Within its participation in the 14th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), the Robert Bosch Stiftung (RBS), one of the partners of the Arab Cinema Center (ACC), has made an agreement with the Dubai Film Market (DFM) to select one of the documentary film projects participating in the Forum to be eligible for a nomination for the Best Film Award offered by the foundation. The winners will be announced during the events of the Berlinale Talents 2019. Until then, the winning film's crew will take part in a one-year programme to be eligible for presenting their project to an international jury.
As part of the cooperation between the Robert Bosch Stiftung (RBS) and the Dubai Film Market (DFM), one of the nominated film projects for the Best Film Award will be selected and announced at the upcoming Berlinale Talents 2018 to take part in the 15th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).
The Robert Bosch Stiftung (RBS) offers its Film Prize for the different categories of Short Fiction Film, Documentary, and Short Animation. The Film Prize comprises grants worth up to 60,000 Euros and the three winning film projects will be announced on Sunday, the 18th of February, 2018, within the events of the Berlinale Talents, held within the 68th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).
The first edition of the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung for International Cooperation Germany/Arab World was launched in 2013. Offering a year-long training program, it primarily aims to support young emerging talents from Germany and the Arab world in the film business, along with young filmmakers and students or graduated students from film and media academies from the Arab World. The program also gives them the opportunity to develop their projects and gain exposure in the international film market.
The teams eligible to submit must feature a producer, co-producer, director, camera operator (not for animated films), and a screenwriter. The team may also have additional positions such as cut, music, etc. There should be a balanced mix of Arab and German team members, at least two members must originate from the partner country to foster the idea of intercultural exchange.
The Robert Bosch Stiftung grant can cover the total financing of the film project. The foundation also offers a number of additional optional services like Production counseling, Mediation of contacts with film and media artists, and film promotion.
Organized by MAD Solutions in 2015, the Arab Cinema Center (ACC) is an international promotional platform for Arab cinema as it provides the filmmaking industry with a professional window to connect with their counterparts from all over the world through a number of events that it organizes. The ACC also provides networking opportunities with representatives of companies and institutions specialized in co-production and international distribution, among others. The Center's activities vary between film market main wings, introduction and networking sessions for Arab and foreign filmmakers, welcome parties, as well as meetings with international organizations and festivals, and the issuance of the Arab Cinema Magazine to be distributed at the leading international film festivals and markets.
Furthermore, newsletter subscription is now available on the ACC's website, allowing users to obtain digital copies of the Arab Cinema Magazine, as well as news on the ACC's activities, notifications of application dates for grants, festivals and offers from educational and training institutions, updates on Arab films participating at festivals, exclusive news on the Arab Cinema LAB, and highlights from the ACC partners and their future projects.
The ACC also launched an English-language Arab Cinema Guide, available on its website, which is a comprehensive cinematic guide that comprises a variety of tools presented collectively for the first time to offer information on Arab cinema to filmmakers inside and outside of the Arab world. It also aims to facilitate filmmakers' access to international markets and help film industry representatives to easily identify Arab film productions.
Since the beginning of 2017, the ACC has made 22 stops at international festivals and markets. The festivals attended are the International Film Festival of Rotterdam (IFFR), Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), Beirut Cinema Platform (BCP) held within the Beirut Cinema Days, Istanbul Film Festival, Tripoli Film Festival, the 34th WIPO SCCR in Geneva, Cannes Film Festival, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Eurasia International Film Festival, Festival del film Locarno, Venice International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Film and Television Careers Connection (FTCC), San Sebastian International Film Festival, Malmo Arab Film Festival, Cape Town International Film Market & Festival (CTIFMF), Days of Cinema in Palestine, MedFilm Festival in Italy, LatinArab Co-Production Forum, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Arab Cinema Week in New York and the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).
