Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) announced a new segment that will allow filmmakers to compete for jury prizes.
Providing details of the competition categories and submission dates, Neil Stephenson, CEO, Dubai International Film Festival said, "DIFF's decision to add a competitive component is part of the Festival's strategy to evolve into an important destination for creative excellence in Arab cinema."

"DIFF is developing into a major film event and has a responsibility to initiate cross-cultural dialogue and promote the best of Arab cinema. DIFF has introduced a competitive element in order to recognize deserving filmmakers and provide them with a prestigious forum for showcasing their talent."

The announcement came ahead of DIFF's annual reception at the Cannes Film Festival.

DIFF 2006, scheduled to take place from December 10 - 17, invites entries in three categories: features, shorts and documentaries. The films should be produced after 1 January 2005 and fulfill 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

Two weeks following the submission deadline of October 1, the DIFF selection committee will shortlist ten films in each category.

The first three winning entries will be awarded gold, silver and bronze trophies at a prestigious ceremony amidst luminaries from the cinema industry at DIFF 2006 this December.

In an effort to provide a broader forum for commendable work, DIFF 2006 has also instituted an Out of Competition segment for entries that are considered creditworthy by the Selection Committee. A selection of films in each category will be presented in this section.

Following the huge success of the previous two years, DIFF is gearing up for its third annual event. DIFF 2005 recorded 30,000 screening admissions, and showcased 98 films from 46 different countries representing 12 different program sections. With a total of 187 public screenings and 13 press screenings, the event featured approximately 38 Arab films.

DIFF 2006 will include premieres, workshops, panel discussions, industry networking receptions and parties.