Abu Dhabi Film Festival takes Emirates Film Competition under its wing

The Abu Dhabi Film Festival announced today that it has integrated the long-running Emirates Film Competition (EFC) into its program as a section under the new banner Emirates Competition in order to strengthen support for local filmmakers.

Ali Al-Jabri, who was the secretary general of the EFC since 2001 and will now take over as director of the Emirates Competition, said: "To become part of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival is very exciting for us. It will give our filmmakers the opportunity to present their work to the members of international film community who gather here each October. And that indicates a tangible strengthening of the Festival's commitment to Emirati and Gulf filmmakers." The revamped Emirates Competition is one of several Abu Dhabi Film Festival initiatives aimed at providing filmmakers from Gulf and the entire Arab world with greater exposure through an international platform for regional film culture. Other recent initiatives launched by the festival include the Afaq Jadida competition for new directors and Sanad, the festival's development and post-production fund for filmmakers from the Arab world.