Budding film makers invited to join Tropfest founder, John Polson for a workshop on short film creation in the MENA region
John Polson, founder of Tropfest and award winning actor and director will offer aspiring filmmakers in the UAE exclusive workshops on short film creation on Sunday April 17th at the Pavilion, Downtown Dubai from 7pm to 10pm and in Abu Dhabi on Monday, April 18th at twofour54 in the lime building from 7pm to 10pm.
The workshops will commence with an introduction to Tropfest Arabia which is the first short film festival of its kind to take place in the region and will premiere in Abu Dhabi in November 2011. The aim of Tropfest Arabia is to contribute to the development of the Arab film industry by providing an opportunity for the region’s filmmakers to bring their short films to the community. The two hour workshops will be supported by well known local filmmaker Nawaf Al Janahi and twofour54 representatives, who will offer aspiring filmmakers a chance to learn more about the film industry with in-depth tutorial sessions on short filmmaking.
The workshops will outline the short filmmaking process and expose participants to past submissions. It will also give participants the opportunity to raise questions and gain further insight into the Tropfest Arabia festival and the role that short films are increasingly playing in the region’s burgeoning media industry.
Commenting on the Tropfest Arabia workshops, John Polson, founder of Tropfest said: “The film industry in the Middle East is developing rapidly. We are introducing Tropfest Arabia to the region to provide aspiring filmmakers a platform through which to showcase their films. These workshops are intended to provide filmmakers with the tools and knowledge required to develop their creative talents. I encourage all aspiring film makers not only to submit their films to Tropfest Arabia, but also to take advantage of this chance to develop their skills and learn more about the short film industry.”
Tropfest Arabia aims to become one of the most influential and popular short film events on the region’s film calendar. One of Tropfest Arabia’s priorities is to help nurture the region’s growing film making community by taking a grass roots approach and supporting talent that might otherwise be excluded from the region’s film festivals.
In order to be eligible to participate in the Tropfest Arabia workshops and submit a film entry, participants must be a citizen of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region including Algeria, Bahrain , Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen. Entrants must conform to the religious, cultural and political sensitivities of the region and films must be appropriate for public screening in Abu Dhabi.
To register for Tropfest Arabia workshops or to get further details on how to submit a film visit: www.tropfestarabia.com