SAE student chosen to represent Middle East and South Asia at 'Slamdance Film Festival 2009' in USA

Known as a festival 'by filmmakers for filmmakers', Slamdance Film Festival 2009 is held from 15-23 January, in Utah, USA. It is organized at the same time every year as the Sundance Film Festival, providing a true representation of independent film-making while supporting directors with limited budgets.

Real Ideas Studio Inc, was searching for the most talented film students to work in Utah with respected industry professionals, prior to the run-up to the Slamdance Film Festival.

Markus Rosentreter, Course Coordinator for Film at SAE Dubai, said:

"Akash was the only student chosen from the Middle East and South Asia to work as a director on the project. His selection demonstrates the recognition of Dubai as the regional film making hub, drawing interest from global industry players as a one-stop destination that caters to all filmmaking needs."

"We wish Akash luck. We are confident he will fully leverage this great opportunity to gain wider acknowledgement from highly respected industry professionals," he added.

Student work created during the programme will be screened during an official Slamdance Screening and Real Ideas Studio Awards ceremony. Real Ideas Studio selects students in Film, Motion Graphics, Journalism, Broadcast and Communications categories.

The selction of Akash is part of the company's Student Filmmaking and Broadcast Programme that offers sponsorship to participate in events across the world. Selected candidates will work in diverse teams with insider access to the most up and coming film world directors and industry professionals. They also receive training and support from industry and academic professionals to gain exposure and recognition for their work.

Since its inception in 1995 in the USA, Slamdance Film Festival has been re-created internationally in countries like China and Poland. It was launched to showcase undistributed films by emerging filmmakers. Festival discoveries have included directors such as Christopher Nolan (Memento), Marc Forster (Monster's Ball) and Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite).

The SAE Institute entered the Middle East in 2006 with its first campus at the Dubai Knowledge Village, a member of Tecom Investments. Since then, the institute has set up well-equipped facilities in Jordan and Kuwait.