DIFF announces the winners of the first poster competition

The Dubai International Film Festival, ongoing through Dec. 19, has announced the winners of the poster competition, which invited individuals around the Gulf region to 'Capture the Essence of DIFF.'

The winners, selected by a panel of experts based on creativity, originality, and relevance, are: Midori Yoshino, Hala Gebran, Harold Bravo Cabansag, Shamsa Al Nabooda, Hadeel Walid, Ishita B. Saha, Romy Ravinoran, Salim Stephan, Basma Hamdy and Zeenathul Dhahlan.

They received special-access packs to DIFF 2010, including a 25-ticket voucher pack and a DIFF Gala ticket pack with access to select red carpet gala screenings.

The competition was open to any individual practicing art across the Gulf, whether student or self-taught, full-time or part-time, professional or hobbyist, working in any medium or style. Photography, painting, drawing, computer-aided illustrations and other forms of 2-D work were welcomed.

Mahsa Motamedi, DIFF Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, said the strong participation in the poster competition highlighted the community appeal of the festival, which draws the interest of people from all walks of life. "The quality of submissions was indicative of the high standards of creativity and the wide talent pool in the Gulf region. The winners indeed pushed the creative standards to come up with brilliant posters that truly captured the essence of the festival."

DIFF 2010 is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.

DIFF 2010 box office locations are: Cinestar Mall of the Emirates, the Madinat Souk, The Walk at JBR, and the CNN Building in Dubai Media City. Tickets can also be purchased through DIFF's Dial-a-Ticket service at (04) 391 3378 and from the website, www.dubaifilmfest.com.

For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com or join DIFF on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The DIFF 2010 Box Office is now open.