The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has formed a relationship with the film governing conglomerate Capital Regions For Cinema (CRC), opening doors for Arab film-makers to key European markets and increased access to Arab audience for European films.

The CRC is a network of the film agencies of Berlin-Brandenburg, the Comunidad de Madrid, Paris-Ile de France and Rome-Lazio and was created in 2005 to support and facilitate European co-production and distribution.

CRC members, mostly producers, distributors and post-production companies, will participate in the Dubai Film Market in December 2010.

DIFF is also boosting its documentary profile with a new partnership with the Lebanon-based Screen Institute Beirut. Beginning in December, Screen Institute Beirut will award US$15,000 annually to a documentary film under development and included in Dubai Film Connection, the Festival’s co-production market.

An international jury comprising Sandra den Hamer, director of the Eye Film Institute in the Netherlands and former director of the Rotterdam Festival; Carthage Film Festival head Dora Bouchoucha; and Lebanese film-maker Mohammed Sweid.

The seventh edition of Dubai International Film Festival will be held from December 12 to 19.