Dubai Filmmart sees spike in global interest in Arab cinema1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe Dubai Film Market announced today that last year’s edition of the Dubai Filmmart, held in December 2010, assisted sales for a record 224 films from around the world, a 60 per cent increase from its 2009 edition. The Filmmart held an unprecedented 3,193 screenings in 2010, with more than 750 industry buyers from 60 nations attending.
The 2010 Filmmart boasted one of the strongest catalogues of Arab films in its history, including 23 world premieres, six international premieres, 37 Middle East premieres and 21 Gulf premieres from its DIFF catalogue alone. Cinetech, the digital library bespoke to DIFF, included 103 DIFF films, 43 films from the Gulf Film Festival and 78 Filmmart-recommended films.
Ziad Yaghi, Director, Dubai Filmmart, said: “The response to the 2010 Dubai Filmmart has been phenomenal, leading to our most successful year yet. The 60 per cent increase and feedback from our partners reflects growing global interest particularly in Arab cinema, in addition to Asian and African cinema. We are proud to play a role in taking Arab cinema to global audiences, opening regional doors for international content, and to facilitate B2B trade.”
Shivani Pandya, Managing Director of the Dubai International Film Festival and Dubai Film Market, said the Filmmart’s growth cements Dubai’s reputation as a global hub for cinema content, capital and services.
