The entries are from more than 62 nations across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australia and Europe. The documentaries, short films and feature films will compete for 28 prizes in acting, cinematography, editing, music and scriptwriting in addition to jury and general excellence awards.

Together, the DIFF Muhr Arab and Muhr AsiaAfrica Awards offer more than $575,000 in prize money, in addition to the acclaim of a prestigious international jury.

The 2009 Muhr Arab competition, open to directors of Arab nationality or origin, drew around 437 entries including documentaries, feature films and shorts from the Gulf, Levant and Maghreb nations as well as Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and 
the United States.

The Muhr AsiaAfrica competition, currently in its second year, received over 513 entries in the three categories. Entries came from more than 33 
nations, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in South Asia; Iran, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Georgia and Azerbaijan in Central Asia; 
Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines, Macau, Indonesia, and China in the Far East and Burundi, Ethiopia, Senegal and South Africa across the African continent.

DIFF Artistic Director Masoud 
Amralla Al Ali said the bumper crop of entries will give audiences an insider’s look at modern realities around the world, and help emerging and established filmmakers get the support 
they deserve.

“The Muhr Awards are valuable for 
all DIFF audiences,” Al Ali said.

“Audience members get to see 
rare, new and quality films they cannot otherwise access and our industry guests gain the opportunity to see 
the world’s best films in a single
 location.”

Six international juries will now shortlist the Muhr entries.

The 28 winning entries will screen during the sixth Dubai International Film Festival, from December 9 to 16, 2009. 

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