Young Journalist Award: Call for Budding Film Journalists at DIFF 2014

Mentorship by industry pros, by-lined article in tabloid! and chance to win internship at Gulf News among perks

Dubai, October 22, 2014 - The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) today issued a call for its annual Young Journalist Award (YJA) programme this year supported by Gulf News, which offers unprecedented access and mentorship for writers wishing to break into entertainment journalism. The eleventh edition of the festival will run from December 10 to 17, 2014.

Participants will be selected from media colleges around the UAE based on the strength of their written portfolio. Once shortlisted, they will be thrown into the fast-paced world behind the scenes at the region’s premier film festival, conveying news of announcements, deals and celebrity appearances to a hungry public. They will work to tight deadlines as a team, overseen by experienced journalists from Gulf News and DIFF representatives.

The best report each day will be published in Gulf News’ tabloid! The winner of the programme will then be chosen during the festival, following which he or she will be offered an internship at tabloid!

“Getting experience in the field is essential for any aspiring journalist and DIFF’s Young Journalist Award 2014 will be a unique opportunity to do so,” said Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Director of Publications and Editor in Chief of Gulf News.

“Covering DIFF is demanding but rewarding, and the shortlisted candidates will be working alongside the best journalists in the UAE, interviewing some of the most fascinating personalities in the film world, delivering sparkling copy -- on a tight deadline, of course,” he added.

Natalie Long, the Editor of tabloid! said: “We can’t wait to meet the candidates, and to welcome the winner to join our amazing tabloid! team.”

DIFF Chairman, Abdulhamid Juma expanded on the program, now in its seventh year: “The Young Journalist Award originated as part of our desire to reach out to the amazing community that has supported us for eleven years, and to develop a talented pool of film journalists to keep up with the rapid development of the film industry in the Arab world. It is a rare, real-life training opportunity that offers more hands-on experience and real-time lessons in one week than many media students will receive in a year. We encourage all ambitious young writers to apply, and look forward to reading their by-lines in December.”

Interested applicants must be UAE nationals or residents of the UAE, a student enrolled in media, communications or journalism programme in a higher education institution and available to participate in the Dubai International Film Festival's YJA from December 10 to 17, 2014. Applicants can register by emailing their resumes, a copy of a current passport/visa page and a 200-word report on the importance of film festivals in shaping the cultural landscape of a city to Press@filmfest.ae

Eight participants will be short-listed out of the submissions.The deadline for submissions is: November 15, 2014.

More information can be found on the DIFF website www.dubaifilmfest.com

The YJA Programme is held as part of DIFF’s Film Market, the business hub of the festival and leading destination for Arab cinema.