About the Abu Dhabi Film Festival
The Abu Dhabi Film Festival (formerly the Middle East International Film Festival) was established in 2007, with the aim of helping to create a vibrant film culture throughout the region. The event, presented each October by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, is committed to curating exceptional programs to engage and educate the local community, inspire filmmakers and nurture the growth of the regional film industry.

With its commitment to presenting works by Arab filmmakers in competition alongside those by major talents of world cinema, the Festival offers Abu Dhabi's diverse and enthusiastic audiences a means of engaging with their own and others' cultures through the art of cinema. At the same time, a strong focus on the bold new voices of Arab cinema connects with Abu Dhabi's role as a burgeoning cultural capital in the region and marks the festival as a place for the world to discover and gauge the pulse of recent Arab filmmaking.

Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2010 RULES & REGULATIONS


KEY 2010 DATES
April 1 - Submissions open
July 1 - Deadline for submissions
October 14-23 - Fourth Abu Dhabi Film Festival

3. FESTIVAL SECTIONS

3.1 Narrative Competition
Feature-length fiction films selected from all over the world.

3.2 Documentary Competition
Feature-length non-fiction films selected from all over the world.

3.3 Afaq Jadida (New Horizons) Competition
First and second feature-length narrative and documentary films selected from all over the world.

3.4 Short Films Competition
Narrative and documentary shorts selected from all over the world.

3.5 Emirates Competition
Short films from the UAE and GCC countries.

3.6 Showcase
Other outstanding narrative and documentary features, selected for out of competition screenings.

3.7 Special Programs
Restorations and retrospectives, as well as specially curated programs and presentations focusing on exciting developments and trends in filmmaking around the world.

3.8 "What in the world are we doing to our world?"
Films devoted to broadening public awareness of significant environmental issues.

4. AWARDS & PRIZES
Films in competition contend for Black Pearl Awards in the following categories:

4.1 Narrative Feature Competition:
- Best Narrative Film ($100,000)
- Best Narrative Film from the Arab World ($100,000)
- Best Actor ($25,000)
- Best Actress ($25,000)

4.2 Documentary Feature Competition:
- Best Documentary ($100,000)
- Best Documentary from the Arab World ($100,000)

4.3 Afaq Jadida (New Horizons) Competition:
- Best New Narrative Film ($100,000)
- Best New Narrative Film from the Arab World ($100,000)
- Best New Documentary ($100,000)
- Best New Documentary from the Arab World ($100,000)

4.4 Short Films Competition:
- Best Narrative Short ($25,000)
- Best Documentary Short ($25,000)
- Best Short from the Arab World ($25,000)
- Best Animated Short ($15,000)
- Best Student Shorts (1st prize: $15,000, 2nd prize: $10,000, 3rd prize: $5,000)

4.5 Prizes for the "Best Film" awards in the feature competitions will be shared equally between the director and the production company.

4.6 Productions from the following countries (or co-productions of these countries with any others) are eligible for the awards for films from the Arab World: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen.
Films selected from these countries for the competition sections are eligible for
all awards within their section. Films from other countries are only eligible for the "Best Film" awards.

4.7 Films in Showcase contend for the Audience Choice Award ($30,000). The prize for the Audience Choice Award will be shared between the producer ($20,000) and the world sales agent or local distributor ($10,000). Both feature-length narratives and documentaries are eligible for this award.

4.8 Each award will be given to a single film. Awards may not be shared between two films.

5. JURIES
5.1 Each Competition section will have its own Jury comprised of a president and four other members chosen from among outstanding international figures in film, culture and art.

5.2 The decisions of the juries are final.

6. ELIGIBILITY FOR ENTRY

6.1 Premiere status:
(a) Priority will be given to world and international premieres.
(b) Films may not have been publicly exhibited in the Gulf region prior to the Festival's 2010 edition.
(c) Films from outside the Gulf region must be Gulf premieres and films from the Gulf region must be U.A.E premieres.

6.2 All sections, with the exception of the Emirates Competition, are open to entries from all nations. Eligibility, awards and prizes for the section are listed in the separate EFC Rules & Regulations.

6.3 Only first and second feature-length films are eligible for the Afaq Jadida (New Horizons) Competition.

6.4 Films may not have been released or publicly exhibited before October 1, 2009, with an exception of a festival premiere in the film's country of production.

6.5 Unless approved in advance by the Festival, films may not be publicly broadcast via TV, Internet or otherwise, prior to or during the Festival's 2010 edition. This does not apply to shorts, which may be shown prior to the Festival's 2010 edition on a non-commercial website only and for a limited period (e.g., as part of an online-only film festival).

6.6 Films that have been submitted to prior editions of the Festival will not be considered unless they have been altered significantly. The Festival reserves the right not to consider any previously submitted film.

6.7 Feature films must have a running time of 60 minutes or more. Short films must have a running time of 35 minutes or less.

7. HOW TO ENTER

7.1 No entry fee is required to submit your film to the Festival.

7.2 All entries must be submitted on or before July 1, 2010 by completing the entry form and mailing the DVD of the film for arrival at the Festival offices by the same date of
July 1, 2010.

7.3 You may submit a work-in-progress but please identify it as such on the entry form and the DVD. You must submit the final version of the film by September 1, 2010.

7.4 Submissions must include the following materials:
a) Two multi-zone or region-free DVD copies of the film with English subtitles. Each DVD should be clearly marked with the film's title, director's name, year and country of production and running time.

b) Press materials including production credit list, synopsis in English, director biography and filmography.

c) A signed copy of the completed entry form.

7.5 Shipping costs for submissions must be covered by the submitter. Submission materials will not be returned unless previously agreed upon between the submitter and the Festival.

7.6 Submission of a film for selection implies unconditional acceptance of the Rules & Regulations.

7.7 Submissions should be sent to the address below in envelopes clearly marked with "For cultural use only" and "Without commercial value."

Abu Dhabi Film Festival

Attention: ENTRIES
c/o ADACH
P.O Box 2380
Abu Dhabi Film Centre, next to Abu Dhabi TV, opposite Rosary School
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 2 417 7444
Fax: +971 2 443 6076
E-mail: entries@adff.ae

8. IF YOUR FILM IS INVITED…

8.1 The Festival reserves the right to assign each film to the section it believes most appropriate.

8.2 Invited films will be informed by the Festival no later than September 1, 2010. Most correspondence will be conducted via email.

8.3 The invitation will include a Film Information Form and a List of Materials to be duly completed and sent back to the Festival by September 1, 2010. The Film Information Form, duly signed, will be taken as a document attesting the legally binding acceptance of the invitation by all concerned and will be considered definitive and irrevocable. It will also serve as a binding agreement that all materials related to the presentation of the film will be sent to the Festival.

8.4 Any changes to the information in the entry form should be communicated to the Festival without delay.

8.5 The Festival will announce its program in early September 2010.

8.6 The invitation must remain strictly confidential until the Festival's program is officially announced either in a press conference or an official press release. Any exception must be approved in writing by the Festival.

8.7 If your film has not been selected, the Festival will do its best to inform you before the announcement of the program. Although the Festival's programmers may communicate with filmmakers regarding their films, the Festival reserves the right to make no comment on the reasons for not selecting a film.

9. REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION FOR INVITED FILMS

9.1 The exhibition copy must be in one of the following formats: (a) a 35mm print, (b) an HDCAM tape or (c) a Digital Betacam PAL tape.

9.2 An English-subtitled screening copy must be provided for all films not in English.

9.3 An English dialogue list is required for all films, even those in English, in order to facilitate the Festival's preparation of electronic subtitles in Arabic. (Please note: Operational requirements may sometimes make it impossible to present electronic subtitles).

9.4 Completed Film Information Form and List of Materials.

9.5 DVD copy of the final version of the film for the Festival's archives.

9.6 The Festival reserves the right to screen each film up to three times with tickets sold for all screenings and will choose at its sole discretion the screening schedule for each film. A fourth screening may be held for accredited press and industry guests.

10. SHIPPING AND INSURANCE

10.1 The Festival will cover the cost of shipping the exhibition copy to and from the Festival offices. In cases where the exhibition copy is to be sent to another festival, all shipping costs will be the responsibility of the receiving party.

10.2 The Festival covers insurance costs for the exhibition copies of all invited films while they are in the Festival's possession. All insurance costs for shipping the exhibition copy to and from the Festival must be covered by the shipping agent or sender. In the case of loss or damage, the Festival will only be responsible for replacement value of the print if it was originally received by the Festival in good condition and if notification of the damage is given no later than November 30, 2010.

10.3 All exhibition copies must reach the Festival offices no later than
September 23, 2010. If the exhibition copy is not in perfect condition, the Festival may refuse to present it.

ADACH
The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) is the government institution in charge of conserving and promoting the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi. ADACH aspires to harness the pride of Abu Dhabi's people by developing the Emirate as a capital of art and culture. ADACH commits all its resources to the preservation of cultural treasures as well as the development of international art, music, literature and cinema. ADACH promotes a holistic vision of culture by creating and promoting projects that encourage the sharing of traditions and experience from all over the world.

Board of Directors

H.E. Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan
Chairman

H. E. Mohammed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei
Director General

Eissa Saif Rashed Almazrouei
Project Director

Peter Scarlet
Executive Director

Nashwa Al Ruwaini
Advisor, Abu Dhabi Film Festival

Abdulla Al Amiri
Director of Arts & Culture Department, ADACH