Three Emirati filmmakers enter final round of Arab Film Studio talent competition

Abu Dhabi (WAM): Three Emirati filmmakers have made it to the finals of the Arab Film Studio talent contest, which will be held on October 30th, in cooperation with Image Nation, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media Company, and twofour54. The U.A.E. finalists and other filmmakers from Kuwait, Egypt, and the United Kingdom will take part in the awards ceremony, which has been organised as part of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival for the first time. Six prizes will be handed out during the event, including one for best film, and these will include a cash prize of Dh 50,000 for the winning independent filmmaker, as well as an opportunity to work with Image Nation's upcoming projects. Michael Garin, CEO of Image Nation, said the competition presents an important opportunity for the U.A.E. to identify its next generation of filmmakers. Garin also noted that partnering with the Abu Dhabi Film Festival will give participants an opportunity to showcase their work in front of industry professionals and experts. The jury of leading film industry experts, including US actor David Hasselhoff, has selected the six qualifiers for this year, Emiratis Fakhira Abdullah, Ali Al Marzouki, and Shahad Al Shehhi, Kuwaiti Mariam Al Abad, Mohamed Magdy from Egypt and Salman Ahmed from the United Kingdom. In last year's competition, Egyptian Sara Saber won the contest for her short film "In Her Eyes". The film went on to be presented at many international festivals, including the Arab Film Festival in San Francisco. – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395270913458.html