DIFF’s Cinetech to extend beyond festival

The Arab titles in the line-up will be available to screen on the Dubai Film Market’s video platform Cinetech for nine months starting from December 18.

“The service is open to all the distributors and sales agents who attended the market,” said DFM chief Samr Al Marzooqi. “We want these films to continue their sales careers after the market has closed. The Cinetech is the best place to find Arab films.”

Aside from keeping Cinetech live for nine months, the DFM is also continuing its partnerships with Festival Scope and the Venice Film Festival.

Under the agreement with Festival Scope, the titles in DIFF’s Muhr Shorts and Features competitions will be available on the industry platform.

The agreement with the Venice Film Festival involves an exchange of titles between their two online platforms.

The DFM has also agreed to promote Venice’s Biennale College initiative on the platform to encourage Arab filmmakers to apply to the programme revolving around the production of a low-budget film.

As the festival came to a close, DFM also announced the top ten films in the Cinetech in terms of the number of views. I Am Nojoom, Age 10 And Divorced, which won the fiction award in the Muhr feature competition, was the most popular film, followed by Dolphins and The Sleeping Tree (see full list below).

DUBAI CINETECH 2014 TOP TEN:

I Am Nojoom, Age 10 And Divorced – Khadija Al-Salami (Yemen-UAE-France)

Dolphins – Waleed Al Shehhi (UAE)

The Sleeping Tree – Mohammed Rashed Buali (Bahrain-UAE)

The Sea Is Behind – Hicham Lasri (Morocco-France-UAE)

The Narrow Frame of Midnight – Tala Hadid (Morocco-UK-France-US)

Light – Yassmina Karajah (Canada-Lebanon)

Almatour – Ahmed Ibrahim (Egypt)

Bad Hunter – Sahim Omar Kalifa (Belgium-UAE)

The Aftermath Of The Inauguration Of The Public Toilet At Kilometer 375 – Omar El Zohairy (Egypt)

No Exit – Mohanad Yaqubi (Palestine)