Five films generated by students of twofour54 creative lab were screened at the Gulf Film Festival in Dubai this past week. The films include The Pillars; directed by Mustafa Zakaria; Ostoura by Fasial Al Sharyani; Smaller Than the Sky by Mohammed Hassan Ahmed; Beep by Haytham Saqr and Waiting by Hana Alshateri. To date, projects […]
Five films generated by students of twofour54 creative lab were screened at the Gulf Film Festival in Dubai this past week. The films include The Pillars; directed by Mustafa Zakaria; Ostoura by Fasial Al Sharyani; Smaller Than the Sky by Mohammed Hassan Ahmed; Beep by Haytham Saqr and Waiting by Hana Alshateri. To date, projects by members of the creative lab online community have received a total of thirty-two international and regional film festival acceptances in fourteen countries, showcasing the talent that is being developed in Abu Dhabi.
Since the launch of twofour54 creative lab in 2010, the community has supported, funded and mentored local and regional talent across various media disciplines to facilitate the creation of diverse projects. The web-based community has helped people understand how to turn a creative idea into a project, connecting like-minded individuals from amateur musicians to experienced directors from across the UAE and the region. The success of the films in particular is testament to the talent and creativity alive in the UAE, reinforcing the importance of investing in and empowering creative individuals in order to drive the growth of a dynamic and successful media and entertainment industry.
A number of short films has achieved success, with 5 Pounds winning the first prize at the 15th short film festival in Grasse (France) and a special mention of the jury at the 20th Mediterranean Festival in Larissa (Greece) in March and April this year. Soul was recognised as the best narrative short film and the best Emirati short film during last years Abu Dhabi Film Festival, and Beep won the Jury Special Mention Award at the Arab Film Festival of Oran (Algeria) in 2011.
The five creative lab short films screened at the Gulf Film Festival were created by young UAE nationals and Arabs from across the region, supported through mentoring, funding and access to production and post-production facilities, as part of twofour54s continuing commitment to helping create locally relevant Arabic content and already gaining attention among viewers in the UAE .
