MEFCC AND DIFF join together to introduce Regional SCI-FI FILMMAKING Competition
After a second successful event celebrating popular culture in the region, the Middle East Film and Comic Con has teamed up with the Dubai International Film Festival and Attitude Enterprises to give sci-fi and superhero film fans in the Middle East a chance to have their genre themed concept produced into a short film.
The competition, which is open to talent across the region, will see the winning treatment have a script written locally and refined by one of the hottest screenwriters in Hollywood today, MEFCC favourite Max Landis (Chronicle). The script will then be directed and produced by Attitude Enterprises, one of the leading media production groups in UAE, supported and guided by key people in the industry including international DOP, Mike Allen, popular Emirati director Ali Mostafa (City of Life), celebrity make-up artist Samira Olfat and celebrity stylist Sleiman Dayaa.
The competition is open for entrants of all ages and nationalities with submissions in keeping with the science fiction, superhero and fantasy tradition while taking inspiration from the Middle East or Middle Eastern culture.
“Our goal has always been to develop a platform to support and unearth regional talent and give people an opportunity to showcase their creativity” commented Ben Caddy, Managing Director of ExtraCake P.R.A., organisers of the Middle East Film and Comic Con, “While we’ve already had a number of artistic success stories through the first two years of MEFCC, the collaboration with DIFF and Attitude is a step towards supporting the regional film industry in our own unique way”.
The competition requires entrants to submit a maximum 4 page treatment including a brief synopsis of the key plot points, settings, characters and their motivations along with any other elements that they feel make the idea special and worthy of production. A panel of judges from MEFCC, DIFF and Attitude management will choose the winning concept that will be then transferred to the screen.
Shivani Pandya, Dubai International Film Festival Managing Director, said, “One of the Dubai International Film Festival’s main objectives is to nurture creativity and innovation through the art of film, providing aspiring talent with real opportunities through partnerships with skilled industry professionals. Our collaboration with the Middle East Film and Comic Con will enable sci-fi fans in the Middle East to bring their unique vision to life by working with industry experts Max Landis and Attitude Enterprises. We look forward to seeing the unique collaborations which will emerge from this symbiotic partnership.”
The competition is officially taking entries as of today at competitions@mefcc.com and will close on 31st August 2013. The judges will then make their decision and start working on a short script which will produced by Attitude over the following six weeks.
