• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • TV/Radio Deals
  • Film partnerships
  • New appointments
  • Production
  • TV Channels
Striking Gold at Cannes

Striking Gold at Cannes

August 4, 2014
‘Sudan, Remember Us’ wins Audience Award at FCAT 2025

Documentary ‘Sudan, Remember Us’ screens in Moroccan cinemas

June 23, 2025
Ad 1 Ad 3
Maroc Telecom and IFC partner to enhance digital connectivity in Africa

Maroc Telecom and IFC partner to enhance digital connectivity in Africa

June 23, 2025
Egyptian documentary ‘Memoirs of M.A Draz’ to screen at French Institutes

Egyptian documentary ‘Memoirs of M.A Draz’ to premiere in London

June 23, 2025
UAEU team to represent UAE in Asian Try Zero-G 2025 competition

UAEU team to represent UAE in Asian Try Zero-G 2025 competition

June 23, 2025
Sand, sweat and high stakes

Sand, sweat and high stakes

June 23, 2025
Discovery Channel marks 40th anniversary with special programming

Discovery Channel marks 40th anniversary with special programming

June 23, 2025
Cairo International Film Festival sets date for 44th edition

Cairo Int’l Film Festival opens submissions for 11th Cairo Film Connection

June 23, 2025
Egyptian artists ride streaming wave to global success, Spotify report reveals

Egyptian artists ride streaming wave to global success, Spotify report reveals

June 22, 2025
BeIN Media Group acquires MENA rights to Omens Studios animated series

BeIN Media Group acquires MENA rights to Omens Studios animated series

June 22, 2025
Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

June 21, 2025
Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

June 21, 2025
Conviva expands MENA presence with strategic hire

Conviva expands MENA presence with strategic hire

June 21, 2025
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Magazine Archive
  • Directory
  • Contact
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
BroadcastPro ME
  • News
    • All
    • Analyst Reports
    • AV
    • Cinema Theatres
    • Esports
    • Film partnerships
    • International News
    • Mergers/Acquisitions
    • New appointments
    • OTT/Video Streaming
    • Podcasting
    • Production
    • Satellite/Broadcasting
    • Satellite/Comms
    • TV/Radio Deals
    ‘Sudan, Remember Us’ wins Audience Award at FCAT 2025

    Documentary ‘Sudan, Remember Us’ screens in Moroccan cinemas

    Maroc Telecom and IFC partner to enhance digital connectivity in Africa

    Maroc Telecom and IFC partner to enhance digital connectivity in Africa

    Egyptian documentary ‘Memoirs of M.A Draz’ to screen at French Institutes

    Egyptian documentary ‘Memoirs of M.A Draz’ to premiere in London

    UAEU team to represent UAE in Asian Try Zero-G 2025 competition

    UAEU team to represent UAE in Asian Try Zero-G 2025 competition

    Discovery Channel marks 40th anniversary with special programming

    Discovery Channel marks 40th anniversary with special programming

    Cairo International Film Festival sets date for 44th edition

    Cairo Int’l Film Festival opens submissions for 11th Cairo Film Connection

    Egyptian artists ride streaming wave to global success, Spotify report reveals

    Egyptian artists ride streaming wave to global success, Spotify report reveals

    BeIN Media Group acquires MENA rights to Omens Studios animated series

    BeIN Media Group acquires MENA rights to Omens Studios animated series

    Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

    Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

    Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

    Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

    Trending Tags

    • broadcast
    • MENA broadcast
    • ConnecTech2019
  • Tech Features
    • All
    • CASE STUDIES
    • New Media
    • REVIEWS
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • Updates from FOMEX
    • Virtual Production Series
    Playing to win

    Playing to win

    The expanding role of AI in broadcast

    The expanding role of AI in broadcast

    The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

    The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

    Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

    Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part IV

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part III

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

    Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

    Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

    Media leaders embrace digital transformation

    Media leaders embrace digital transformation

    Trending Tags

    • Videos
      FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

      FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

      Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

      Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

      Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

      Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

      Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

      Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

      Reema Omari

      Reema Omari on Universal Satcom’s growth and connectivity solutions

      Mustafa Afifi

      Mustafa Afifi of Rivada Space on Outernet’s impact in the Middle East

      Don

      ST Engineering iDirect CEO Don Claussen on Mideast ties and satellite strategy

      KSASummit

      Transforming Arabic Content: Studios, Producers and Regional Impact

      Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

      Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

    • Opinion
      Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

      Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

      YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

      YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

      Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

      Sport’s Growing Grip on MENA Media

      MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

      MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

      Integrate ME 2023 brings its inaugural edition to successful conclusion

      Empowering the next generation of content creation and live broadcasting with AV PRO

      Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

      Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

      Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

      Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

      Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

      Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

      Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

      Saudi Arabia emerges as the epicentre of Media & Entertainment in 2025

      Film and Beyond: Leapfrogging into the global screen industry

      Film and Beyond: Leapfrogging into the global screen industry

    • Interviews
      • All
      • Lounge
      Sand, sweat and high stakes

      Sand, sweat and high stakes

      All eys on AIUIa

      All eys on AIUIa

      Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

      Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

      Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

      Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

      New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

      New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

      Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

      Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

      UAE Pro League flips the field

      UAE Pro League flips the field

      Bringing the wild to the Middle East

      Bringing the wild to the Middle East

      Shades of success

      Shades of success

      Navigating the news wave

      Navigating the news wave

    • Products
    • Magazine Archive
      • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
      • PRO Directory
    • Events
      • News from Events
      • Upcoming Events
      DICM

      DICM

      IBC Show

      IBC 2025

      MPTS

      CABSAT2025

      CABSAT2025

      NAB Show

    No Result
    View All Result
    BroadcastPro ME
    • News
      • All
      • Analyst Reports
      • AV
      • Cinema Theatres
      • Esports
      • Film partnerships
      • International News
      • Mergers/Acquisitions
      • New appointments
      • OTT/Video Streaming
      • Podcasting
      • Production
      • Satellite/Broadcasting
      • Satellite/Comms
      • TV/Radio Deals
      ‘Sudan, Remember Us’ wins Audience Award at FCAT 2025

      Documentary ‘Sudan, Remember Us’ screens in Moroccan cinemas

      Maroc Telecom and IFC partner to enhance digital connectivity in Africa

      Maroc Telecom and IFC partner to enhance digital connectivity in Africa

      Egyptian documentary ‘Memoirs of M.A Draz’ to screen at French Institutes

      Egyptian documentary ‘Memoirs of M.A Draz’ to premiere in London

      UAEU team to represent UAE in Asian Try Zero-G 2025 competition

      UAEU team to represent UAE in Asian Try Zero-G 2025 competition

      Discovery Channel marks 40th anniversary with special programming

      Discovery Channel marks 40th anniversary with special programming

      Cairo International Film Festival sets date for 44th edition

      Cairo Int’l Film Festival opens submissions for 11th Cairo Film Connection

      Egyptian artists ride streaming wave to global success, Spotify report reveals

      Egyptian artists ride streaming wave to global success, Spotify report reveals

      BeIN Media Group acquires MENA rights to Omens Studios animated series

      BeIN Media Group acquires MENA rights to Omens Studios animated series

      Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

      Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

      Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

      Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

      Trending Tags

      • broadcast
      • MENA broadcast
      • ConnecTech2019
    • Tech Features
      • All
      • CASE STUDIES
      • New Media
      • REVIEWS
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • Updates from FOMEX
      • Virtual Production Series
      Playing to win

      Playing to win

      The expanding role of AI in broadcast

      The expanding role of AI in broadcast

      The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

      The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

      Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

      Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part IV

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part III

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

      Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

      Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

      Media leaders embrace digital transformation

      Media leaders embrace digital transformation

      Trending Tags

      • Videos
        FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

        FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

        Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

        Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

        Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

        Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

        Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

        Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

        Reema Omari

        Reema Omari on Universal Satcom’s growth and connectivity solutions

        Mustafa Afifi

        Mustafa Afifi of Rivada Space on Outernet’s impact in the Middle East

        Don

        ST Engineering iDirect CEO Don Claussen on Mideast ties and satellite strategy

        KSASummit

        Transforming Arabic Content: Studios, Producers and Regional Impact

        Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

        Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

      • Opinion
        Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

        Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

        YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

        YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

        Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

        Sport’s Growing Grip on MENA Media

        MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

        MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

        Integrate ME 2023 brings its inaugural edition to successful conclusion

        Empowering the next generation of content creation and live broadcasting with AV PRO

        Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

        Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

        Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

        Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

        Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

        Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

        Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

        Saudi Arabia emerges as the epicentre of Media & Entertainment in 2025

        Film and Beyond: Leapfrogging into the global screen industry

        Film and Beyond: Leapfrogging into the global screen industry

      • Interviews
        • All
        • Lounge
        Sand, sweat and high stakes

        Sand, sweat and high stakes

        All eys on AIUIa

        All eys on AIUIa

        Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

        Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

        Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

        Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

        New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

        New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

        Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

        Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

        UAE Pro League flips the field

        UAE Pro League flips the field

        Bringing the wild to the Middle East

        Bringing the wild to the Middle East

        Shades of success

        Shades of success

        Navigating the news wave

        Navigating the news wave

      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events
        • News from Events
        • Upcoming Events
        DICM

        DICM

        IBC Show

        IBC 2025

        MPTS

        CABSAT2025

        CABSAT2025

        NAB Show

      No Result
      View All Result
      BroadcastPro ME
      No Result
      View All Result
      AMT Ad ibc Ad Rossvideo Ad
      Home Content Creation

      Striking Gold at Cannes

      Vibhuti Arora by Vibhuti Arora
      August 4, 2014
      in Content Creation, Production Features
      ShareTweetPostEmail

      The ‘Du Tuesday’ ad campaign won the UAE’s first ever Gold at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2014. Executive Producer Manasvi Gosalia tells Vibhuti Arora about the groundbreaking success of the campaign It was a moment of glory for the UAE ad film industry when a homegrown ad campaign won a Gold Lion […]

      the film 'Too Depressing' was a part of the winning campaign.
      the film ‘Too Depressing’ was a part of the winning campaign.

      The ‘Du Tuesday’ ad campaign won the UAE’s first ever Gold at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2014. Executive Producer Manasvi Gosalia tells Vibhuti Arora about the groundbreaking success of the campaign

      It was a moment of glory for the UAE ad film industry when a homegrown ad campaign won a Gold Lion at Cannes. It was the first time ever that a UAE commercial had struck gold at Cannes in the film category.

      The win came as a long overdue breakthrough for the region. The Middle East had previously won on international platforms for print and outdoor campaigns, but the region had never won in the film category. This year was a glorious year with multiple wins for the region, with Ogilvy winning Titanium for integrated advertising while Impact BBDO won Gold for radio.

      du Tuesday’s Gold film wins were for Too Complicated and Too Depressing spots. These two films were a part of a series of four short films created by Leo Burnett, produced by Dejavu and directed by Ali Ali and Maged Nassar to promote du’s ‘Cinema Tuesdays’. The films were nominated in the category –  Television & Cinema. Titled Too Complicated, Too Boring, Too Scary and Too Depressing, each of the four films belongs to a different film genre and evokes different human emotions.

      “After winning three MENA Crystals, 23 trophies at Lynx, including the best production house and the Lynx Palm Award, we were quite confident that we had created something special and had a strong case at an international platform such as Cannes,” says Manasvi Gosalia, Executive Producer at Dubai-based production house Dejavu.

      “It feels special to be in the spotlight and get noticed, not only on a global platform but also to be recognised locally. Nine out of 6,000 entries won a gold Lion at Cannes and we were one of them,” he adds.

      It was a special campaign that culminated in the most special way, according to Gosalia.

       

      The campaign

      Du’s ‘Cinema Tuesdays’ offer two cinema tickets for the price of one and encourage cinema-goers not to see

      films alone.

      According to Gosalia, Leo Burnett’s objective was clear – create an insightful clutter-breaking campaign that makes waves globally and locally.

      Dejavu was chosen to execute the project after a three way bid. The agency wrote the initial idea and was clear from the start that it wanted to work with well-known Egyptian director Ali Ali.

      “We believed that Ali Ali was the right director to take this idea forward. He has a very interesting body of work and is one of the top directors in the region,” says Gosalia.

      It took about six months to get the project off the ground, from paper to film.

      “Few days before the production, the director suggested an interesting way of doing the production; Leo Burnett liked it, worked with us to develop the idea as a team and sold it to Du. Our client Ahmed Zeki of Du was brave in letting us shoot both sets of ideas – the initial approved one and the new suggestion,” says Gosalia.

      To achieve the agency’s requirement of creating a clutter-breaker, four different moods were created in the films. The films had to have an element of surprise.

      “The film, for a change, didn’t require us to localise it. We didn’t have to show any cultural references. That meant we could do what we wanted creatively,” comments Gosalia.

      The shoot took place over the Christmas holidays in Lebanon. “We decided to shoot in Lebanon for several reasons. Firstly, we required those locations. We wanted snow and forests as the backdrop. Plus, they do have a good talent pool there. All in all, with the environment we wanted to shoot in, the availability of talent and considering its cost effectiveness, it made sense to shoot in Lebanon,” explains Gosalia.

      The films have a totally different look and feel. For one, they do not have the colour and fast cuts that are typical of most commercials.

      Leo Burnett was very clear in what they wanted and how they wanted this project to unfold.

      The look was captured during the shoot on camera, so the art director had a key role here. The films were shot using ARRI Alexa, which came in handy in creating the look that the director wanted. The DoP and the director worked out the exact colour tones, based on which the wardrobe was planned and the mood was created. Too Depressing, for instance, has an Eastern European milieu and is clearly inspired by films from that region. Too Scary was shot in a forest to create the look and feel of a typical Hollywood horror flick.

      Too Complicated

      was a difficult concept to present. It’s set in a room with three people speaking different languages at the same time, while Too Boring has two people sitting in a car doing nothing. The audience is initially intrigued by the film, and after 45 seconds comes the tag line that says it’s too boring – or too complicated, or too scary, or too depressing – to watch a film alone. A different one for each genre.

      “There was not much required in terms of visual effects, it was more about realising the director’s vision. Everything was shot on real locations. The same viewer at the end of each film reacts differently to each of the four genres shown,” comments Gosalia.

      After filming in Lebanon the films were graded in Beirut and edited in Cairo. “We used Dejavu Lebanon for production and post production support. The films were edited on FCP and graded on Resolve. Yet in the end result the style of editing and grading is very different to that used more commonly. It is not saturated and colourful. Everything in terms of look, feel and the music score has the makings of a feature film,” he adds.

      However, Gosalia points out that the tools didn’t make these films but the concept did.

      Shooting over the holidays was a challenge. It was not easy to get everyone together to pull the shoot through.

      “As they say, the road to gold is never golden. Our experience on the shoot was everything but dull. While we were hard pressed for time, there were sprinklings of adventure too,” points out Gosalia.

      The producer recalls: “There was also a bomb blast on the first day of our shoot. We had just picked up our art director and were barely 500m away from location.

      “There was a major storm and torrential rain on the day of the shoot and we almost missed the production, but the rain happened to be a blessing in disguise because it gave us the foggy look that we were looking for. We were lucky that the rain stopped just before the shoot began.

      “These were long shooting days, where we’d start at 6am and end at 2am. One of the main reasons for shooting in Lebanon was the snow. The day we wanted to shoot we had no snow, so we got snow tankers to create artificial snow.

      “But these are challenges that one takes in one’s stride. In hindsight I feel every bit of it was worthwhile,” comments Gosalia.

      Getting the right team to execute it was critical. Everyone had to be on the same page, so choosing the right people was important. The commercials ran for the first time in cinemas in January 2014.

      “We decided to enter the campaign for nominations at Cannes Lions because of the success we had with it at Lynx. It was a big collective effort. We pitched in together and won together.

      “Two days before the awards the Cannes Lions jury shared the shortlist with us. It was surreal. We were competing against countries that have a huge appetite for such ads and they invest millions. They take risks and have no creative restrictions. We work within a culturally sensitive region, and so to compete against such established entities and still win is a huge win for the region as a whole.

           “Television is difficult to win because the works that come out of the US and Europe are mostly big-budget, one to two million dollar projects. To work with a quarter of that budget and still win a gold is hugely inspirational, not just for our company but also for the entire region,” concludes Gosalia.

      Tags: Ali Alidejavudu TuesdayMaged Nassarmanasvi Gosalia

      Related Posts

      Egyptian thriller ‘Smokey Eyes’ set for Jordanian debut at Amman Int’l Film Festival

      Egyptian thriller ‘Smokey Eyes’ set for Jordanian debut at Amman Int’l Film Festival

      June 29, 2024
      The Plot Pictures invites creatives from GCC and MENAT to submit pitches

      The Plot Pictures invites creatives from GCC and MENAT to submit pitches

      March 13, 2023
      The rigours of post production magic

      The rigours of post production magic

      January 13, 2019
      Du wins Cannes Lions for two consecutive years

      Du wins Cannes Lions for two consecutive years

      July 27, 2015

      Related News

      Egyptian thriller ‘Smokey Eyes’ set for Jordanian debut at Amman Int’l Film Festival

      Egyptian thriller ‘Smokey Eyes’ set for Jordanian debut at Amman Int’l Film Festival

      June 29, 2024
      More Related News

      BroadcastPro ME

      • About
      • Advertise
      • Subscribe
      • Magazine Archive
      • Directory
      • Contact
      • Privacy

      Follow us on Social Media

      No Result
      View All Result
      • News
      • Tech Features
      • Videos
      • Opinion
      • Interviews
      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Fill the forms bellow to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In
      Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com