ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Monday, December 7th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

Through its annual award, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) further confirms its support for Arab filmmakers to produce films that shed light on societal issues. This comes from the acknowledgement of the cinema’s role in reaching a broad range of community members and as part of the Ministry’s partnership with the 12th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) that will run from 9 to 16 December.

Lt. Colonel Faisal Mohammed Al Shimmari, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for the Ministry of Interior’s Cinematic Awards (MOICA), stressed that this partnership plays a vital role in reaching the noble goals of the award; which utilizes the industry as "the seventh art", a tool to disseminate culture, knowledge, and educational methods in a bid to improve the community. He further pointed out that this unconventional approach promotes the social and cultural activities of the Ministry, as part of its efforts to promote security and stability.

Additionally, Lt. Colonel Al Shimmari said: "Within the framework of the partnership between the MoI and DIFF, the Ministry of Interior’s Cinematic Awards (MOICA) will be supporting the Enjaaz program; and will award its second Best Societal Screenplay award during the 12th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival. The winner will be announced during the distribution ceremony of the Muhr Awards on 16 December.” Moreover, he indicated that the award is to honor the efforts of the filmmakers who are casting light on social issues, fulfilling the main goals of the cinema and its role in serving our society, and raising awareness levels around societal issues.

For his part, Masoud Amr Allah Al Ali, Artistic Director of DIFF, underlined that launching the Ministry of Interior’s Cinematic Awards (MOICA) encouraged talented filmmakers to produce films that shed light on societal issues. "Saeed Salmeen Al Murry, the director of ‘Going to Heaven’ and the winner of last year's award, is the best example of the importance of this award in supporting Arab filmmakers who submit projects of significant impact to the community,” he said. “We are pleased to work with the Ministry of Interior and continue to support the future success of the Arab Cinema, which is to the benefit of our society.”

It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Interior's Best Societal Screenplay was announced during the 10th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF); setting the theme of child protection and its 14 dimensions for the inaugural award. During the 11th Dubai International Film Festival, the Ministry awarded the first award to Emirati director Saeed Salmeen Al Murry for his film ‘Going to Heaven’, which highlighted the social issue of family disintegration and isolation from a child’s perspective. The award is worth $100,000 and is awarded annually to up to four cinematic projects.

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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Contacts

The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department

Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media

Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-666-4891

E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com

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