ADFF Introduces New Award for Environmental Films in Partnership with Masdar

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 4th August 2011 - The Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF) announced today that the renewable energy company Masdar will be the Official Partner of the Festival's program for films on significant environmental issues.ADFF, which runs from October 13-22, 2011 has also announced that the program, presented for the past two years under the name "What in the World are We Doing to Our World", it's been given a new name, Our World, and will now be competitive, with an award of $15,000. The Our World award will go to the film with the highest potential to broaden public awareness of significant environmental issues. A jury consisting of students from the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), which celebrated its first graduating class this year, as well as leading local environmental figures, will select the winner from among the films in the section. The winner will be announced at the ADFF awards ceremony on October 21 along with the winners of the festival's other competitions. 

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany, Associate Director, Corporate Sustainability commented: 

"Masdar is pleased to again partner with the Abu Dhabi Film Festival for the Our World environmental film category, which we hope will continue to help raise awareness of the importance of sustainability, both in the UAE and beyond., It is vital that we, as individuals, feel a sense of empowerment by taking actions that reduce our impact on the environment. This only comes with a clear understanding of how we are affecting our planet and we hope the films showcased within this category will assist in strengthening this understanding." 

Masdar and ADFF are actively working together on a range of other sustainability initiatives. In the run-up to the 2011 festival, Masdar is helping ADFF in "going green" by carrying out an environmental analysis of its operations and assisting the festival in offsetting carbon emissions. This coming October, Masdar will also invite a group of environmental filmmakers and journalists to a special lunch at Masdar City during their time at the festival. 

"Thankfully, environmental protection is part of our heritage and the leadership of Abu Dhabi has been working hard to fulfill the vision of His Highness Sheikh Zayed. Masdar can be seen as a direct result of his efforts to protect nature for future generations. Masdar's support for Our World is invaluable, as their expert guidance will allow us to develop this competition into a platform for some of the world's most inspired environmental films, helping them to gain the international exposure they deserve," said Eissa Saif Rashed Al Mazrouei, Director of Special Projects at ADACH.

About Masdar

Masdar, which consists of five integrated units, is Abu Dhabi's initiative aimed at turning the Emirate into a global centre of excellence in the renewable energy and clean technology category by making renewable energy a real, viable business.The company serves as a link between today's fossil fuel economy and the energy economy of the future - developing the "greenprint" for how we will live and work tomorrow. Backed by the stability and reputation of the Mubadala Development Company, an investment vehicle of the government of Abu Dhabi, Masdar is dedicated to the emirate's long-term vision for the future of energy.

For more information about the Masdar Initiative, please visit: 

www.masdar.ae

For more information contact:

Name: Meray Atef 

Email:press@masdar.ae

Phone: +971 2 653 6014

About the Festival

The Abu Dhabi Film Festival (formerly the Middle East International Film Festival) was established in 2007, with the aim of helping to create a vibrant film culture throughout the region. Presented each October by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage,the event is committed to curating exceptional programs to engage and educate the local community, inspire filmmakers and nurture the growth of the regional film industry.

With its commitment to presenting works by Arab filmmakers in competition alongside those by major talents of world cinema, the Festival offers Abu Dhabi's diverse and enthusiastic audiences a means of engaging with their own and others' cultures through the art of cinema. At the same time, a strong focus on the bold new voices of Arab cinema connects with Abu Dhabi's role as a burgeoning cultural capital in the region and marks the Festival as a place for the world to discover and gauge the pulse of recent Arab filmmaking.

To contact the Press Office, email press@adff.ae or call +971 2 556 4590.