Viu, a leading entertainment streaming service in MENA, has partnered with the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) through its industry platform, Cairo Industry Days, to launch a program encouraging the development and production of short films made by emerging Egyptians filmmakers.
The Viu Short Films Production Funding selection will be announced in early 2020; at least three Egyptian filmmakers will receive the required funding to produce and complete their short films.
A committee comprising of the region’s industry experts will come together to evaluate the submitted projects and select the best projects to receive the funding. As part of the selection process, the projects would be reviewed and selected in accordance with a set of criteria and conditions.
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Mohamed Hefzy[/caption]
All participating filmmakers that are of an Egyptian nationality or origin with a creative record at a nonprofessional level are eligible to apply for the funding.
Filmmakers are also required to ensure that their script is in the final stages of development, that it is an original work of the scriptwriter, and that the project has a production company attached to it. Submissions will be closed on January 20, 2020.
In line with Viu’s vision of empowering local talent, the streaming platform will engage in creative collaborative dialogue with participating members during the production phase of their films; it will also offer guidance to aid the competitors in the critical stage of their filmmaking journey.
The selected projects would be branded as “Viu Originals” and will have the opportunity to make the festivals’ run before being hosted exclusively on Viu.
“At CIFF we are committed to maintaining our longstanding legacy of bridging the Arab cinematic world with the global industry, “said Mohamed Hefzy, President of CIFF.
“This year, we have doubled down on our focus on regional cinema. We are delighted to be partnering with Viu, the leading OTT platform in the region.”
Hefzy confirmed that as part of the partnership, emerging professionals in the region will have the chance to be recognized and directly contribute to the evolving filmmaking scene.
“By partnering with CIFF to bring this competition to life, we seek to build a better infrastructure for up and coming filmmakers in the region,” said Wesam Kattan, VP of Viu Middle East.”
“The initiative reinforces Viu’s pioneering role in stimulating the content sector of the region by allowing emerging storytellers to be heard by giving them the opportunity to showcase their films to industry experts as well as the chance to host it exclusively on Viu.”
To know more about the rules and regulations and to submit your project click here
About Viu
Viu is a leading entertainment streaming service, operated by PCCW Media Group, available in 17 markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, South Africa and Middle East countries of UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar.
Viu’s unique value proposition of fresh and localized regional and local premium TV shows, movies and originals entertains millions of consumers every day.
Viu Originals bring to light compelling stories with world class production quality, also providing the opportunity for local talent to showcase their skills on a world stage.
The service can be accessed via the Viu app available for free on the App Store and Google Play, on connected devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as on the web at www.viu.com.
About Cairo Industry Days
Cairo Industry Days is the industry platform of the Cairo International Film Festival that first launched during the 40th edition of the festival in partnership with the Arab Cinema Center (ACC).
Cairo Industry Days provides an important space for discussions, networking, meetings, workshops, masterclasses and partnership opportunities between Arab talents and regional and international key industry professionals through Cairo Film Connection to further support Arab Cinema.
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