Waleed Al Shehhi wasted no time after his script for Dolphins picked up US$100,000 (Dh367,000) in funding from the IWC Filmmaker Award at Dubai International Film Festival last year.
The day after a new crop of hopefuls are up for the 2014 edition of the award, the Ras Al Khaimah-based college educator returns to Diff for a gala red-carpet screening of his first feature film.
“We really appreciate the fact it’s been chosen for a gala screening,” he says. “I feel it’s in some ways payback for making a regional feature film on a very tight budget. The entire project cost around Dh1.2 million – that’s not much, even compared to other Emirati features. Even with the awards, I paid a lot out of my own pocket and used a lot of my own equipment. Of course I’m still very grateful to IWC, to Diff, to Watani who contributed a lot, and to twofour54 who took care of some of the post costs. I sent about 250 emails out trying to get funding for this film and many didn’t even reply, so I’m eternally grateful to those who helped.”
The challenges of bringing the film to screen didn’t stop with funding, which included a grant from Diff’s Enjaaz fund for post-production, says Al Shehhi.
“It was so difficult, as by the time we knew we had the award, most of the cast were already committed to Ramadan productions – it was mostly a professional cast and this made it quite tricky, so there were a few delays until we finally started shooting for about 25 days at the start of April in Ras Al Khaimah.”
The film, told from the separate perspectives of a father, mother and son living in Al Shehhi’s home emirate, is very much an Emirati one. However Al Shehhi enlisted help from beyond our borders to ensure that his 25-member crew would get the very best result.
“I brought crew in from Thailand – the DoP [director of photography], sound and lighting directors and camera assistants. But I also had UAE students in every department working alongside the professional crew. We enlisted mostly media students from the Higher Colleges of Technology in RAK, where I teach. They learnt a lot, they were under great pressure and by the end of the shoot they’d gained great experience.”
Al Shehhi says that the opportunity to give experience to young Emiratis was one of his favourite parts of making the movie: “I loved it, because with this project, and my job heading the applied communication programme at RAK College, we really are teaching a new generation of filmmakers. As part of their studies, they had to submit some of their work on the film to be evaluated, so it’s not just wasted time. Even the assistant director was a student.”
With the winner of this year’s IWC award set to be announced tonight, one day before his red carpet gala, Al Shehhi advises this year’s three hopefuls to persevere regardless of the outcome.
“IWC is a great initiative, but remember – you can’t guarantee it. I didn’t know whether I’d get it or not, so you have to be prepared to make your film without it. Good luck to all this year’s finalists though – I’m sure it will help a lot to whoever gets it this year.”
cnewbould@thenational.ae
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Selected fixtures
All times UAE
Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm
Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm
Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm
Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm
Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm
Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm
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The specs
Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric
Transmission: n/a
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Price estimate: Dh200,000
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
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Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh