Gulf Film Festival hosts first 'Gulf Nights' celebration with 2009 honourees

The event was the first of our 'Gulf Nights' held at the festival, where Gulf filmmakers can network, discuss relevant issues, and exchange ideas, according to GFF Festival Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali, who said: "the primary purpose of these gatherings is to provide a platform for festival participants to network and learn from the experiences of others. We hope to open up the prospect of future collaborations that may contribute to the creation of impactful Khaleeji films with exchange of talent and expertise from the region."

The guests spoke to an audience of promising young filmmakers about their experiences over the last 30 years since the early days of Gulf cinema, as they struggled to establish and strengthen film culture in the region.

Bahraini photographer director Khalifa Shaheen recounted his experience starting out in Bahrain news, and his participation in the Disney film Hamad and the pirates. He recalled the words of Syrian filmmaker Moustafa Al Akkad, that "the cost of one air plane could be used for the production of a film that could change the image of Arabs in the West."

His advice to emerging artists was: "don't be in a hurry, but give each phase its space. Start with photography, cinematography, and production, and finally the transition to directing."

Amralla Al Ali concurred that it was essential to allow time for development:

"Film is 115 years old, while Gulf cinema has been in progress for as little as eight years in some countries. The comparison between 8 years and 115 years is unfair—the way to measure our cinematic evolution is by contrasting the artistic merits and production values of work year on year."

Al Ali concluded by saying, "this festival is an opportunity to present ideas and experiences, show and experience the latest Gulf films, and allow filmmakers to hear feedback from audiences and critics. This is a healthy atmosphere for our cinema to mature and evolve."

The Gulf Nights will continue with three additional nights of interactive debate and discussion with filmmakers, jury and other Festival guests.

The GFF is presented by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) in association with Dubai Studio City.