Dubai Film Fest III (Dec 10-17, 2006)

[X.]

I'd been looking for an excuse to start this thread.

And I found it today.

Advertising: Bates PanGulf and Jiwin have won contracts to promote the third Dubai International Film Festival, which takes place in December.

The two agencies replace Brandcom and Asda'a, who handled the advertising and PR respectively for last year's festival. Incumbent MindShare has retained the media buying brief.

Shivani Pandya, DIFF executive director of festival operations, said: "During the pitch, Bates PanGulf demonstrated its ability to effectively translate our core values into strong advertising, providing us with confidence in their ability to further assist us in our efforts."

The main advertising campaign for DIFF 2006 will break during the last quarter of the year. However, other activities are being planned in the run-up to the event.

Pandya said the appointment of Jiwin - the PR arm of Dubai Press Club - followed a decision by DIFF to reach out to an extensive media base in the region, as well as filmgoers, industry professionals and media representatives.

"Through Jiwin's knowledge base and expertise, we hope to develop effective PR strategies aligned with other media projects like Dubai Studio City," said Pandya.

Last year's event saw more than 30,000 admissions. Attendance this year is expected to increase thanks to wider participation from the Arab film-making community.

[kaytee]

Jiwin is a government owned company and Bates is owned by Al Ghurair. I see a trend here maybe this year there will be a lot of promotion for Arabic films and shorts which no one will end up seeing.

[X.]

Kaytee proves to us yet again why he has earned the nickname Oil Baron. The man's got skills - market insights and a sharp eye for reading between the lines.

I was talking to Shariq a while ago about my feelings for DIFF3 (these bastards should be paying me for this cool abbreviation). They really seem to have gotten over trying to compete with the international fest circuit (that is, if they were even trying in the first place). I have to assume that the DIFF committee has finally found its calling - however shitty it may appear to us. They want the fest to be a springboard for "regional/local talent" in other words the whole thing is yet another thinly-veiled PR stunt in service of promoting Dubai as the region's #1 tourist destination. All this is nothing new, we all know the score by heart now, but hey, I always feel good after venting.

Oh, one more thing: I hope they up the ante on the number of movies playing. Like last time though there was no singular unifying theme but at least we had films from different parts of the world (actually winners of fests such as Berlin, Cannes, Toronto, etc). With high quantity there's bound to be some good stuff in there (afterall these guys are not complete retards, innocent until proven guilty). If the agenda this time to put the Arab flicks in the limelight, I say more power to them. Just give me my fucking Western & Oriental cinema so I won't bother anybody.

[animatedude]

hahaha i've just remembered when madali said that he lost parts of his minds when he watched a few arabic shorts during the festival.lol

errr i hate to be bitch and moan but instead of you guys saying i hope they  don't do this and i hope they don't do that.why not write a letter to these bastards? or just confront them and beat the shit out of them!

[kaytee]

why not write a letter to these bastards?

Coz we have better things to do and the letter will head straight for the shredder

just confront them and beat the shit out of them!

and we have not intentions of being deported.

[X.]

Fizz and I have met with a couple of DIFF principals, some of them have even indulged us in candid conversations about the policy of the DIFF board. Its simple - there's a clear business agenda at play, the powers that be pumps in the cash.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Sirens went off in my head when Noah Cowen (who has served as programming director on the Toronto Film Fest) quit the DIFF team in Year2. I've had the pleasure of speaking to Cowen himself in DIFF Year1 and I had asked him about his plans for DIFF. He was coy and skillfully avoided my questions by starting small talk. I had a chat with Cowen's liaison last year - you wanna know where? - he was sitting at the press registration table oustide the cinema ushering us in. That's what happens to people who stick around for the money.

[animatedude]

wow.now that's interesting.

[sammy]

my 2 cents

Jiwin is not wholely govy. Its part of Dubai Holding...which is semi govt.
That just means that besides the govt making decisions, its directions also come straight from the shk.
Diff also being part of Dubai Holding, only means that money changes hands and pockets.....but for the same person. Asda'a had a few glitches last year...(major ones) so i'm guessing thats the whiplash that they have to face.

Diff is already taking in submittions for local talent movies. I think AK is right about the whole promoting local talent thing, and maybe a name change to DNationalFilmFestival....or DubaiWataniyaFilmFest. or something would be in order, but who'd come to be a part of that ? besides....showing about 3 local movies out of 30~40 aint so bad. I'm hoping they play "Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles "

[fizz]

Ak...remember the guy they announced earlier this year had taken over as the main selector for this year's DIFF (Simon someone...). Well, I was going through my Diff catalogue a few days ago and realised he's the prick who introduced (and was responsible for selecting) world cinema garbage such as the intolerable Shooting dogs. Scary thoughts are now running through my head.

[X.]

His name is Simon Field, and yes that is scary. I cannot forget the awful "Shooting Dogs" and the even more awful person who introduced it - Field himself. I have vivid memories of what the hack said before the movie: "I hope you all *enjoy* Shooting Dogs...I mean, er, its an important film so hope you like it."

By the way, "Shooting Dogs" is about the Rwandan genocide (its a deeply embarassing film that features bad story, bad acting, bad everything).

I'm posting my archive post here about this Simon fellow and his cohort:

After my own heart, Fizz, I've been keeping tabs on every word issued from DIFF (if I keep this up, I'm setting myself up for a major disappointment come fest 06)

I had read a day or two ago that Simon Field (who?) and Amurallah Al Mulla (director of that Abu Dhabi arab film series) will be the *programme directors*. Which means they'll be choosing what films will be selected for screening this year. I don't know how to take this, but my reservation with last year's "mixed basked" programming was overcome by access to the sheer volume of quality world cinema. But one still cannot rule out Field and Mulla going titty-up later in the year.

About the above press release you posted...some interesting revelations there:

The films should be produced after January 1, 2005 and fulfil one of the following criteria: Films directed by an Arab, whether residing in the Arab World or abroad or films reflecting Arab socio-cultural issues.

He clarifies from the word go that NON-ARABS are not eligible in the competition (unfair, reeks of the Barbican sponsored bowling contest fiasco). But then the statement also masks obvious irony: ...or films reflecting Arab socio-cultural issues. Does this mean - if I being non-Arab choose to make something on the Emirati unemployment "problem" - there is leeway as long as the feature/doc "reflects Arab socio-cultural issues"? Fat chance.

I have a feeling the programme content of DIFF 2006 is going to be less European and more Arab-flavoured (death to America and the evil Zionists!). At the same time, I feel its unreasonable for me to complain given the truth that UAE is an Arab country. I'll shut up now. Thank you.

[kaytee]

DIFF offers big bucks

[/b]


Neil Stephenson (left), Abdulhamid Al Juma (centre), and Masoud Amralla Al Ali.
 
 
With the world's film industry zooming in on the emirate later this year, organisers of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) have upped the stakes in celebration of the very best of Arab cinema.

The annual event, now in its third year, will award around Dh1.2 million in prize money to recognise Arab and UAE filmmakers and support the film industry in the region.

The new Muhr Awards for Excellence in Arab Cinema (as expected)were unveiled at a press conference at the Dubai Press Club yesterday.

Speaking at the event, Abdulhamid Al Juma(what the f$@k is he doing on the DIFF board), deputy director general of TECOM (Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority), described it as an "exciting new development" and said: "The competition aims to provide an environment and opportunity for Arab filmmakers worldwide to showcase their work and receive recognition for outstanding achievements. It will also help us increase understanding and spread awareness of the Arab culture and way of life to a wide audience through the effective medium of film."

Al Juma added the reason for introducing cash prizes was to encourage excellence in filmmaking in the Arab world.

Named "Muhr" — meaning young horse in Arabic and signifying nobility and spirit — the awards will honour the work of Arab filmmakers in feature, documentary and short film categories.

It will also celebrate UAE filmmakers for best script in the short film category and recognise the UAE's "most promising filmmaker" of 2006.

Among the criteria for the competition is that the directors must be of Arab nationality or origin and the subject and storyline of the film must be centred around the Arab world, history or culture.

Competition entries will be judged by a panel of experts from the filmmaking industry.

Neil Stephenson, CEO of the festival, said that from the outset DIFF has tried "to build a unique and cultural bridge through the medium of film".

He said: "We intend to use DIFF as a forum and a vehicle to promote understanding through serious dialogue."

Expanding on the event as a whole, he added: "DIFF is very much an international film festival and as always we will be showing films from around the world."

The Muhr Awards will offer the following prizes:

Feature films
GOLD:            $50,000 (Dh183,600)
SILVER:        $40,000 (Dh146,900)
BRONZE:       $30,000 (Dh110,200)

Documentaries
GOLD:            $40,000 (Dh146,900)
SILVER:        $30,000 (Dh110,200)
BRONZE:       $20,000 (Dh73,450)

Short film
GOLD:            $30,000 (Dh110,200)
SILVER:        $20,000 (Dh73,450)
BRONZE:       $10,000 (Dh36,700)

Best script for a short film by a UAE filmmaker
GOLD:            Dh50,000
SILVER:        Dh40,000
BRONZE:       Dh30,000

Most promising UAE filmmaker
Dh30,000

Previous editions of the Dubai Film Festival have attracted the likes of:

Orlando Bloom
Sarah Michelle Geller
Morgan Freeman
Laurence Fishbourne
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Sir Bob Geldof

The Dubai International Film Festival's theme has always been Bridging Cultures, Meeting Minds — but organisers said this year it was more important than ever for the message to be spread widely.

Stephenson said recent events — notably the war involving Lebanon and Israel — showed the need for better relations between people of different backgrounds.

"Between Arab and non-Arab, Muslim and non-Muslim, I believe a cultural bridge is more relevant than ever.

"We intend to use DIFF to promote understanding between people and give voice to cultural tolerance," he said.

Abdulhamid Al Juma, Deputy Director General of Tecom, said he hoped some films dealing with events in Lebanon could be shown at the festival.

"DIFF is part of the Dubai government and the UAE has contributed support for the Lebanese people.

"We would like to focus on the role of cinema in events by opening the floor for any film that shows the devastation and the lethal effects of the war on the people — not just the people of Lebanon, but throughout the world," he said.
 

[X.]

Dubai Film Fest is racist!
 


There’s been much apple polishing by the local press corps for Dubai Film Festival’s (DIFF) imaginatively captioned Muhr Awards which will give out “around Dh1.2 million in prize money to recognise Arab and UAE filmmakers and support the film industry in the region.”

If there were any doubts, the competition criterion has now been made clear: “The directors must be of Arab nationality or origin and the subject and storyline of the film must be centred around the Arab world, history or culture.”

I have no issues whatsoever with films being focussed on the Arab world, its history and culture. In fact I would welcome this theme because it allows non-Arabs the precedent to dig deeper into what we’ve all been led to believe: The rich heritage of Arab history and culture. But DIFF plunges into the murky waters of racial discrimination by forbidding non-Arabs to compete in their cash-bloated Awards.

Before you say it, yes, we must be able to appreciate any incentive to elevate local and regional filmmaking hackery but does that mean the DIFF committee can assume the Arab world and the UAE in particular only has Arabs? It’s been over 20 years for most of us living in the oyster called Dubai, 20 more for our parents – there is still no cut-and-dried evidence of the UAE government’s intention to offer citizenship. The UAE citizen make up less than 20% of its population so I hope you won’t begrudge my pointing out the obvious:

DIFF is so drunk on its idealism that they are brazenly discriminating on the basis of race. The fact is simple: Non-Arabs are not allowed to compete for the Muhr Awards. Period.

Pangs of irony overwhelm me when DIFF positions itself with such sanctimonious pap:

The Dubai International Film Festival's theme has always been Bridging Cultures, Meeting Minds — but organisers said this year it was more important than ever for the message to be spread widely.

Stephenson said recent events — notably the war involving Lebanon and Israel — showed the need for better relations between people of different backgrounds.

"Between Arab and non-Arab, Muslim and non-Muslim, I believe a cultural bridge is more relevant than ever.

I wonder how we can "bridge cultures" when only one people are allowed to do the critical bridging process by making films and others are shut out? Is DIFF implying that only non-Arabs need to understand the Arab and do the all bridging and meeting of minds by seeing the movies that only an Arab can make? I smell common sense and about a hundred precepts of human equality burning somewhere.

It doesn’t matter who you are: Arab, non-Arab, Muslim, non-Muslim. Unlike the phonies like DIFF, I will discriminate you on only one basis: Stupidity!

The ubiquitous DIFF board needs to eat humble pie and do sensible people a huge favour by dismantling the Muhr Awards. It’s like a comedy of errors.

Spread the word. Feel free to forward this topic to your friends (even the ones you don’t really like!)

ak

[ozzylogic]

WTF do these guys know? Camel herders.

[animatedude]

WTF do these guys know? Camel herders.

LOL! way to go ozzy!

[cinemaster]

His name is Simon Field, and yes that is scary. I cannot forget the awful "Shooting Dogs" and the even more awful person who introduced it - Field himself. I have vivid memories of what the hack said before the movie: "I hope you all *enjoy* Shooting Dogs...I mean, er, its an important film so hope you like it."

By the way, "Shooting Dogs" is about the Rwandan genocide (its a deeply embarassing film that features bad story, bad acting, bad everything).

Sorry AK, but I have to jump in here ... I saw the film ... the complete film ... till the end (which most of you guys haven't). It's a different take on the subject as HOTEL RWANDA but still deserves to be seen. Caton-Jones put a lot of effort in making the film in Rwanda including people in the crew & cast who have experienced the mass murders back then. It's a fictional story with fictional protagonists which are based on  several different people and their experience. You might have problems with that but what counts is that Caton-Jones reminds us of cruel events we only remember from the news channel and tend to forget too soon. This one is no waste of time at all, surely it's not embarrasing, no,  you should watch both films - SHOOTING DOGS and HOTEL RWANDA to get a complete picture of the tragedy - a foreigner`s and a  native's perspective.

But most important, before trashing a film watch it in its full length. How else will you have a satisfying discussion.