Dear Participants,

We are glad to announce that the fourth edition of White Oryx International Short Film Festival (WOIS Film Fest) will be happening in December 2025!

WOIS Film Fest, is an initiative by the School of Media & Communication, which has been rechristened to Manipal Institute of Liberal Arts (MILA), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) - Dubai Campus, to create an opportunity to showcase, celebrate, and nurture the art and culture of filmmaking in the UAE.

Regarded to be the biggest short film event in Dubai, the festival has become a unique platform for creative minds in the UAE, especially student and amateur filmmakers, to showcase their works of passion and develop their talents through the festival's learning atmosphere comprising of free film screenings, workshops, competitions, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. In addition, attendees of the festival are presented with programming that's diverse in genre, theme, and style through a non-competitive category that welcomes short films from all over the world.

The past editions were extravagant three/four-day events that featured close to 100 short films (from more than 5000 submissions each year), numerous film and media workshops and panel discussions.

Awards & Prizes

The winning entries are presented with the 'Golden Oryx Awards' accompanied by a 'Complete Filmmaking Kit'.

Rules & Terms

1. Overall runtime must not exceed 20 minutes.
2. Only films made after January 2024 should be submitted.
3. Languages other than English must accompany English subtitles.
4. Content should be suitable for an audience including family and children.
5. Must own all necessary copyrights or permissions from the copyright holders.
6. Must respond to communications from the festival team within a week.
7. Poster, trailer, and snippets from the entry may be used for promotional activities.
8. Festival reserves the right to modify these rules or offer waivers as per their discretion.
3 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Materiali Sonori Cinema

    A good festival, a beautiful experience,very professional

    December 2020
    Helpful
  • Rajesh Menon

    Very well organized event. Very energetic and talented team. Venu was superb. Winners got many gifts, including filmmaking kit, really worth it. Overall it was a wonderful experience.

    April 2019
    Helpful
  • Sameir Ali

    A very well organised and great festival.
    Looking forward to the next season.

    April 2018
    Helpful