The Arab Film Festival - call for entries

Call for Entries
The Arab Film Festival is now accepting submissions for the 13th Annual Arab Film Festival, to be held in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Los Angeles in October 2009. The AFF is the oldest and largest annual showcase of works by independent Arab filmmakers that provide insightful and innovative perspectives on Arab culture, art, history and politics. Founded in 1996, the AFF has grown into an important bridge between the Arab world, Arab-American communities, and the broader American public.

We accept submissions of all genres; features, documentaries, experimental works, short films, animations and beyond. While there is no submission fee, we strongly encourage filmmakers to submit their works early. The deadline for entries is April 15th, 2009.
2009 Noor Awards in the Bay Area
The Noor Awards, From the Arabic word for "light," will celebrate filmmakers whose enlightening and original works distinguish themselves in their category. A pre-screening committee will select four finalists in each category after viewing all the films participating in (selected to be part of) the festival's competition. A five-member jury made up of distinguished members of the film and academic communities will select the outstanding film and award a cash prize to the director of the winning film in the following categories:
Best Narrative Feature: 2000 USD
Best Documentary Feature: 2000 USD
Best Narrative Short: 500 USD
Best Documentary Short: 500 USD

If you would like to be considered for the competition section, please don't forget to mention it in the entry form. Screening fees will not be provided to films in competition. For consideration in the 2009 Noor Awards, the film must have been completed after January 1st 2007 and not have been shown in the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles. To be considered as a Short, the work has to be less than 45 minutes long.

Entry Requirements

To be considered you must include the following with each film submission: · A preview copy of the film in either DVD or VHS format.
· Completed entry form
· 2 stills from the film and 1 photo of the director (if digital, 300 dpi minimum)
· Press and marketing materials if available (including synopsis, full credits sheet, trailer, posters, postcards)
Submission does not guarantee exhibition of the film in the 2009 Arab Film Festival. There is no submission fee for the Festival, and the Festival does not pay screening fees for submitted films.

Submissions should be sent to:

Arab Film Festival
Submissions Department
300 Brannan Street, Suite 508
San Francisco CA 94107

Preview Format
For preview purposes, entries must be submitted on DVD (region 0 or 1). Please test your consumer-burned DVD on several makes and models of players before sending it. If in doubt, send a VHS NTSC tape as backup.

Subtitled Entries
All non-English language entries must have English subtitles for preview and for Festival presentation. Exceptions may be made for entries with no dialogue.

Exhibition
Official Selections will be shown during the Festival in their original film gauge or video format whenever possible. AFF only screens works available on 35mm, Beta SP, DVCAM, miniDV. The Festival does not accept films in DigiBeta format

Shipping Information
Packaging
Ship your cassette or DVD in a bubble-pack envelope. A fiber pack envelope can cause damage to tapes and decks.

Costs & Labeling
All shipping costs to and from San Francisco must be borne by the sender. All tapes and DVDs must indicate title, shipper's name and return shipping address.

International Entries
We recommend that all entries from outside the U.S. be sent Air Mail Registered or by a parcel or express service. We cannot accept entries shipped via air freight if customs and delivery fees have not been prepaid.

Return of Entries
Preview copies submitted become property of the Festival committee and will not be returned. The filmmakers retain all rights to their submitted films.
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Arab Film Festival (AFF)
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www.aff.org
info@aff.org

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