Meikle, Al Dabbagh, Abulhoul at Gulf Film Festival

The confidence that 11-year-old Dubai Abdullah Abulhoul radiates is staggering.

With her film Galagolia to be screened at Gulf Film Festival tomorrow, the young filmmaker has even prepared her Oscar speech.

Stills from Abulhoul's Galagolia, a short animation sketch for children. The movie, which has turned the heads of animation experts, will be screened tomorrow at 5.30pm at Ductac, Mall of the Emirates.

Dubai Abdullah Abulhoul is just 11 years old but she is aiming for nothing less than the very top.

The youngest director at the Gulf Film Festival Dubai (GFF), the Emirati schoolgirl is already planning her next movie and says she won't give up until she has won an Oscar for Best Director.

The movie, Galagolia, a short animation sketch for children, has turned heads of renowned directors and animation experts from across the region.

Screening tomorrow at 5.30pm at Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (Ductac), Dubai says she cannot wait to see the reaction of the audience and is hoping for a full house.
‘excited'

She said: "I am so excited to be taking part in an actual film festival. Because I am so young I am completely restricted in what I can be involved in. This is the most amazing experience and now I am starting to get a little nervous."

"This really is just the beginning for me. Galagolia is a feature-length animated film but I had to take the essence of the story and make it short enough for the competition. So, I now plan to make the whole movie for everyone to enjoy," Abulhoul added.

The GFF is dedicated to the best in cinema from the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Iraq and Yemen along with a select few international films.

The animation for children section is a dedicated programme following a special animation workshop, held at last year's Dubai International Film Festival for young people aged 16 and under.

Three projects, including Galagolia, were selected as winners to be screened as part of GFF.

Surprised and shocked, Dubai said she couldn't believe it when she found out she had won because she had rushed the project to meet the deadline.

She said: "My sister heard about the competition and I had just 11 days to put together an entry. It was a busy 11 days and I even had to write the final credits in the car on the way to the event! I thought I had no chance of winning but I just told myself to do my best."

The entrants had the exclusive opportunity to work with animation wizards like Steve Hickner of Bee Movie and Mohammad Saeed Hareb, creator of the hugely popular Emirati television series, Freej - who happens to be Dubai's hero.

She said: "I was so nervous when I met him that I couldn't even get my words out properly. He is my biggest hero and inspiration and I was so shy I didn't ask any of the things I wanted to know. About all I could manage was can I have your autograph!"

The theme of the workshop was Folk Tales by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen and the production was undertaken by Animationshuset and facilitated by Joseph Samuel, Roujieh Emad and Maikki Kantola.

Inevitable

"This is my third short film and I've wanted to make films for as long as I can remember", added Abulhoul.

"I know it's what I was born to do. I doodle pictures and images in my classes in school -especially math class. Although now I think I'll be in trouble for that! "I just can't help myself it's all I want to do."

Practising her inevitable first Oscar speech, Abulhoul said: "I would really like to thank my friends and family for all their support and help but would especially like to praise my father who never fails to encourage me through the good and bad moments. He is the best."

In driver's seat

Noor Al Dabbagh's film Seeing Through The Sand aims to change people's perception of Saudi Arabia.

In a country where women can't drive a car, vote or appear in public without covering their head, it's no surprise there is little or no movie industry. But that's not stopping 24-year-old Harvard-educated filmmaker Noor Al Dabbagh from getting her message out.

Her latest documentary, Seeing Through The Sand, discusses Americans' perceptions of her homeland, Saudi Arabia - a country which has recently come under intense international criticism for its treatment of women.

Enthusiasm

Brimming with enthusiasm, Al Dabbagh said: "I feel like I'm in the middle of a fast change. It may look slow from the outside, but there are a lot of things going on, people debating, trying to have a voice heard, so I'm excited to be part of that."

Her 50-minute documentary follows a group of Harvard Business School students who venture on a journey to explore Saudi Arabia for the first time.

They travel through various regions meeting Saudi nationals, including princes, oil-industry employees, salesmen, fundamentalists, college girls, and people on the street.

The film tells the story of their intriguing encounters with Saudi culture as they discover a kingdom facing a critical point in its development.

Cultural tensions inevitably surface, and the students struggle to understand their surroundings and themselves in an environment very different from their own.

She added: "The title of the documentary is almost a question really. The movie follows these people and questions whether or not they will be able to see through the sand. There is often much more going on under the surface and I hope people can see that about my great country."

Seeing Through The Sand, which is her first feature, entered the Official Competition for documentaries in the first Gulf Film Festival. She said: "It is such a rush to be involved in my first film festival and I'm very excited about the screening."

With more than 35 hours of filming done over 10 days, Al Dabbagh admits she had her reservations about filming in Saudi Arabia.

‘No problem'

She said: "Of course I was apprehensive in the beginning. I was worried we would be stopped and my camera taken away as we were actually out and about and talking to people on the streets.

"But I was totally blown away by the reaction we received from the people of my country. We had no problems and people were extremely helpful."

Smiling effortlessly just ahead of the screening, Al Dabbagh said she achieved what she set out to do. "My aim was so show people what a wonderful and diverse country Saudi Arabia is.Many people have not had the chance to visit and I wanted to share my experiences with them. It enables people to catch a glimpse of what life is really like instead of the perception created by the media."

Did you know?

Noor Al Dabbagh was born and raised in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. She graduated in 2006 from Harvard University with a degree in Visual and Environmental Studies, with focus on non-fiction video and animation.

Al Dabbagh directed, produced and edited Seeing Through the Sand. Her previous work includes The Ashgars in 2005.

Meikle's comic relief

The film Nancy Loves Miss brown left everyone in splits.

Taking the floor on the first platform for expatriates to show what they can do when it comes to short movies in the Middle East, Jane Meikle brought a touch of education to the big screen.

A Canadian filmmaker, Meikle is showing her latest short offering, Nancy Loves Miss Brown, in the Gulf Film Festival's out of competition short film section.

Although the Dubai International Film Festival screens and judges feature-length films as part of the official competition, there is no platform for short movies - a option more likely to be produced by amateur and professional expat filmmakers in the Middle East.

Meikle said: "I am thrilled to be a part of the festival. Dubai is a place with many nationalities and it's only fair to show the whole perspective of the community, rather than just one voice.

"It's been great to meet other filmmakers and I believe the festival will eventually create a film culture community."

Nancy Loves Miss Brown is the story of Nancy, who is distraught when her favourite teacher disappears and she suspects foul play.

Beginning

Meikle began in film by following a comprehensive, self-designed course of study in film in Toronto.

She explains how it all began. She said: "A good friend and fellow Canadian filmmaker Ruba Nadda gave me my first spool of black and white 16mm and something just clicked. I went on to produce, write, direct and edit several short films in various formats, from Super 8 to DV."

Inspiration

Now working in PR in Dubai, Jane was one of eight directors accepted into the Canadian Film Centre's Director's Lab, a competitive and rigorous immersion into filmmaking.

She was inspired to make Nancy Loves Miss Brown, a story about one of her most popular characters from her three years as presenter of Scream, Canada's national horror channel.

Jane is currently writing a feature film set in Dubai. She said: "My film was screened on Tuesday and I think it was pretty well-received. Everyone was laughing which is a good sign as it's a comedy. I'm very pleased."