Dubai Studio City to open doors to local and international filmmakers

Held at Cinestar Multiplex in Mall of the Emirates on 15 June, the workshop was chaired by Jamal Al Sharif, Director, Dubai Studio City; Ashok Amritraj, noted Hollywood producer, chairman and CEO of Hyde Park Entertainment; Kabir Bedi, celebrated international film, television and theatre personality, and Nayla Al Khaja, Managing Director & Founder, Dessart Productions.

Welcoming Amritraj and Bedi to Dubai, Jamal Al Sharif said: "Dubai Studio City is dedicated to empower, educate, and support filmmakers who share a desire to express themselves through cinema. This workshop was conceived as a platform for film-enthusiasts to come together and push boundaries, interact and share knowledge to develop new ideas for the film industry in the region."

The audience applauded Al Sharif's announcement that Dubai Studio City would be an accessible, resourceful and user-friendly facility for local as well as international filmmakers who required a platform to launch their productions.

Inviting Amritraj, Bedi and the Indian film industry to contribute to the success of Dubai Studio City, Al Sharif said: "I hope you will use this forum to discover new talent from the UAE filmmaking community."

The IIFA Film Workshop saw leading representatives from the Indian and regional film industry, students, and media representatives come together to discuss cinema as an ideal medium to bridge cultures.

A screening of Amritraj's 'Bringing Down the House' and Bedi's 'Octupussy' (1983) set the tone for the interactive session that had Amritraj and Bedi tracing their journey from India into international cinema.

Responding to a question from an emerging UAE national filmmaker whether both would consider film scripts from the region, Amritraj said: "I am always looking for good stories and good scripts, and I look forward to receiving interesting content from this region."

Bedi added: "I welcome acting offers from this region, provided the script suits me."

Speaking as UAE's first independent film maker, Nayla Al Khaja said: "Leading storytellers in the motion picture and television arts, both Ashok and Kabir have mirrored the changes in society through the films they produced or the characters they portrayed."

Al Khaja thanked Dubai Studio City for providing regional film aspirants an opportunity to interact with international achievers such as Amirtraj and Bedi through the workshop initiative.