LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION -THE MINI FILM FESTIVAL 2006 - The inaugural short film festival aimed at encouraging regional filmmaking talent

Dubai, UAE. BMW Group Middle East today held a briefing session for the
MINI Film Festival 2006 at the Koubba Bar, Al Qasr Hotel in Dubai to
discuss the vision behind the festival and provide a glimpse of the
calibre of filmmaking in the region. A panel of five industry experts
have been involved in the professional judging of 53 film submissions
received from aspiring filmmakers throughout the Middle East, with the
ten finalists to be announced shortly. Antonia Carver, Nima Abu-Wardeh,
Marcus Webb, Massoud Ali and Lotfi Bencheikh have all been impressed by
the high quality of entries to the MINI Film Festival 2006, a short
film competition aimed at encouraging and developing the blossoming
regional film community. "It was refreshing to realise there was
so much quality filmmaking talent out there," said Antonia Carver,
a regular contributor to Screen International and programme consultant
to the Edinburgh International Film Festival. "Initiatives like the
MINI Film Festival 2006 are critical to bringing local perspectives and
issues to the foreground through the medium of film, and it's important
for developing filmmakers to get their work onto screen and to start
making a name for themselves." Entries of up to 15 minutes in
length, incorporating the 'Always Open' theme of the MINI Film Festival
2006, were received from across the Middle East region, with judges
looking for the most compelling live action, animation, computer
graphics or hybrid forays into short-form with visual story-telling.
The selected ten finalists will now have the opportunity for their films
to be shown at an exclusive invitation-only Gala Screening event at the
XVA Gallery in Bastakiya on Thursday 23rd November. Three winners will
be announced at the event, along with a 'People's Choice' award voted
by the audience on the night. First prize will be a trip for two to the
Cannes Film Festival 2007, with the winning film screened to a regional
audience in Dubai. Second place winner will be the proud recipient of
an Apple Mac Pro, with 30" Cinema Display screen and Final Cut
Studio 5.1 software. Third place will score a 3 month full-time
internship with a leading local film production institute, Filmworks.
The winner of the 'People's Choice Awards' will receive €1000 from
the MINI Film Festival 2006. "MINI is about being daring and
creative, and we were encouraged to receive so many thought-provoking
entries to the MINI Film Festival in its first year," said
Guenther Seemann, Managing Director of BMW Group Middle East. "The
films entered into the festival dealt with a wide variety of topics that
have valid impact on today's society - from the influx of expatriates
and the effect this is having on people living in Dubai, to dangerous
driving and its negative results and creative expressions of one's
dreams and emotions. "The MINI Film Festival 2006 is a fantastic
opportunity for these promising filmmakers to have their voices heard
and receive instant feedback from an audience. It is also a chance for
them to mix and meet with industry experts, who are constantly on the
look-out for fresh talent and fresh ideas. MINI is proud to continually
support and contribute to the burgeoning cultural scene in this
region." - Ends - Photo Caption: Antonia Carver, one of the
judges of the MINI Film Festival 2006 discusses the high calibre of
entries with Rana Jones, Werner Viljoen and Jochen Stoever of BMW Group
Middle East. For more information please contact: Rana Jones, Corporate
Comm. Manager, BMW Group Middle East Telephone: +971 4 3132615 or fax
+971 4 3300120 Email: Rana.Jones@bmw.com