The GFF Official Competition comprises the following:

Gulf Films: Open to Gulf film-makers or film-makers with a film that showcases the region. Fiction and non-fiction films may compete in the features and shorts categories. 

Gulf Students’ Shorts: Open to students in the Gulf with fiction or non-fiction short films.

International: Open to film-makers from around the world with fiction or non-fiction short films.

ELIGIBILITY

(i) Submissions to the Gulf Films and the Gulf Students' Shorts competitions must meet one of the following criteria:

a. Film-makers must be of Gulf nationality or origin

b. The film’s subject and storyline must be set in the Gulf region or present the Gulf’s history and/or Gulf culture.

Submissions to the International Short competition are welcome from any part of the world.

(ii) Films must not have screened in the UAE prior to GFF. Exceptions are films that participated in the 8th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival.

(iii) The film must have been produced after 1 January 2011.

(iv) Films must have 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.

(v) The submitted work must not be a television programme or an episode of a series.

(vi) Films submitted to earlier editions of GFF will not be considered.

(vii) Feature films must be a work of fiction or non-fiction that exceeds 59 minutes in length.

(viii) Short films must be a work of fiction or non-fiction that is less than or equal to 59 minutes in length.

(ix) GFF does not accept works in progress.

AWARDS

Gulf Films Competition - Features Category

The following prizes will be awarded to the producer(s) of the winning film:

• Best Gulf Feature Film – AED50,000

• Second Prize – AED35,000

• Third Prize – AED25,000

• Special Jury Prize – AED35,000

The Best Director Prize – AED20,000 – will be awarded to the winning film-maker.

Gulf Films Competition - Shorts Category

The following prizes will be awarded to the producer(s) of the winning film:

• Best Gulf Short Film – AED30,000

• Second Prize – AED25,000

• Third Prize – AED20,000

• Special Jury Prize – AED25,000

The Best Director Prize – AED15,000 – will be awarded to the winning film-maker.

The Best Script Prize – AED15,000 – will be awarded to the winning script-writer,

Gulf Students’ Shorts Competition

The following prizes will be awarded to the producer(s) of the winning film:

• Best Student Film – AED25,000

• Special Jury Prize – AED20,000 

• Second Prize – AED20,000

• Third Prize – AED15,000

The Best Director Prize – AED15,000 – will be awarded to the winning film-maker.

The Best Emerging Talent – AED15,000 – will be awarded to the winning talent.

International Competition

The following prizes will be awarded to the producer(s) of the winning film:

• Best International Short Film – AED30,000

• Second Prize – AED25,000

• Special Jury Prize – AED25,000

The Best Director Prize – AED15,000 – will be awarded to the winning film-maker.

SUBMITTING A FILM

Entries must be submitted before 29 February 2012 by completing the application form online in both Arabic and English (if applicable). Two (2) DVD copies of the film must reach the Festival before 29 February 2012. 

All non-English dialogue films must have English subtitles.

Any submission and/or material received after the above deadline will not be accepted.

There is no entry fee to submit a film for GFF.

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.

SUBMISSION MATERIALS

• Two (2) copies of the DVD of the film 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:

• Film Title
• Director’s Name
• Film Duration
• Original Language of Film + Subtitles (where applicable) 
• Date of Completion of Production

• Please ensure that the film title and all other requested information are provided in English as well.

All shipping costs of the Submitted Materials 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 here under address with “For cultural use only” and “Without commercial value” clearly marked on the envelope.

SUBMISSIONS ADDRESS

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