participated in the 7th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (“DIFF”).
(iii) The film must have been produced after January 1, 2010.
(iv) The film must be submitted to GFF before March 10, 2011.
(v) Until the end of GFF, films must not have been broadcasted and/or made available on television, the internet, mobile phones and/or any other public viewing platform now known or thereafter devised.
(vi) All non-English dialogue films must have English subtitles.
(vii) The submitted work must NOT be a television programme or an episode of a series.
(viii) Films that have been submitted to earlier editions of GFF will not be considered.
In the event that a film is not selected by GFF for the Competitions, GFF reserves the right to select said film for any of GFF’s Out of Competition sections.
Eligibility by Category
Feature Films: Films must be a work of fiction that equals or exceeds sixty (60) minutes in length.
Documentary Films: Films must be a work of nonfiction, regardless of the duration.
Short Films: Films must be a work of fiction that does not exceed fifty nine (59) minutes in length.
2. SELECTION COMMITTEE & JURY:
Selection Committee:
GFF will solely appoint a selection committee to review submitted feature, documentary and short films. The committee will decide on the official selection to enter the two categories of the GFF Competitions and the Out of Competition sections.
GFF Jury:
GFF will solely appoint jury members to decide on prize winners for each Competition.
3. AWARDS & PRIZE MONEY:
A- Official Competition Awards:
Gulf Competition:
There will be two (2) Official Awards in the Feature Films category: Best Film AED 50,000; Second Prize - AED 35,000 where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film.
There will be three (3) Official Awards in the Documentary Films category: First Prize - AED 25,000; Second Prize - AED 20,000 and Third Prize – AED 15,000, where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film.
There will be one (1) Official Special Jury Prize for Feature or Documentary – AED 20, 000AED, where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of the film.
There will be five (5) Official Awards in the Short Films category: First Prize - AED 25,000; Second Prize – AED 20,000; Third Prize– AED 15,000 and Special Jury Prize – AED 20,000 the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film. For the Best Script – AED 15,000, the cash prize will be awarded to the Scriptwriter of the film.
Student Competition:
There will be three (3) - Student Awards in the Documentary Films category: First Prize - AED 20,000; Second Prize - AED 15,000 and Third Prize – AED 10,000, where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film.
There will be three (3) - Student Awards in the Short Films category: First Prize - AED 20,000; Second Prize – AED 15,000 and Third Prize– AED 10,000 where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film.
There will be one (1) Official Special Jury Prize for Documentary or Short – AED 15,000, where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of the film.
B- International Competition:
There will be three (3) Official Awards for the International Short: First Prize - AED 25,000; Second Prize – AED 20,000; and Third Prize– AED 15,000 the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film.
C- Special Mentions:
Acknowledgements will be given in the various sections of the Competitions to distinguished works and their makers.
4. SUBMISSION:
There is no entry fee to submit a film for GFF.
Deadlines:
Entries must be submitted before March 10, 2011, by completing the application form online (www.gulffilmfest.com) in both Arabic and English (if applicable). Two (2) DVD copies of the film must reach GFF before the same date of March 10, 2011. Any submission and/or material received after the above deadline will not be accepted.
Submitted Material:
The submitted material consists of two (2) copies of the DVD of the film (with English subtitles if applicable) and any other additional material available. The submitted DVDs can be of any region. If the original version of the film is not in English, the submitted DVDs must be subtitled in English. DVD is the only accepted submission format.
Please label the cover of the DVDs, with the following details:
1. The title of the film
2. The full name of the Director(s)
3. The duration of the film
4. The original language(s) of the film + subtitles (if applicable)
5. The date of completion of production
Please ensure that the film title and all other requested information are provided in English as well.
Submission Shipping:
All shipping costs of the Submitted Material must be borne by the submitter/sender. For the avoidance of doubt, the Submitted Material will not be returned to the submitter/sender. All submissions should be sent directly to the hereunder address with “For cultural use only” and “Without commercial value” clearly marked on the envelope.
Gulf Film Festival
Dubai Media City, CNN Building
1st floor - Management Office
P.O. Box 502600
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Attention: Submissions Manager
RE: [film name], [online submission ID #]
Tel: +971 4 391 0069 | Fax: +971 4 367 2892
Email: submissions@tecom.ae
Submission of Work in Progress:
GFF does NOT accept Work in Progress.
Storage of Submissions:
GFF retains the right to keep all submissions as well as associated materials for its use. GFF reserves the right to transfer submissions to a master hard drive digital library, building a digital reference archive (“GFF Permanent Digital Library”). GFF will not theatrically screen for commercial purposes any films without the express written consent of the appropriate rights holder(s).
Additional Terms:
For the avoidance of doubt, once a film is submitted, the submitter will not be able to withdraw nor to submit and/or present said film anywhere in the UAE before its selection and/or screening at GFF.
5. SELECTED FILMS:
The Selection Committee will at its own discretion select the films.
If a film is selected for the Competition, GFF will send an official selection letter by March 25, 2011 and will advise of further requirements and next steps.
The final selection will be announced around April 7th, 2011.
If a film has not been selected, GFF will inform the submitter by letter within one (1) week of the announcement of the final film selections. For the avoidance of doubt, GFF shall not comment on the grounds of not selecting a film.
Material:
The final screening copy of the film can only be submitted in one of the following formats: (a) 35mm print; (b) HDCam ; (c) Digital Betacam PAL ; or (d) Betacam SP PAL ; Mini DV,DV Cam and Pro Res H 264 digital files.
Please label the cover of the tape, with the following details:
1.Title of the film
2. The full name of the Director(s)
3. The duration of the film
4. The original language(s) of the film + subtitles (if applicable)
5. Aspect ratio
6. Tape speed for HDCam only
Deadlines:
GFF must receive the print or tape (as applicable) of the film for screening purposes on or before March 25, 2011.
Print Shipping:
Shipping costs to and from GFF’s premises will be incurred by GFF. GFF undertakes to return the prints within two (2) weeks of the end of GFF.
Print Insurance:
Prints of all films selected for GFF will be insured throughout the period in which they are in the festival’s custody. In the case of loss or damage during GFF, GFF will be responsible only for the replacement value of the print, if said print was originally received by the festival in good condition.
Screenings & Scheduling:
Selected Films will be screened up to three (3) times to GFF’s public audiences. The film may be screened in advance of the festival an additional (fourth) time for accredited press and industry members. GFF will at its sole discretion decide on the dates and order of the screening(s) of each film.
More information here.
About GFF
The Gulf Film Festival is an annual non-profit cultural event that aims to celebrate the highest standards of Gulf cinema. The Festival takes place in April in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The GFF has two objectives:
1. The Festival aims to develop the local and regional film culture in the Gulf, creating greater opportunities for filmmakers from the region to screen their films and develop future film projects.
2. The Festival aims to celebrate excellence in Gulf cinema and be a destination festival for the international film community to discover state of the art Gulf Cinema.
The Fourth edition of the GFF will be held from April 14 to 20, 2011.
Rules & Regulations
The Gulf Film Festival (hereafter referred to as “GFF” or the “Festival” as the context requires) is an annual non-profit cultural event that takes place in April in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. GFF is wholly owned and organized by the Dubai Entertainment and Media Organisation (“DEMO”) and supported by The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (“DCAA”).
The Festival features two main competitions:
* The Gulf Competition: Open to films by Gulf filmmakers and students, or filmmakers of other nationalities with a film that showcases the region and its landscape.
* The International Competition: Open to short films from around the world.
GULF COMPETITION & INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
The Gulf Competition will present three different categories (A) feature films, (B) short films and (C) documentary films. While the Student Competition will present two categories (A) short films and (B) documentary films.
The International Competition will present 15 short films only.
ELIGIBILITY FOR SELECTION:
1. Gulf Competition Eligibility
Unless a special waiver is granted by GFF:
(i) All entry films in the feature, documentary and short formats must meet at least one of the following conditions:
o Films must be directed by a filmmaker of Gulf Nationality or Origin as defined hereunder.
o The subject and storyline of the film should be centered on the Gulf region, Gulf history and/or Gulf culture. Gulf nationality or origin shall mean people from one or more of the following countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Yemen.
General Eligibility
Films should meet all of the following eligibility conditions:
(ii) Films must not have been screened in the UAE for any audiences before GFF. With exceptions for films that have participated in the 7th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (“DIFF”).
(iii) The film must have been produced after January 1, 2010.
(iv) The film must be submitted to GFF before March 10, 2011.
(v) Until the end of GFF, films must not have been broadcasted and/or made available on television, the internet, mobile phones and/or any other public viewing platform now known or thereafter devised.
(vi) All non-English dialogue films must have English subtitles.
(vii) The submitted work must NOT be a television programme or an episode of a series.
(viii) Films that have been submitted to earlier editions of GFF will not be considered.
In the event that a film is not selected by GFF for the Competitions, GFF reserves the right to select said film for any of GFF’s Out of Competition sections.
Eligibility by Category
Feature Films: Films must be a work of fiction that equals or exceeds sixty (60) minutes in length.
Documentary Films: Films must be a work of nonfiction, regardless of the duration.
Short Films: Films must be a work of fiction that does not exceed fifty nine (59) minutes in length.
2. SELECTION COMMITTEE & JURY:
Selection Committee:
GFF will solely appoint a selection committee to review submitted feature, documentary and short films. The committee will decide on the official selection to enter the two categories of the GFF Competitions and the Out of Competition sections.
GFF Jury:
GFF will solely appoint jury members to decide on prize winners for each Competition.
3. AWARDS & PRIZE MONEY:
A- Official Competition Awards:
Gulf Competition:
There will be two (2) Official Awards in the Feature Films category: Best Film AED 50,000; Second Prize - AED 35,000 where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film.
There will be three (3) Official Awards in the Documentary Films category: First Prize - AED 25,000; Second Prize - AED 20,000 and Third Prize – AED 15,000, where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film.
There will be one (1) Official Special Jury Prize for Feature or Documentary – AED 20, 000AED, where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of the film.
There will be five (5) Official Awards in the Short Films category: First Prize - AED 25,000; Second Prize – AED 20,000; Third Prize– AED 15,000 and Special Jury Prize – AED 20,000 the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film. For the Best Script – AED 15,000, the cash prize will be awarded to the Scriptwriter of the film.
Student Competition:
There will be three (3) - Student Awards in the Documentary Films category: First Prize - AED 20,000; Second Prize - AED 15,000 and Third Prize – AED 10,000, where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film.
There will be three (3) - Student Awards in the Short Films category: First Prize - AED 20,000; Second Prize – AED 15,000 and Third Prize– AED 10,000 where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film.
There will be one (1) Official Special Jury Prize for Documentary or Short – AED 15,000, where the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of the film.
B- International Competition:
There will be three (3) Official Awards for the International Short: First Prize - AED 25,000; Second Prize – AED 20,000; and Third Prize– AED 15,000 the cash prize will be awarded to the Director(s) of each film.
C- Special Mentions:
Acknowledgements will be given in the various sections of the Competitions to distinguished works and their makers.
4. SUBMISSION:
There is no entry fee to submit a film for GFF.
Deadlines:
Entries must be submitted before March 10, 2011, by completing the application form online (www.gulffilmfest.com) in both Arabic and English (if applicable). Two (2) DVD copies of the film must reach GFF before the same date of March 10, 2011. Any submission and/or material received after the above deadline will not be accepted.
Submitted Material:
The submitted material consists of two (2) copies of the DVD of the film (with English subtitles if applicable) and any other additional material available. The submitted DVDs can be of any region. If the original version of the film is not in English, the submitted DVDs must be subtitled in English. DVD is the only accepted submission format.
Please label the cover of the DVDs, with the following details:
1. The title of the film
2. The full name of the Director(s)
3. The duration of the film
4. The original language(s) of the film + subtitles (if applicable)
5. The date of completion of production
Please ensure that the film title and all other requested information are provided in English as well.
Submission Shipping:
All shipping costs of the Submitted Material must be borne by the submitter/sender. For the avoidance of doubt, the Submitted Material will not be returned to the submitter/sender. All submissions should be sent directly to the hereunder address with “For cultural use only” and “Without commercial value” clearly marked on the envelope.
Gulf Film Festival
Dubai Media City, CNN Building
1st floor - Management Office
P.O. Box 502600
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Attention: Submissions Manager
RE: [film name], [online submission ID #]
Tel: +971 4 391 0069 | Fax: +971 4 367 2892
Email: submissions@tecom.ae
Submission of Work in Progress:
GFF does NOT accept Work in Progress.
Storage of Submissions:
GFF retains the right to keep all submissions as well as associated materials for its use. GFF reserves the right to transfer submissions to a master hard drive digital library, building a digital reference archive (“GFF Permanent Digital Library”). GFF will not theatrically screen for commercial purposes any films without the express written consent of the appropriate rights holder(s).
Additional Terms:
For the avoidance of doubt, once a film is submitted, the submitter will not be able to withdraw nor to submit and/or present said film anywhere in the UAE before its selection and/or screening at GFF.
5. SELECTED FILMS:
The Selection Committee will at its own discretion select the films.
If a film is selected for the Competition, GFF will send an official selection letter by March 25, 2011 and will advise of further requirements and next steps.
The final selection will be announced around April 7th, 2011.
If a film has not been selected, GFF will inform the submitter by letter within one (1) week of the announcement of the final film selections. For the avoidance of doubt, GFF shall not comment on the grounds of not selecting a film.
Material:
The final screening copy of the film can only be submitted in one of the following formats: (a) 35mm print; (b) HDCam ; (c) Digital Betacam PAL ; or (d) Betacam SP PAL ; Mini DV,DV Cam and Pro Res H 264 digital files.
Please label the cover of the tape, with the following details:
1.Title of the film
2. The full name of the Director(s)
3. The duration of the film
4. The original language(s) of the film + subtitles (if applicable)
5. Aspect ratio
6. Tape speed for HDCam only
Deadlines:
GFF must receive the print or tape (as applicable) of the film for screening purposes on or before March 25, 2011.
Print Shipping:
Shipping costs to and from GFF’s premises will be incurred by GFF. GFF undertakes to return the prints within two (2) weeks of the end of GFF.
Print Insurance:
Prints of all films selected for GFF will be insured throughout the period in which they are in the festival’s custody. In the case of loss or damage during GFF, GFF will be responsible only for the replacement value of the print, if said print was originally received by the festival in good condition.
Screenings & Scheduling:
Selected Films will be screened up to three (3) times to GFF’s public audiences. The film may be screened in advance of the festival an additional (fourth) time for accredited press and industry members. GFF will at its sole discretion decide on the dates and order of the screening(s) of each film.
More information here.
