Abu Dhabi: To provide budding filmmakers with an opportunity to showcase their talents and guide them in all aspects of filmmaking, Kochi Metro Short Film Fest (KMSFF), an initiative under the chairmanship of Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, will be conducting free short film training workshops across GCC countries starting with the UAE.
The poster release of this year’s KMSFF was held earlier in the presence of Mohanlal in Kochi.
As part of the fest, free filmmaking workshops will be conducted in Dubai and Abu Dhabi starting on Thursday by festival director Raveendran, one of the renowned actors in South India.
This year, having roped in Nikon as sponsor, the fest has also got a huge financial and logistical boost which will be filtered down to the participants.
“This fest is to bind together creative artists from the local community and the diaspora through an amalgamation of linguistic and cultural attributes that foster friendships. It has become a platform to nurture new talents and creative ideas. The contributions of both the communities have played a significant role in the growth of Kochi Metro Short Film festival,” Raveendran told Gulf News.
With Saudi Arabia, which didn’t have a theatre until recently, opening its first one after 35 years, Kochi Metro Short Film Fest is also looking to cash in and conduct similar workshops there.
The five-month-long journey will end with a fest in Bahrain where the curtains come down with a competition for short film makers. A total prize money of Dh51,000 is up for grabs. Out of the top 15 short film makers, 10 will be awarded with prizes and all 15 will get an opportunity to shoot using Nikon camera. The best short film maker will receive the Golden Pearl Award and a cash prize of Dh10,000.
Narendra Menon, managing director, Nikon Middle East, said, “We are delighted to be associated with the Kochi Metro Short Film Fest. The Middle East is a veritable pool of untapped potential. We want to reach out to these budding artists to equip them with the technical expertise of filmmaking.”
Workshop dates
April 12: Nikon School, Jebel Ali; 11am onwards. For details, contact 0506559386
April 13: Nikon School Khalidiya, Abu Dhabi; 10am onwards. For details, contact 0525392923
April 14: Nikon School Garhoud (near GIGGICO Metro Station), Dubai. For details, contact 052 4216264
