Emirati film­makers to mentor shortlisted candidates at Reel Dubai ­contest

Also: Val Kilmer awaits test but doesn't have tumour; Justin Timberlake shares baby news on his 34th birthday; Whitney Houston's daughter found unconscious in bathtub; and cancer movie wins top prize at Sandance.

From left, Ali F Mostafa, Nayla Al Khaja and Mohammed Saeed Harib. Courtesy DIFF

The Reel Dubai competition was launched on February 1 for aspiring filmmakers in the UAE. The ­Emirati filmmakers Ali F Mostafa, Nayla Al Khaja and Mohammed Saeed Harib will mentor the six applicants who make it to the shortlist, and help them create a short film inspired by #MyDubai, the initiative launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai. The shortlisted filmmakers will get a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and US$5,000 (Dh183,650) to fund their projects. All six films will be screened in April. The winner will attend the Cannes film festival in May, where his or her film will be screened. The second- and third-place runners-up will receive a Samsung device. Submissions are being accepted until February 28 from residents above the age of 12. To enter, upload examples of previous work at www.diff.ae/reeldubai. The contest is a collaboration between Samsung, DIFF and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). – The National staff

Val Kilmer awaits tests but doesn’t have tumour

Val Kilmer confirmed that he is hospitalised and awaiting medical results, but said he has no tumour and hasn't had surgery. In a message on his Facebook page on Saturday, the 55-year-old actor said he was in UCLA Medical Center's intensive care for a "complication". Kilmer thanked fans for their support and told them not to worry. Kilmer is known for his roles in movies such as Top Gun, Heat and Tombstone. – AP

Timberlake shares baby news on his 34th birthday

Justin Timberlake shared a picture of his pregnant wife Jessica Biel on Instagram on Saturday, his 34th birthday. He wrote that he was getting the greatest gift ever this year and added: "CAN'T WAIT." The sex of the baby is not yet known. The Grammy-winner singer married Biel in 2012. It will be the first child for both. Biel's pregnancy has been rumoured for weeks, but Timberlake's post is the first official confirmation. – AP

Cancer movie wins top prize at Sundance

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, a quirky story about a pair of film-loving students who befriend a girl with cancer, won both the US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 31st Sundance Film Festival awards, announced on January 31. Thomas Mann, R J Cyler and Olivia Cooke lead the cast of the idiosyncratic tear-jerker from director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, who dedicated the Audience Award to all the filmmakers and artists in his hometown of Laredo, Texas. The film also stars Nick Offerman, Connie Britton and Molly Shannon. The Wolfpack, Crystal Moselle's documentary about six movie-loving teenage boys isolated from society, picked up the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary. The comedian Tig Notaro, whose documentary Tig debuted at the festival, hosted the ceremony. – AP

Whitney Houston’s daughter found unconscious

The daughter of the late singer Whitney Houston was pulled ­unconscious from her bathtub on January 31 at her Georgia home, in an eerie echo of her mother's tragic death three years ago. Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, was found by her husband and a friend at her home in ­Roswell, roughly 35 kilometres north of Atlanta, the Roswell Police Department spokeswoman Lisa Holland said. "She is still alive and breathing and other than that I do not know her condition at this time," Holland said. "Investigators are on the scene at the hospital and the house." TMZ reported that sources close to the family said Brown had been placed in a medically induced coma to address swelling on the brain. The soul diva Houston died in February 2012 when she was found in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on the eve of the Grammy Awards. Coroners concluded she died by accidental drowning, with cocaine use and heart disease as contributing factors. The singer left all of her assets to Brown – born from her troubled marriage to singer Bobby Brown – while excluding her ex-husband. – AFP