Gulf Film Festival
Meet the panel
The discussion
Mustafa Abbas
The current state of cinema in the UAE…
Natasha Vallen
talking movies
50 WHAT’S ON april 2012
Ahead of the GFF, What’s On rounded up three protagonists in the UAE film scene, locked them in a cinema and made them discuss the ins and outs of moviemaking in the UAE
Producer, Australian, 30 Film icons: "Judd Apatow and Ben Stiller – their films are consistently huge at the box office and always make me laugh." Notable successes: Currently working on a legacy project about the history of Dubai, narrated by Oscar winner Morgan Freeman. about.me/ natashavallen
Ashraf Ghori
Filmmaker, Indian, 38 Film icons: "Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Duncan Jones – I am into visual storytelling, and these guys know how to pull off epics." Notable successes: Awarded best up-and-coming filmmaker at the Digital Studio Awards 2011; created the UAE’s first CGI sci-fi film Xero Error, which won recognition at the Cannes Film Festival xpansecgi. com
NV It’s an exciting place to be right now. There are plenty of film festivals and companies that are trying to nurture talent and support it where they can. MA Yeah, I agree. It is a great time to be making films over here. Not just because it is moving fast, but also because there is a lot of enthusiasm around it. People are excited.
The importance of the Gulf Film Festival…
AG Its aim is to promote regional talent, and for me it is the festival with the most heart. That doesn’t mean that it is exclusively Arabic films. I have seen Indian and Western films there before – in fact a lot of films are actually in English.
“It’s a great time to be making films over here, people are excited”
AG I hate to put a damper on things but, while I agree that UAE cinema has come a long way, and it is exciting, it is still in the early stages. The general feeling is that taking a short film and making it into a feature is still a highrisk proposition – but we’re heading in the right direction.
MA Ashraf ’s right, there is a misconception that all the films showing must be in Arabic – that isn’t true; I mean, they are screening my film Criminal and that’s completely in English [laughs]. I think the original goal was to create a platform where they could screen underground films from the region.
Mustafa Abbas
Support for UAE cinema…
NV Producing locally based talent is the next big step, and now more than ever there are bodies that are trying to push creative talent forward. Dubai has achieved so much, so quickly – but the arts and culture side of things is more organic and has to be nurtured over time. MA Yes, things are developing, but there is still scope to improve. One of the things we lack is proper production companies. There are a lot of rental facilities, where you can rent equipment, but we need places that will take a project and run it from beginning to end. AG I agree. Filmmakers need pioneering production houses – if only to get rid of the personal financial risk that comes with making a film. But from my experience over here, I’ve come across the old chicken-egg problem. There are people that can finance films, but the argument is that the distribution in the region isn’t big enough for it to be worthwhile. So something has to give. NV I can see where Ashraf is coming from, but I feel that the support doesn’t solely have to come from regional cinemas – the real money is made outside of the UAE, so if people can demonstrate
NV There is always the tendency over here to bring in international acts, so that’s why festivals like the GFF are so important, as they to cater to local trends and talents.
The future… NV I think that the development of working hubs like Studio City and Media City help. We’re at the stage where there is absolutely no reason for creative people to have an excuse. It is very much a case of if you feel you have some creativity, then get your act together. AG For me the most important thing going forward is that people start widening the scope and support different genres of film. The films that generally have gained backing are local stories set in traditional contexts, but there are other types of films being made here too. MA Yes, I agree – there are certain types of film that fit the mould, but I think that it is important to stick to what you believe in. All of my films, for better of for worse, are completely different from each other – and I believe that you have to write what you want to see, but at the same time, still respect your audience.
Shot at: Zabeel Saray
Director, Emirati, 27 Film icons: "Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, Christopher Nolan – like them, I also humanise criminals and focus on anti-heroes." Notable successes: His film 100 Miles won best nondocumentary film at the 2007 Emirates Film Competition; his short film The Alley was screened at the Cannes Film Festival; his first feature film Criminal will be shown at the Gulf Film Festival mustafaabbas.com
their talent here, they should be able to make a stab at it outside of the UAE.
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