Terms and Conditions of Participation

1. Definitions and Interpretation

1.1In these Terms:

• “Affiliates” means any entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with a party, and includes any government entity, media office or authority that supports or organises the Summit.
• “Applicant” means the individual who submits a Film through the Website.
• “Application” means the Applicant's complete submission, including the Film, the registration form, the AI Disclosure, and all supporting materials.
• “Award” means the 1 Billion Followers Summit AI Film Award 2027.
• “Award Period” means the period from the opening of submissions to the announcement of the Winner, as published on the Website.
• “Content Standards” means the standards in clause 9.
• “Film” means the audiovisual work submitted in the Application, including its soundtrack, titles, subtitles, images, scripts, and all elements it contains.
• “Finalist” means an Applicant whose Film has been shortlisted by the Organizer or the Jury for screening at the Summit or for final judging.
• “Jury” means the panel of judges appointed by the Organizer for the Award.
• “Organizer” means New Media Academy LLC, organiser of the 1 Billion Followers Summit and the Award, and its successors and assigns.
• “Partner” means any entity that supports, sponsors or collaborates with the Organizer in relation to the Award or the Summit.
• “Prize” means the cash prize described in clause 12.
• “Submission Period” means the period from 30/09/2026 to 20/11/2026 during which Applications may be submitted, as published on the Website.
• “Summit” means the 1 Billion Followers Summit held in Dubai on the dates published on the Website, and all related events and showcases.
• “Terms” means these Terms and Conditions, the Website submission rules, and any Award guidelines or FAQs published on the Website, which form part of these Terms.
• “Verification” means the checks described in clause 11.4.
• “Website” means the official website of the Award notified by the Organizer, and any related web pages or portals used to administer the Award.
• “Winner” means the Applicant declared by the Organizer as the winner of the Award, subject to clause 13.

1.2Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." References to laws include amendments and replacements. A reference to "written" or "in writing" includes email and electronic acceptance on the Website.

2. Acceptance and Changes to the Terms

2.1By creating an account, ticking the acceptance box, or submitting an Application, the Applicant confirms that they have read, understood and agreed to these Terms and the Organizer's Privacy Notice. Electronic acceptance is a valid and binding signature.

2.2The Organizer may amend these Terms, the Award timeline, the submission requirements or the judging process at any time by publishing the amended version on the Website. Material changes affecting an Applicant's rights will be notified to registered Applicants by email where practicable. Continued participation after publication is acceptance of the change. An Applicant who does not agree may withdraw under clause 13.6.

2.3No term in any Applicant document, invoice, or correspondence will amend these Terms unless the Organizer expressly agrees in writing.

3. The Award

3.1The Award recognises original short films made with generative AI tools. It is open only to Applicants who meet clause 4 and whose Film meets clauses 5 and 9.

3.2The Award is free to enter. No purchase, payment or fee is required to apply or to be considered.

3.3The Organizer decides in its discretion the theme(s), timetable, technical requirements, judging criteria and Jury composition, and will publish them on the Website. The Organizer may add or modify them, subject to clause 2.2.

3.4The Organizer may work with Partners. Partners are supporters and are not, unless the Website says otherwise, organisers of, or parties to, the Award. Unless expressly stated, no Partner has any obligation to any Applicant and no Applicant is entitled to any benefit from a Partner. Tools, platforms or programmes provided by third parties may have their own terms, which the Applicant is solely responsible for reading and complying with.

4. Eligibility

4.1General. To be eligible, an Applicant must:

(a) be a natural person and the individual who created, or directed the creation of, the Film. If the Film was created with the support of a company, studio or other entity, the Application must nonetheless be submitted by, and these Terms accepted by, one named individual who is authorised to represent that entity (the "Representative"). The Representative is treated as the Applicant for all purposes of these Terms, including eligibility, the warranties in clause 6, Verification, tax treatment and receipt of the Prize, and the entity and the Representative are jointly and severally liable for all obligations of the Applicant under these Terms; (b) submit the Application personally, in their own name as the Applicant (or, where clause 4.1(a) applies, in the name of the Representative), and not through an agency or other unrelated intermediary, unless the Organizer expressly approves in writing; (c) not be subject to the restrictions in clause 4.4; (d) have full legal capacity to enter into these Terms and receive the Prize; and (e) have provided complete, accurate and current information in the Application.

4.2Age. Applicants must be at least 18 years old at the date of submission.

4.3Excluded persons. The following are not eligible to enter or win, and any Application from them will be disqualified:

(a) directors, officers, employees, contractors and agents of the Organizer, its Affiliates, its Partners, and any agency involved in the Award or the Summit; (b) Jury members, and anyone who has advised the Organizer on the judging or on the design of the Award; (c) the spouses, partners, parents, children, siblings and other close relatives (and members of the same household) of anyone described in (a) and (b); and (d) any person previously disqualified from the Award, or convicted of, or subject to proceedings for, an offence involving dishonesty, intellectual property infringement or content that breaches clause 9.

4.4Sanctions and compliance. The Organizer will not accept Applications from, and will not pay the Prize to, any person or entity: (a) located in, ordinarily resident in, or organised under the laws of a country or territory subject to comprehensive sanctions or restrictions; (b) listed on any sanctions or restricted-party list applicable to the Organizer or its Partners or banking providers; or (c) where the Organizer determines that receiving the Application, or paying the Prize, would violate any law, sanction or bank compliance requirement. The Organizer may ask for information to make this determination and is not required to give reasons.

4.5Prior success. An Applicant who has previously won the Prize is not eligible to win it again.

4.6Eligibility is continuing. Eligibility must exist at the time of submission and remain true through Verification, announcement and payment.

5. Applications and Submission Requirements

5.1How to apply. Applications must be submitted through the Website during the Submission Period. Applications sent by email, social media, post or any other channel will not be considered. Late, incomplete or non-conforming Applications may be rejected without notice.

5.2One Film. Each Applicant may submit only one Film. Multiple submissions by the same Applicant, or the same Film by different Applicants, may result in disqualification of all of them.

5.3Format. The Film must:

(a) have a running time, excluding any opening titles/opening sequence and closing credits, of between 5 and 7 minutes; opening titles and closing credits must be reasonable in length, and the Organizer may publish a maximum length for them on the Website; (b) be an original short film not previously publicly released, broadcast, published, or submitted to, or awarded by, any other competition; (c) be in any language, with English subtitles embedded or supplied; (d) have an aspect ratio of 16:9, a minimum resolution of 1080p, and be delivered in MOV or MP4 format, and otherwise meet the file size and delivery requirements published on the Website; (e) address the theme(s) published for 2027, if any; and (f) be suitable for a General Audience (rated G) in accordance with clause 9.

5.4AI requirement. At least 70% of the Film's visual and audio content, measured in the manner the Organizer specifies, must have been generated using generative AI models or tools. Generation must use the tools required or approved by the Organizer and any Partner, as published on the Website. The Applicant must comply at all times with the terms of use, acceptable use policies, licence conditions and output-usage rules of every tool used.

5.5AI Disclosure and process proof. With the Application, and at any later point on request, the Applicant must provide:

(a) a written disclosure listing every AI model, tool, platform and version used, the account under which each was used, and the proportion of the Film generated by each (the "AI Disclosure"); (b) prompts, project files, timelines, shot logs, image or video generation history, edit files and other evidence reasonably requested by the Organizer to verify the creative process, originality, the AI percentage, and rights clearance; (c) the source and licence of every non-AI element, including music, sound effects, voice, fonts, stock footage and stock images; and (d) confirmation of whether each voice, face, likeness or performance in the Film is synthetic or based on a real person, and if a real person, evidence of consent.

The Applicant must retain the material in (b) for 24 months after the Award closes. Failure to supply it within 7 days of request may lead to disqualification.

5.6Technical and provenance markers. The Applicant must not remove, alter, obscure or circumvent any watermark, provenance data, content credentials or content labelling applied by an AI tool, and must comply with any provenance or labelling requirements published on the Website.

5.7Verification checks. The Organizer may run any originality, plagiarism, AI-detection, similarity, or copyright checks and may use third-party tools and services to do so. The Applicant consents to those checks. Results are in the Organizer's discretion and are not open to challenge.

5.8Hosting and access. The Applicant confirms that any links or files supplied will remain accessible, unaltered and free of malware and access restrictions until the Award closes. The Applicant must not embed malware, tracking or other harmful code in an Application.

5.9Costs. The Applicant bears all costs of preparing, producing and submitting the Application, including tool subscriptions, compute, licence fees, translation, and taxes. The Organizer does not reimburse any cost.

5.10Rejection. The Organizer may reject, remove or refuse to consider any Application at any stage, without giving reasons, including where it reasonably believes that the Application does not meet these Terms or is likely to damage the reputation of the Organizer, the Summit, a Partner or the Award.

6. Applicant Warranties and Representations

6.1The Applicant represents, warrants and undertakes on submission, and again at each later stage of the Award and on receipt of the Prize, that:

(a) all information provided in the Application is true, complete and not misleading; (b) the Applicant is the sole creator and director of the Film, and has not delegated to others the creative work (other than through tools and personnel identified in the AI Disclosure); (c) the Applicant owns, or has obtained and will maintain, all rights, licences, consents, releases and permissions required to submit the Film, to grant the licences in clause 8, and to enable the Organizer and its Partners to exercise those licences without further payment or approval; (d) the Film, its creation, and the use of the Film as contemplated by these Terms do not and will not: infringe or misappropriate any copyright, trademark, trade dress, design, patent, trade secret, moral right, database right, or other intellectual property right of any person; breach any contract or tool terms; breach any law or regulation; or infringe rights of privacy, publicity, personality, or image; (e) no AI model or tool was used in breach of its terms or applicable licence, and to the Applicant's knowledge no output includes or is derived from material in a manner that would infringe third-party rights; (f) no real person is depicted, imitated, voice-cloned, or referred to in the Film in a manner that is deceptive, defamatory, or without their documented consent, and the Film does not contain deepfake content of any real person, living or deceased, without consent and in accordance with applicable law; (g) the Film does not contain content that breaches clause 9 and is suitable for a General Audience (rated G); (h) the Film is not subject to any exclusive licence, option, distribution agreement, claim, lien, or dispute that would conflict with these Terms; (i) the Applicant is eligible under clause 4, is not acting on behalf of another, and is not subject to the restrictions in clause 4.4; (j) the Applicant has not offered, given, or received anything of value to influence the judging, and has complied with clause 18; (k) the Applicant is not subject to any obligation, employment or contract that restricts submission, prize receipt, or the licences granted in these Terms, and has obtained any employer, university, or third-party consent needed; and (l) the Applicant has obtained, and is solely responsible for, all permits, licences, location, filming or other approvals required for the creation of the Film in any jurisdiction.

6.2The Applicant must promptly notify the Organizer if any warranty becomes untrue or if any claim is made or threatened in relation to the Film.

7. Intellectual Property and AI-Specific Provisions

7.1No transfer of ownership. Subject to clauses 7.2 to 7.5 and 8, the Applicant keeps whatever ownership of the Film they have. These Terms do not transfer ownership of the Film to the Organizer, and the Organizer does not acquire ownership of the Film by reason of the Award or the Prize.

7.2AI outputs. The Applicant acknowledges that: (a) the extent to which AI-generated material is protected by copyright or similar rights differs by country and may be uncertain; (b) rights in AI outputs may be governed by the terms of the relevant tool provider; and (c) the Organizer gives no warranty or assurance that any element of the Film is protected, owned by the Applicant, or free from claims. References in these Terms to the Applicant's "ownership" or "rights" mean ownership and rights to the extent recognised by applicable law and permitted by the applicable tool terms.

7.3Tool compliance. The Applicant is solely responsible for ensuring that its use of any AI tool, and the use of the Film under these Terms (including public screening, promotion, and sublicensing to Partners) is permitted under the terms of that tool, and for holding any commercial or enterprise licence that the tool requires.

7.4Third-party materials. Where the Film includes any third-party material, the Applicant must hold written licences or releases covering worldwide use in all of the ways permitted by clause 8, in perpetuity, without further payment or credit obligations on the Organizer.

7.5Likeness and voice. The Applicant must hold signed consents from every identifiable real person whose image, voice, name, performance, or likeness appears in the Film or is used to train, prompt, or condition any tool used to create it, covering the uses in clause 8. Use of any real celebrity, public figure, or brand, in any manner that suggests endorsement, is prohibited.

7.6Organizer's marks. The Applicant receives no right to use the Organizer's, the Summit's, or a Partner's names, logos or trademarks, except as the Organizer expressly permits in writing (for example, for a Winner or Finalist badge, in accordance with the brand guidelines the Organizer supplies).

7.7Feedback and ideas. Any suggestions or feedback the Applicant gives about the Award or the Summit may be used by the Organizer without payment or attribution.

7.8No claim to Film concept. The Organizer does not claim ownership of concepts or ideas in the Film. The Applicant acknowledges that the Organizer, the Partners and third parties may receive, develop or have already developed materials similar to the Film, and that no claim will arise from that alone.

8. Licence to the Organizer

8.1Grant. In consideration of the opportunity to participate in the Award, the Applicant grants to the Organizer, its Affiliates, and (through the Organizer) its Partners, a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, fully paid-up, perpetual, irrevocable (subject to clause 8.7), sublicensable (through multiple tiers), transferable licence, in respect of the Film and all its constituent elements, to do each of the following:

(a) reproduce, copy, store, host, encode, transcode and format-shift the Film, and make copies for judging, screening, archival, promotional and backup purposes; (b) exhibit and screen the Film publicly in any manner, including at the Summit, at related events, showcases and festivals, at Partner events, and at private and press screenings; (c) communicate and make available the Film to the public by any means or medium now known or later developed, including online streaming, livestream, broadcast, websites, apps, and social media, and through the Organizer's, its Affiliates' and Partners' channels; (d) create and publish excerpts, clips, trailers, teasers, stills, thumbnails, behind-the-scenes and highlight reels from the Film, and edit, cut, crop, resize, subtitle, dub, translate, caption, add logos or Award identifiers and otherwise adapt the Film as needed for those uses; (e) archive the Film and Application materials in the Organizer's and its Affiliates' archives, and include it in retrospectives, reports, showreels, catalogues, case studies and educational materials about the Award and the Summit; (f) promote and market the Award, the Summit, the Organizer and its Affiliates, and, in connection with the Award, the Partners, in all media, including paid advertising, press, presentations and publications; and (g) use the Applicant's name, likeness, voice, image, biography, country, statements, and social media handles in connection with the Film and the uses in this clause, without further approval or payment.

8.2Purpose and limits. The licence in this clause is granted for the purposes of judging and evaluation, screening and showcasing, archival documentation, and the marketing and promotion of the Award and the Summit, including the involvement of its Partners. The Organizer and its Affiliates will not sell, license, or otherwise commercially exploit the Film as a standalone work to third parties for revenue (for example, by licensing it to a streaming service or broadcaster for a fee) without agreeing terms with the Applicant. This limit does not restrict any use in clause 8.1(a) to (g), including where paid media or sponsorship revenue funds the promotion of the Award or the Summit.

8.3Applicant's continued use. Subject to clause 8.4, the licence is non-exclusive, and the Applicant may continue to use, distribute and monetise the Film independently after the Award has closed.

8.4Holdbacks. Unless the Organizer agrees otherwise in writing, until the Winner has been publicly announced (or, for a Film that is not selected, until the Organizer notifies the Applicant that the Film is not a Finalist), the Applicant must not publicly release, publish, stream, screen or distribute the Film, or publicly reveal that it has been shortlisted. The Winner and each Finalist must also, when using or distributing the Film after the announcement, include the credit and Award mark the Organizer provides, in the form the Organizer requests.

8.5Finalists and Winner. In addition to the rights above, each Finalist and the Winner grants the Organizer and its Affiliates and Partners the right to make and use recorded interviews, statements, photographs and video of the Applicant and related participation in the Summit and in Award-related media, for the purposes in clause 8.1, on a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual basis.

8.6Moral rights. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Applicant consents to the editing, adaptation, cutting, subtitling and reformatting of the Film for the uses in clause 8, and agrees not to assert any moral right (including any right to object to modification) against the Organizer, its Affiliates, Partners or their licensees in respect of those uses. The Organizer will use reasonable efforts to attribute the Film to the Applicant where practicable.

8.7Takedown and removal. The Organizer may at any time, at its discretion, remove or cease to use the Film or any part of it, including where it receives a claim, or concludes that the Film breaches these Terms or the law. The Applicant may request that the Organizer stop making the Film publicly available after the Award closes, but this will only apply to new uses; the Organizer and its Partners will not be required to withdraw or recall material already published, printed, screened or distributed, or to remove the Film from archives, press coverage or third-party channels outside its control, and the licence remains in effect for archival, historical and record-keeping purposes.

8.8Sublicensing and assignment. The Organizer may sublicense to its Affiliates, Partners, contractors, agencies, event venues, broadcasters, and platform providers, and may assign or transfer the licence to any successor or to any entity that takes over the Summit or the Award.

8.9No compensation. Except for the Prize, if awarded, no Applicant is entitled to any fee, royalty, payment or credit for any use of the Film under these Terms.

9. Content Standards

9.1General Audience (G) requirement. The Film must be suitable for a General Audience, meaning it is appropriate for viewers of all ages without parental guidance, and would be classified G (General Audience). Without limitation, the Film must not contain strong or offensive language, nudity or sexual content, violence or threatening or disturbing imagery beyond what is mild and appropriate for all ages, depictions of drug, alcohol, tobacco or gambling use, or themes or scenes that are unsuitable for children. The Applicant certifies on submission that the Film meets this standard.

9.2Prohibited content. In addition, the Film and all Application materials must not contain, depict or promote any of the following:

(a) content that is unlawful, or that would breach the laws of the United Arab Emirates (including federal and Emirate-level laws and media content standards) or the laws of the Applicant's country; (b) content that is defamatory, obscene, pornographic, sexually explicit, or that exploits or sexualises minors in any way; (c) content that is hateful, discriminatory or that insults or vilifies persons on the basis of race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability or other protected characteristic; (d) content that promotes, glorifies or incites violence, terrorism, extremism, self-harm, suicide, or criminal activity, or that contains gratuitous or graphic violence or gore; (e) content that disrespects or mocks Islam, other religions, or religious symbols or practices, or that offends UAE public morality, public order, national identity or the UAE's rulers, government, leadership, institutions or symbols; (f) content that promotes drugs, gambling, alcohol or tobacco; (g) political, campaign or propaganda content, or content that could harm the UAE's relations with any country; (h) content that is misleading or deceptive, including deepfakes or synthetic depictions of real persons that could be mistaken for authentic footage, or that spreads misinformation or rumours; (i) content that breaches clause 6 or 7; (j) advertising, product placement or sponsored content, or branded content for any third party, not approved by the Organizer in writing; and (k) content that could reasonably be expected to damage the reputation of the Organizer, the Summit, its Affiliates or Partners.

9.3Organizer's determination. The Organizer decides in its sole and absolute discretion whether a Film complies with this clause, including whether it is suitable for a General Audience. Its decision is final. The Organizer may reject, edit (including by blurring, muting or cutting), age-restrict, classify, or decline to screen any Film or part of it, in order to comply with law, regulator requirements, venue rules, or Summit policy.

9.4Classification and approvals. The Applicant acknowledges that public screenings in the UAE are subject to content classification and approval requirements, and that the Organizer may need to submit the Film to the competent authorities, and agrees to any such submission.

10. Judging and Selection

10.1Jury. Applications are evaluated by a Jury appointed by the Organizer. The Organizer may appoint, replace or add Jury members at any time and is not required to publish or update names. The Organizer may use preliminary screeners, and internal or external reviewers, to shortlist Applications before the Jury sees them.

10.2Stages. The Organizer may run the Award in one or more stages, including eligibility screening, shortlisting, Finalist selection, Jury deliberation, and Verification. The Organizer determines the number of Finalists and can change this at any time.

10.3Criteria. Films are assessed against the criteria and weighting published on the Website, which may include creativity and originality; storytelling and emotional impact; technical and artistic execution of AI tools; relevance to the theme; and overall impact. The Organizer may adjust or supplement the criteria and weighting before or during judging.

10.4Conflicts of interest. A Jury member must disclose any conflict of interest and recuse themselves from scoring or discussing the relevant Application. The Organizer's determination of whether a conflict exists is final.

10.5Discretion and finality. The selection of Finalists and the Winner is made by the Organizer and the Jury in their sole and absolute discretion. Their decisions are final and binding on all Applicants. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no correspondence, appeal, challenge, or dispute concerning the judging, the criteria, the scoring, the decision, or the choice of Finalists or Winner will be entertained, and the Organizer will not be obliged to give reasons, feedback or scores.

10.6No obligation to award. The Organizer may decide not to select a Winner, may withhold the Prize, or may award a lesser or different prize, if in the Jury's or the Organizer's opinion no Film meets the required standard, if an Application does not comply, or for any reason set out in clause 13 or 17.

11. Finalists and Winner

11.1Notification. The Organizer will notify Finalists and the Winner by the email address provided in the Application. The Applicant is responsible for ensuring that address is correct and monitored, including spam folders. Notification is deemed received when sent.

11.2Response deadline. A Finalist or the Winner must respond to any notification, and return any documents requested, within 7 days of the notification (or such longer period as the Organizer allows), failing which the Organizer may disqualify them and select a replacement under clause 11.6.

11.3Finalist obligations. Each Finalist must (a) make the Film available in the format required for screening at the Summit; (b) be reasonably available for promotional activities, interviews and the Summit, subject to travel and visa arrangements; and (c) comply with the Organizer's instructions on publicity, holdbacks and embargoes.

11.4Verification. Before any announcement is made final and before any Prize is paid, the Winner (and any Finalist the Organizer selects) must complete Verification, which may include:

(a) proof of identity, age and residence (for example, passport or national ID); (b) a signed declaration of eligibility, warranties and originality, in the form the Organizer requires; (c) delivery of the AI Disclosure and process materials in clause 5.5, the project files and the master files of the Film; (d) consents, releases and licences for third-party materials, voices and likenesses; (e) know-your-customer, anti-money-laundering, sanctions and tax information, including any tax forms the Organizer or its bank requires; (f) bank account details, in the Winner's own name, and evidence of account ownership; and (g) any other information reasonably required by the Organizer or its bank.

11.5Outcome of Verification. The Organizer decides in its discretion whether Verification has been satisfied. Until it has, the Organizer is not obliged to pay any part of the Prize and may treat the Winner's status as provisional. The Organizer is not liable for delay caused by Verification, an information request, or a delay by a third party (including banks, regulators, or Partners).

11.6Replacement. If a Finalist or the Winner is disqualified, fails Verification, does not respond, is unable or unwilling to accept the Prize, or is otherwise ineligible, the Organizer may (but is not required to) select a replacement from the remaining Finalists, using the criteria, or cancel or reduce the Prize, and no claim arises against the Organizer as a result.

11.7Announcement. The Winner will be announced at the Summit or as the Organizer decides. Any announcement before Verification is provisional and subject to these Terms. Finalists and the Winner must keep the result confidential until the Organizer announces it.

11.8Publicity. The Winner must, at the Organizer's reasonable request and without additional payment, participate in publicity (press, interviews, photographs, social media, appearances at the Summit) related to the Award for up to 12 months after the announcement, subject to reasonable notice. Travel and accommodation for any such participation will be provided or reimbursed only to the extent the Organizer agrees in advance in writing. The Winner must not make public statements about the Award that are inaccurate or that disparage the Organizer, the Summit, its Affiliates or Partners.

12. Prize

12.1Amount. The Prize is a cash prize with a value of USD $1,000,000 (one million United States dollars). There is one Prize. It is awarded to one Winner. If the Organizer changes the Prize, it will publish the change on the Website.

12.2Structure, currency and payment. The structure of payment (including whether the Prize is paid in a single payment or in instalments), the currency of payment, and the payment schedule will be determined by the Organizer as it thinks fit and notified to the Winner. Subject to Verification and clause 12.5, the Prize will be paid by bank transfer to a bank account in the Winner's own name and, unless the Organizer notifies a different schedule, within 60 days of the date on which the Organizer confirms that Verification has been completed. The Organizer is not obliged to pay any interest on any period of delay.

12.3No substitute. The Prize is not transferable, cannot be exchanged, redeemed for anything else, split, assigned or paid to any other person, and no cash or other alternative will be offered, except that the Organizer may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if the Prize is unavailable for any reason.

12.4Taxes and charges. The Winner is solely responsible for all taxes, duties, levies and charges arising from the Prize in any jurisdiction, and for declaring it to the relevant authorities. The Organizer gives no tax advice. The Organizer may withhold or deduct any tax or amount it is required by law or its bank to withhold, and the Winner is not entitled to any gross-up. The Winner bears all bank, intermediary, currency conversion and transfer charges. The Winner must provide tax forms and information promptly.

12.5Withholding and suspension. The Organizer may delay, suspend or withhold the Prize, in whole or in part, if: (a) Verification is incomplete; (b) it suspects a breach of these Terms, fraud, infringement or misrepresentation; (c) any third party makes, or threatens, a claim about the Film or its rights; (d) any law, regulator, court order or bank requirement so requires; or (e) the Organizer needs additional time for investigation. The Organizer will resume payment if it is satisfied that the reason for the delay has been resolved.

12.6Forfeiture. If the Winner does not complete Verification, provide bank and tax details, and respond to communications within 30 days of the request, the Winner forfeits the Prize and any claim to it, and clause 11.6 applies.

12.7Death or incapacity. If the Winner dies or lacks capacity before payment, the Organizer may, at its discretion and subject to law and evidence of entitlement, pay the Prize to the Winner's lawful estate or representative.

12.8Responsibility. The Organizer's obligation to pay the Prize is satisfied on transfer to the account details the Winner provided. The Organizer is not responsible for errors in those details, or for failure or delay of the receiving bank.

12.9Other benefits. Any benefit offered in addition to the Prize (for example, travel, hospitality, mentorship or tools access from a Partner) is offered at the Organizer's or Partner's discretion, has no cash value, and is subject to any additional terms and availability.

13. Disqualification, Withdrawal and Clawback

13.1Grounds. The Organizer may, at any time (including after the announcement and after payment) disqualify an Applicant, withdraw Finalist or Winner status, and withhold or recover the Prize, where the Organizer reasonably believes that the Applicant or the Film:

(a) breaches these Terms, or any warranty in clause 6 is or was untrue; (b) infringes or is alleged to infringe third-party rights, or is the subject of a claim or complaint that the Organizer considers credible or damaging; (c) does not meet the AI requirement, the originality requirement, or the disclosure and provenance requirements; (d) was submitted or supported by cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation, unfair or dishonest conduct, or manipulation of the judging; (e) breaches the Content Standards, including the General Audience (G) requirement, or has been the subject of a regulatory, court or authority notice; (f) is associated with conduct by the Applicant that, in the Organizer's opinion, brings, or is likely to bring, the Organizer, the Summit, its Affiliates or Partners into disrepute (including public statements, criminal conduct, or conduct contrary to UAE law or public morality), at any time before payment of the Prize or within 24 months after; (g) has been submitted, or has already been released, contrary to the holdback in clause 8.4; or (h) the Organizer is required to disqualify by law, court order, regulator or sanctions requirement.

13.2Effect. On disqualification, the Applicant loses any right to the Prize and any related benefit, and must, if the Prize has been paid, repay it in accordance with clause 13.5. The Organizer may announce the disqualification publicly and select a replacement under clause 11.6.

13.3Investigation. The Applicant must cooperate with any investigation and supply information and documents requested within 7 days.

13.4Decision. Decisions under this clause are made by the Organizer in its sole discretion and are final.

13.5Clawback. If the Prize has been paid and the Winner is later disqualified or found to be in breach of clause 4, 5, 6, 7 or 9, or a court or authority finds that the Film infringes third-party rights, the Winner must repay the full Prize (and any benefit received), together with any costs the Organizer reasonably incurs in recovering it, within 30 days of demand. This right may be exercised within 24 months after payment or, in cases of fraud, misrepresentation or intellectual property infringement, at any time. The Organizer may set off any amount owed against any other sum due to the Applicant.

13.6Withdrawal by Applicant. An Applicant may withdraw from the Award by written notice through the contact details published on the Website at any time before the Winner is announced. Withdrawal ends the Applicant's eligibility for the Prize and does not terminate the licence in clause 8 in respect of anything the Organizer has already done or, for a Finalist, has already published, printed or scheduled for screening or promotion.

14. Confidentiality and Publicity

14.1Applicants must keep confidential (a) the status of their Application, (b) any communications about shortlisting or results until the Organizer publicly announces them, and (c) any non-public information about the Organizer, the Summit or the Partners that they receive in connection with the Award.

14.2The Applicant must not issue press releases or public statements about the Award that suggest endorsement by, or affiliation with, the Organizer, the Summit, its Affiliates or Partners, other than statements that the Organizer approves or that are accurate, factual and consistent with the brand guidelines.

14.3The Organizer may publish the names, countries and Film titles of Finalists and the Winner and their biography and images as set out in clause 8.

15. Data Protection and Privacy

15.1Controller. The Organizer is the controller of personal data collected through the Award. Its Privacy Notice published on the Website forms part of these Terms.

15.2Data collected. The Organizer collects the data in the Application, and data collected during Verification, including identity documents, contact and payment details, tax and compliance information, biographical information, images and recordings, and technical data from the Website.

15.3Purposes. The Organizer processes personal data to run and promote the Award and the Summit, verify eligibility and identity, judge Applications, pay the Prize, carry out compliance, sanctions, fraud and anti-money-laundering checks, manage disputes and legal claims, comply with law, publish results, and archive the Award.

15.4Sharing. The Organizer may share personal data with its Affiliates, Partners, Jury members, service providers, banks and payment providers, professional advisers, event venues, media and government or regulatory authorities, where necessary for the purposes above or where required by law. Some recipients are outside the UAE. By applying, the Applicant consents to cross-border transfers, and the Organizer will take steps required by applicable law to protect transferred data.

15.5Consent and publication. By applying, the Applicant consents to the collection, use and publication of their name, image, voice, biography and related content as set out in clause 8, and (if the Applicant opts in) to receive marketing communications. Consent to marketing is optional and can be withdrawn at any time.

15.6Applicant's obligations to third parties. The Applicant confirms that any personal data of other persons that they supply (including individuals appearing in the Film, referees or family members) is provided lawfully, with any consent required, and the Applicant will inform them about how it will be used.

15.7Retention. Personal data is kept for as long as necessary for the purposes above and to meet legal, tax, audit and claim-limitation requirements. Winner and Finalist information may be kept for the archive indefinitely.

15.8Rights. Subject to applicable law, the Applicant may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to processing, or to withdraw consent, by contacting the Organizer through the contact details published on the Website. Some rights may be limited where the Organizer must keep information for legal reasons or where clause 8 applies to published material. Withdrawal of consent does not affect processing already carried out.

16. Disclaimers, Limitation of Liability, Indemnity and Release

16.1Participation at own risk. Participation in the Award is at the Applicant's sole risk. The Award, the Website and the Summit are provided "as is" and "as available," and to the maximum extent permitted by law the Organizer gives no warranty, express or implied, including as to availability, accuracy, fitness for purpose or uninterrupted operation.

16.2Technical issues. The Organizer, its Affiliates and Partners are not responsible for any lost, late, misdirected, incomplete, corrupted, unreadable, or undelivered Applications or communications, for any failure of the Website, servers, networks, internet connection, hardware, software or tools, any failure of AI tools or third-party platforms, any unauthorised access, human error, or cyber-attack, or for any resulting disqualification, delay or loss. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.

16.3Exclusion of liability. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Organizer, its Affiliates and Partners, and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, Jury members and contractors (the "Released Parties") are not liable to any Applicant for any loss, damage, cost, claim or expense of any kind (whether direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive, including loss of profit, revenue, opportunity, goodwill, data or reputation) arising out of or connected with the Award, participation, the judging, any decision made under these Terms, any cancellation, delay or modification of the Award, any use of the Film in accordance with these Terms, or the acceptance, use, or loss of the Prize, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), statute or otherwise.

16.4Cap. To the maximum extent permitted by law, if any liability of the Released Parties is found to exist despite clause 16.3, their total combined liability to any Applicant will not exceed the amount of the Prize, in the case of the Winner, and AED 1,000 in any other case.

16.5Non-excludable liability. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for fraud, gross negligence, wilful misconduct, or any liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

16.6Tool and Partner disclaimers. The Organizer does not control, endorse or warrant any AI tool, platform or service, and is not responsible for their operation, availability, outputs, terms, or changes, or for any consequences of their use by the Applicant, including any claim by a tool provider or any other person about outputs. Partners are not responsible for the Award unless expressly stated.

16.7Indemnity. The Applicant will indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Released Parties from and against all claims, demands, proceedings, losses, liabilities, damages, penalties, fines, costs and expenses (including legal fees on a full indemnity basis) arising out of or in connection with: (a) any breach of these Terms or any warranty by the Applicant; (b) the Film, its creation, or its use in accordance with these Terms, including any claim that it infringes any right or breaches any law or tool terms; (c) any misrepresentation or false information provided by the Applicant; (d) any claim by any person appearing in the Film or contributing to it; and (e) the Applicant's acts and omissions in relation to the Award, including their conduct at the Summit.

16.8Release. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Applicant releases the Released Parties from all claims arising from the Award, other than claims that cannot be released by law, and any claim for payment of the Prize which is validly made in accordance with these Terms.

16.9Third-party beneficiaries. The Released Parties may enforce this clause and clauses 8, 13 and 21, even though they are not parties to these Terms.

17. Force Majeure, Modification, Suspension and Cancellation

17.1The Organizer may modify, suspend, postpone, extend or cancel the Award, or any part of it (including the Summit, a screening, a stage, or the Prize), at any time and without liability, if it considers it necessary or desirable for any reason, including (a) events beyond its reasonable control such as natural disaster, epidemic, war, terrorism, civil unrest, government action or regulation, power or telecommunication failures, cyber-attack, or venue unavailability; (b) legal, regulatory, permit, sanctions or compliance reasons; (c) technical, security, integrity or fraud concerns; (d) loss of a Partner; or (e) insufficient or unsuitable Applications.

17.2If the Award is cancelled before the Winner is announced, the Organizer will have no obligation to pay the Prize or any compensation, and the Organizer will use reasonable efforts to notify Applicants through the Website. The licence in clause 8 continues for any Application already received, to the extent the Organizer has already used or scheduled it for use, and for archival purposes.

17.3The Organizer may transfer the Award, the Summit and these Terms to another entity, and may replace or rebrand the Summit or the Award, without notice.

18. Integrity, Anti-Corruption and Conduct

18.1The Applicant must not, directly or indirectly: (a) contact, lobby, influence, offer anything of value to, or attempt to pressure any Jury member, employee or Partner about the judging; (b) offer or give any bribe, gift, hospitality, or other advantage to anyone in connection with the Award; (c) engage in any fraud, plagiarism, impersonation or identity misrepresentation; (d) interfere with the Website, its security or another Applicant's Application; (e) submit through an automated or bulk process; or (f) act in a manner that is abusive, harassing or threatening towards the Organizer, Jury, staff or other Applicants.

18.2The Applicant must comply with all applicable anti-bribery, anti-corruption, anti-money-laundering and sanctions laws, and with the Organizer's code of conduct at the Summit and venue rules.

18.3The Organizer may report suspected criminal conduct to the authorities and may share information with law enforcement, regulators and Partners.

19. Notices of Claim and Takedown

19.1A person who believes that a Film infringes their rights may notify the Organizer through the legal contact details published on the Website, providing (a) their contact details; (b) the work and right claimed; (c) identification of the allegedly infringing material; (d) a statement of good-faith belief; and (e) a statement that the information is accurate and that they are the right owner or authorised to act.

19.2The Organizer may, without liability, suspend, remove, or disable access to the Film, notify the Applicant, and require the Applicant to respond and resolve the claim at their own cost. Clauses 13 and 16.7 apply.

20. General

20.1Entire agreement. These Terms, the Privacy Notice, the Website rules, and any documents signed at Verification are the entire agreement between the Applicant and the Organizer regarding the Award. They replace all earlier understandings, communications and representations. The Applicant confirms that they have not relied on any statement not set out in these Terms.

20.2Severability. If any provision is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable (or, if that is not possible, removed), and the rest of these Terms will continue to apply.

20.3No waiver. A failure or delay in exercising a right is not a waiver of it. A waiver is effective only if in writing. The Organizer's rights are cumulative and are in addition to those provided by law.

20.4Assignment. The Organizer may assign, transfer or subcontract its rights and obligations under these Terms to any Affiliate or successor. The Applicant may not assign or transfer any right or obligation without the Organizer's prior written consent.

20.5Relationship. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, agency, employment or fiduciary relationship between the Applicant and the Organizer, its Affiliates or Partners. The Applicant has no authority to bind any of them.

20.6Notices. The Organizer may give notice by email to the address in the Application, by notice on the Website, or by any other means it considers appropriate. Notices from the Applicant must be sent using the contact details published on the Website and are effective on receipt.

20.7Electronic records. The Organizer's electronic records of the Application, communications, submissions, acceptance and Verification are conclusive evidence in the absence of manifest error.

20.8Language. These Terms, the Website and all Award communications are provided in English only. The Applicant must submit all Application materials and communications in English (other than the Film's dialogue, which must be subtitled in English under clause 5.3).

20.9Survival. Clauses 1, 6, 7, 8, 10.5, 11.8, 12.4, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20 and 21 continue to apply after the Award ends and after any disqualification, withdrawal or termination.

20.10Time. Times and dates are in Gulf Standard Time (GST) unless otherwise stated.

21. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

21.1Governing law. These Terms, the Award and any dispute or claim (whether contractual or non-contractual) arising out of or in connection with them are governed by the laws of the Emirate of Dubai and the federal laws of the United Arab Emirates applicable in Dubai.

21.2Amicable resolution. Before commencing any proceedings, the parties will try to resolve any dispute in good faith. The complaining party must give written notice describing the dispute and its proposed resolution, and the parties will attempt to settle it within 30 days of that notice, without prejudice to either party's right to seek urgent interim relief.

21.3Jurisdiction. Subject to clause 21.2, the courts of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Award, and each party irrevocably submits to that jurisdiction and waives any objection based on inconvenient forum. The Organizer may nonetheless bring proceedings, including for injunctive relief or enforcement, in any other court of competent jurisdiction.

22. Contact

Questions about these Terms, legal notices and claims, and data protection requests should be sent using the contact details published on the Website.