Dubai, UAE, 16 January 2024: Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is once again opening new horizons for filmmakers with the third edition of the ‘Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert’ festival, designed to nurture a creative environment that welcomes and supports talented individuals, enabling them to share their diverse perspectives and enrich Dubai’s cultural and creative industries. Taking place at the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve until 21 January, the festival boasts a selection of over 70 films, complemented by more than 30 workshops and over 10 engaging talks and panel discussions featuring esteemed speakers, directors, and cinema experts.

Mouza Al Falasi, Project Manager of Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert festival, underscored Dubai Culture’s commitment to supporting and nurturing the skills of filmmakers, saying: “The film industry has witnessed significant transformations in its techniques and presentation methods due to technological advancements and digitalisation, which filmmakers must adapt to broaden their knowledge in various aspects of the industry. Through the festival’s workshops and discussion sessions, Dubai Culture aims to provide an innovative platform that enhances the capabilities of creative talents, inspires them to produce works that elevate public taste, and enriches the local cultural landscape. The festival’s diverse events connect filmmakers with experts across various cinema fields, contributing to the development of creative content and solidifying Dubai’s status as a global hub for the creative economy.”

The festival’s agenda, which supports the fourth edition of the local tourism ‘World’s Coolest Winter’ campaign, includes a variety of talks and panel discussions. Among them is the session ‘Cinema Between Classical and Contemporary,’ through which directors Yaser Al Yaseri and Hani Al Shibani review the evolution of the cinema industry from the classical period to the present. In the ‘How to Watch Your Movie’ session, Hassan Al Hashemi sheds light on choosing films based on cultural and artistic heritage. Hussein Al Ansari and Maher Al Salibi participated in the talk ‘Cinematic Festivals in the Arab World,’ discussing the impact of films in strengthening ties between different civilisations and cultures, while Kinan Iskandarani and Alaa Najm discussed in the session ‘Al Cinematic Cross-cultural’ the influence of films in fostering connections between different civilisations and cultures.

On the other hand, journalist Ahmed Abdullah hosts director Nahla Al Fahad and director Fadi Haddad in the ‘Filming in Dubai’ session presented by the Dubai Film and TV Commission. The session highlights Dubai’s capabilities and attractive filming locations, showcasing how filmmakers can benefit from them in their work. In the talk ‘AI In The Eye of the Seventh Art,’ Sultan Al Ahmad and Michel Nassar discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on Arab and global cinema. Additionally, Dr Habib Gloum and director Yaser Al Yaseri participated in the session ‘Challenges in Arab World Film Production.’

Director and producer Amer Al Salemeen discusses the impact of managing film festivals in activating and supporting the cinema industry in the Arab world during the session ‘Management of Film Festivals .’ Heba Al Samt, director of the ‘Awaan’ digital platform, explores the role of digital platforms in promoting the culture of the seventh art in the session ‘Cinema Viewing Platforms.’ Director Nahla Al Fahad participates in the session ‘Director-Actor Communication’ while director Masoud Amralla discusses the journey of Emirati cinema and its qualitative productions over the years in the session ‘Emirates Cinema.’ ‘Session with an Actor’ reviews Abdullah Saleh’s artistic journey and his notable works, while artist Hamad Nijem discusses ‘Children’s Film Making’ and the differences between films for adults and children, along with their respective regulations.

The festival offers a series of knowledge-rich workshops throughout its duration. Among them is the ‘Special Effects & Makeup’ workshop by Maya al Mer and Nasrin Alnaif. Director Hani Al Shibani oversees the workshop on preparing a cinematic director, and screenwriter Mohamed Hassan Ahmed, through the workshop ‘Script,’ highlights the differences between a dramatic and cinematic script. Director and poet Nujoom Al Ghanem, in collaboration with Ali Mahmoud, presents the workshop ‘Documentary Film Making,’ while Tala Al Taweel discusses film editing techniques in the workshop ‘Cinematic Montage’ using modern editing software. Director and actor Aaref Al Taweel aims to provide participants with key performance art strategies in the workshop ‘Film Actor Development,’ and Samir Karam addresses cinematic photography, lighting, and sound engineering in the workshop ‘Cinematography, lighting & Editing.’ Other workshops cover set design, production, sound mixing, and more.

Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children offers diverse workshops for young festival attendees to train and refine their skills. These include ‘Shadow Puppet Theatre’ and ‘Theatre Mask Making,’ The programme also includes workshops such as ‘Animation Paper Flip,’ ‘Typography,’ ‘Sand Art,’ ‘Manga Portraits,’ as well as others that focus on Pottery On The Wheel and collage art. Dubai Municipality offers workshops on ‘Coloring in Nature,’ ‘Our Environment is Our Story,’ and ‘Environmental Game: Our Environment, Our Responsibility'.’

The festival is held under the theme of ‘Stories at One with Nature’ in partnership with many public and private entities in Dubai, namely Dubai Film And TV Commission as Lead Partner; Proudly from Dubai, an initiative of Brand Dubai, as F&B Partner; Dubai Media Incorporated, Awaan TV and UAE Media Council as Media Partners; Dubai Municipality, DEWA, Dubai Police, Dubai Corporation For Ambulance Services, Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, and Hala Ride (Careem) as Supporters; and VOX Cinemas, Sandooq Al Watan, Vision3000, Gamma Engineering, Raindance, Rashid Center for People of Determination, Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, and Akaas Visual Arts as Content Supporters.