The third Gulf Film Festival, the annual event celebrating Gulf cinema held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), served as a platform for professionals to share their expertise with aspiring film-makers through a series of industry events.
The Producers’ Workshop, Gulf Nights, master sessions with director Francois Vogel and GFF Trade Fair brought together various stakeholders in the industry to offer insights into the functioning of the industry for students and amateur filmmakers. Both events, held on the sidelines of the festival, attracted good participation, and underscored the importance of GFF as a facilitator for regional film talent.
The Producers’ Workshop was led by award-winning producer and member of the German film academy, Roshanak Behesht Nedjad. She said: “The participants were eager to learn, and showed a strong understanding of the medium. Quite interestingly, they also approached film production from an audience perspective.â€
Roshanak’s workshop, held in in partnership with the European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE), covered the entire gamut of film production – from the evolution of a story concept to its sales and distribution. “The workshops were to highlight the fact that filmmaking is not an easy process and all the various aspects associated with it must be taken into consideration, right from the beginning,†she said.
The festival also hosted interactive sessions with Francois Vogel, the French filmmaker whose films were screened as part of the ‘In Focus’ segment. These sessions focused on his style and technique of film-making that integrates modern technologies.
Another highlight of the festival was the ‘Gulf Nights’ which brought together industry professionals, media and film enthusiasts to discuss various aspects of the Gulf film industry. The five sessions covered topics including the role of Gulf Film Festival, the evolution of cinema in the region in the past decade, the emergence of Khaleeji cinema, the importance of film criticism and an overview of Iraqi cinema.
The GFF Trade Fair provided local film industry companies and film schools the opportunity to network and explore possible collaboration opportunities with film-makers and potential talent. Participating production companies included Bareface, D-Seven Motion pictures, Muddville, Filmquip Media, Filmworks, Media Crew and Mindloop Studios while the participating educational institutes include Murdoch University, New York Film Academy and SAE Institute.
The Gulf Film Festival (www.gulffilmfest.com) was presented by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) in association with Dubai Studio City.
