Dubai Film Festival 2011 to offer German focus

The eighth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (Dec 7-14) will host a special focus on Germany.

The festival is developing the section with the Goethe-Institut, German Films, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg among other partners.

The news was announced here at the Berlinale.

In addition to showcasing German films, the In Focus: Germany presentation will allow for interaction between German producers, distributors, sales agents, studios, scouts, festivals and development agencies to their counterparts in Dubai and the wider Arab world.

Abdulhamid Juma, Chairman of the Dubai International Film Festival, said: “The Arab world, and the UAE in particular, shares a thriving relationship with Germany across domains from education to exports. We are proud to play our part in expanding these relationships by expanding ties with our peers in the German film industry and facilitating their engagement with the Arab world and its film community through Dubai and the Dubai International Film Festival.”

DIFF Managing Director Shivani Pandya added: “German organizations, producers and investors from The World Cinema Fund to ZDF/Arte have long supported filmmakers from around the Arab world through co-productions, funding, broadcast and knowledge sharing, and this year’s DIFF focus is both a recognition of their valuable support and an effort to boost these collaborations,” she said.

“We have assembled a combination of outstanding and prestigious partners both in Germany and at home in the UAE to help shape this platform, and are confident it will help us discover many more points of mutual interest and exchange.”