Students, faculty members and administrative officials from film institutes based in the UAE set up booths during the Dubai International Film Festival as part of a one-day Student Media Trade Fair.
The New York Film Academy Abu Dhabi, the Dubai-based School of Audio Engineering, Dubai Women's College and Murdoch University were among the institutes presenting their courses and services, in addition to information on upcoming workshops for people in the film industry.
New York Film Academy, Abu Dhabi
The New York Film Academy offers short, intensive workshops as well as one-year programmes and two-year associate degrees in film-making, acting and finance.
It currently has a student strength of 80 with branches in Los Angeles, New York and, as of last year, Abu Dhabi.
Simon Hunter, president of the academy in Abu Dhabi, said students in the region have much to look forward to.
"We prepare student to create a new industry," he told Notes. He explained that the norm for film-makers is to start making films with a limited budget, show them at festivals, get selected by new producers and start growing as funding for the film grows.
"This is a well-known path that students take and can choose to take to grow," he said.
"Our focus is to get students to find their own voice and to create films at a cost-effective budget, involve them in festivals and bring production back to this region," he said.
"Film festivals are to be commended because they are attracting a great level of interest; they can attract such high-quality talent," he said.
Asked if students in the UAE are interested in the field, he said: "I have been inspired by the number of Emirati students in this field. The films they are making are beautiful. They make films about their lives, which is extremely important. They build on the idea of story-telling… . The best stories to tell are the ones that are most personal; they are frightening for the students but they make great stories," he said.
Speaking of the future, he said: "I am excited and passionate and would love to see great stories told from the region… . Students are now globally savvy and they have an understanding of the global film industry. They have been exposed to Egyptian, Hollywood and Bollywood films, all of which makes for a great film-maker. Let's tell a story that's unique to the Arab region," he said.
Student view
Students manning the various booths spoke to visitors about their training and film-making experience.
Shane De Almeida, a first-year directing student at the New York Film Academy Abu Dhabi, said he chose directing because of his passion for film-making. "The programme at the academy is hands-on and more practical than theoretical."
His friend, Rami Deeb, said: "In the three months since my joining, I have been working on film-making, and training on what we will have to do in the future."
