Canon Middle East renews strategic partnership with Nayla Al Khaja

Nayla who first shot to fame following the release of her debut film, Unveiling Dubai is well known in the Middle East cinema circles for being the first UAE national woman to embark on a career in filmmaking. Since her rise to fame, Nayla has produced and directed a series of successful films including Arabana, Once and Malal - which have won her several international awards, including the Golden Muhr for Malal at the 2010 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).

Since her appointment as Canon Brand Ambassador in February 2011, Canon Middle East has partnered with Nayla on a number of unique initiatives to encourage young aspiring film makers in the region and equip them with the skills needed to succeed in the budding cinema industry in the region.

In recent months, Canon Middle East and Nayla have actively worked together to reach out to students across renowned educational institutions in the region to offer students of media studies an opportunity to interact and learn from industry professionals like herself and familiarize themselves with the latest Canon technologies that are fast revolutionizing the film making industry.

Nayla has also recently been commissioned by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) the Emirate's dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage for 'The Soul of Dubai' project aimed at capturing the essence of Dubai, as seen through the eyes of its artistic community, and will explore various artforms to highlight the cultural identity of the Emirate. Nayla's latest film 'The Neighbour' narrates the story of an anorexic expat struggling with low self-esteem and loneliness whose perspective in life is altered by a simple act from her Emirati neighbour.

The film was shot using Canon's latest technology - the Canon EOS 1D C to best capture the various subtleties and expressions of the actors as they tell their story. Part of the Cinema EOS System, with the EOS-1D C Canon extends the flexibility of digital 4K origination in the first Canon hybrid DSLR to offer onboard 4K motion imaging and Full HD motion imaging on CF cards. Designed to go where other 4K cameras cannot go - into hostile environments, very cramped spaces, mounted on the end of extended jib arms, or embedded on-set and with onboard 4K recording at 24p or HD recording at a range of frame rates up to 60p; and Clean HD via HDMI, the EOS-1D C offers additional capabilities for film and TV production as well as specialty image acquisition applications.

Anurag Agrawal, Managing Director, Canon Middle East, said: "Nayla remains an iconic figure for emerging talent in the region. Not only has she successfully carved a niche for herself in the regional film making industry, she has also been a driven force in the international recognition of the Middle East film industry. The last two years with Nayla mark a celebratory journey that has seen us inspire and encourage young talent and extend our support to unique platforms that offer aspiring film makers opportunities to showcase their talents. We look forward to another year of this successful partnership and supporting Nayla's film making talents and other initiatives that exude the brilliance of Canon technologies and our focus on the film making industry."

Nayla Al Khaja, Founder and CEO, D-SEVEN Motion Pictures, said: "I am proud and honoured to be able to represent the prestigious Canon brand for the third year in a row. As a film maker, I strongly believe that the right technologies help directors make their vision a reality. From capturing the diverse angles and subtleties of expressions to simplifying the task of editing, the right equipment really helps define the final production. I remain grateful to Canon Middle East for their continued support and look forward to working together to revolutionize the art of film making to take the regional film making industry to greater heights."

She continued, "Canon's EOS range has created a new category of cameras and lenses designed specifically for filmmaking. The EOS 1D C, a breakthrough in cinematography is lightweight and offers enhanced mobility and 4K image origination to leverage fresh cinematic opportunities along the way. This shows the commitment of Canon to offer true value to the global filmmaking community by catering to the specific needs of the filmmakers helping us create our productions with finesse."