The inaugural Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Awards organised by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) has received overwhelming submissions. Dubai Culture is currently evaluating the entries for the winners who will be honoured on March 18, 2010.

The Emirate’s dedicated authority for culture, heritage and the arts had invited submissions for the awards announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to honour regional and international patrons of the arts, who have made financial contributions towards strengthening Dubai’s arts scene.

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• Diverse showcase of movies from around the world planned

The seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival, the definitive film festival of the Arab world, Asia and Africa, will be held from December 12 to 19, 2010.

The latest edition of the film festival is being planned to showcase an even diverse selection of movies from around the world across a dozen themed segments including Arabian Nights, Gulf Voices, Cinema of the World, Cinema for Children, Cinema of AsiaAfrica, Lifetime Achievement and Cinema from India.

DIFF 2010 will feature the competitive Muhr Arab and Muhr AsiaAfrica programmes offering over US$575,000 in prize money for excellence in acting, cinematography, editing, music and scriptwriting in addition to the jury general excellence awards.

DIFF will expand its partnership with the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) this year for the annual “Prize of the International Critics” to include all three film segments – feature, shorts and documentaries – in the Muhr Arab competition.

DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma explained that the integration of powerful cinema from across the world, celebrity attendance and a host of industry events has given DIFF a leading position in the regional film festival circuit.

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The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for culture, heritage and the arts, hosted renowned authors Nadine Touma and Fatima Sharaffedine at the Al Safa and Al Twar Public Libraries, as part of the Education Day programme of the Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature.

The special author’s sessions on Education Day was attended by hundreds of students from across the country. The authors engaged the students by sharing their literary experiences and presenting live readings from their books. The session was followed by a book-signing ceremony.

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• 13 ft tall models of popular books on display at key locations

Dubai Public Library, operating under the umbrella of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), is celebrating its new identity with huge displays of best-seller books in key locations across the city.

The eye-catching displays in, Safa Park, The Dubai Mall, and Al Rashidiya, add to the excitement associated with the ongoing Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture.

Saeed Al Nabouda, Chief Projects Manager, Dubai Culture, said the large-sized display of ‘books’ is to draw attention to the new and energised role of Dubai Public Library, which are an integral part of the community.

“While the Arab world including the UAE has impressive literacy figures, readership habits tend to decline with the onset of technology. With the over-sized books, we are drawing the attention of the public to the sheer joy of reading, and reminding them that their choice of books and reference materials can be accessed at the Dubai Public Library.”

He added: “The locations and titles chosen for the displays have also been carefully selected to highlight their social and cultural relevance to the city. Al Safa Park has been selected, for example, to highlight its proximity to the archeological sites in Dubai.”

A model of renowned author Alexander McCall Smith’s book ‘Blue Shoes and Happiness’ is displayed at The Dubai Mall; while cookery and lifestyle author Anjum Anand’s  ‘Eat Right for Your Body Type’ draws the crowds at Safa Park; and Emirati author Nujoom Al Ghanem’s ‘Manazel Al Jilnar’ is the attraction at Al Rashidiya.

Some of the authors participating at the Festival of Literature are expected to visit the ‘book’ displays and interact with the public.

Dubai Public Library offers members a wealth of educational experiences including access to books in several languages from around the world, referral materials, audio-visual materials including films and CDs, and a vast pool of study and research databases. Membership is open to all UAE and GCC nationals as well as UAE residents and UAE-registered organisations.

• Initiative to strengthen the role of libraries in enhancing literary scene and education
• Eight public libraries in strategic community locations to promote intercultural dialogue
• Easy guidance in finding books; online public access catalogues and Ebrary service for members

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for culture, heritage and the arts, has introduced a brand new identity and development plan for the Dubai Public Library, following the transfer of the eight Public Libraries in Dubai under its umbrella.

The new identity is the first step in Dubai Culture’s strategic plan to strengthen the role of the Dubai Public Libraries and reposition them as community-oriented centres that enhance public education and knowledge.

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Sharjah Natural History and Botanical Museum of Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) is participating in the International Plant Expo Middle East (IPM Dubai 2010), being held at Dubai Airport Expo from March 8 to 10, 2010. The participation is part of the museum’s efforts to raise public awareness of the importance of the UAE’s natural environment and how to preserve this legacy for future generations.

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Al Waraqoon, a research and publishing house based in the Kingdom of Bahrain has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with United Printing and Publishing (UPP), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC), to publish books focused on the Arabic culture, tradition and heritage.

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Kalima, a major new translation initiative by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), which funds the translation, publication and distribution of high quality foreign writing into Arabic, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with United Printing and Publishing (UPP), a fully owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC), to publish major works of world’s literature, philosophy and other fields of humanities for Arabic language readers.

Each year Kalima translates and publishes more than 100 titles of classic, modern and contemporary writing from around the world, by bringing together publishers, literary agents, authors, translators and printers, with the aim to provide more availability and choice of book titles to Arabic readers.

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To celebrate World Book Day, Emirates took thousands of travellers on a literary journey by orchestrating a mass book sharing initiative across its global network of more than 100 destinations.

Lucky passengers on board every Emirates flight departing the airline’s Dubai hub today were presented a novel as part of the annual drive to encourage the joy of reading and promote literacy.

Cabin crew were integral to the operation, with more than 1000 of them arriving for duty with a stack of books written by authors who are part of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, running from 10th to 13th March.

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As global buzz for the 82^nd Annual Academy Awards (Oscars) gains steam, the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) 2009 selection of movies features prominently in the nominations.

In all, movies screened at DIFF have clinched 30 nominations with Nine and Avatar, the opening and closing galas of the festival, respectively, leading the list in sheer numbers for potential recognition.

DIFF Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said the recognitions for movies screened at DIFF at both Golden Globes and now the Oscars highlight the top-notch programming associated with the event.

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