The submissions for the fifth IWC Filmmaker Award which carries a grant of $100,000 (Dh367.000) for the winner, is now open, announced the organisers on Tuesday. The competition, by luxury watch company IWC Schaffhausen. is held every year on the sidelines of the Dubai International Film Festival and is an effort to promote talent among budding filmmakers.
Entries can be submitted online via the DIFF website, www.dubaifilmfest.com, from now until August 1, 2016. A final shortlist of three entrants will be drawn up by an independent jury. IWC Schaffhausen will then present the award to the winner at an awards dinner during the 13th edition of the DIFF, which runs from December 7 to 14.
At last year’s DIFF, the IWC Filmmaker Award recognised the talents of Emirati director Layla Kaylif for her film The Letter Writer, a romantic drama about deceit and how a young boy uses his writing skills for personal gain. Layla Kaylif was presented with the award by IWC brand ambassador Dev Patel. The jury, last year, included Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad and Tunisian actress Hend Sabry.
“The IWC Filmmaker Award is such an incredible initiative, and it was an honour to be a member of the jury and to have the opportunity to see the unique techniques and plots used by each of the entrants. Last year, the calibre of submissions was so high that trying to pick a winner was almost impossible. To see the IWC Filmmaker Award returning to DIFF for a fifth year in 2016 is wonderful. It provides an unparalleled opportunity for Arab filmmakers to make a name for themselves on the global stage,” said Assad in a statement.
