This November, the American International University (AIU) Kuwait ran their 3rd Annual International Film Festival. Historically, this has always been a challenging field to break into, especially so in the Kuwaiti market due to the scarcity of opportunities, funding and commercial interest in this field. This has frustrated many budding talents wishing to break in especially if they moved away from a traditional format or genre. What festivals like this one does, is it gives new entries a guidance roadmap of how to pursue their careers in this field, thus making it an exciting time to be involved in film making and production in Kuwait as new doors are opened and interest for new talent is encouraged.
The festival ran for five days and was a mix of workshops, movie screenings and panel discussions with Q & As. Registration was open to all who were interested and it allowed ways for like-minded people to network, learn and grow.
Although many international movies were screened, there was time dedicated to showcasing local cinema, its production and its future. On the 3rd day, they featured a Kuwaiti Director’s night. Four Kuwaiti made movies were screened at 360’s Cinescape (the festival’s strategic partner). They were: 5th Bird – A short directed by Maryam Al Abbad; beautifully exploring one of the few meaningful taboos and tradition that remains in Kuwait related to divorced women with children and the potential cycle of trauma some experience.
Mouj – A student production directed by Eman Al Shaya; a spooky maritime fairy tale told as two friends go on a fishing trip just off the coastline of Kuwait. The movie deservedly won Best Kuwaiti Short at the festival.
Desert Duet Harmony – An award-winning student short by Noura Al Hasawi who wore multiple hats including director, scriptwriter and producer of this music themed love story of east meets west.
Amakor – A full-length feature directed by Ahmed Al Khudari that highlights the superficial world of social media through the eyes of a successful influencer with amnesia. Made with a microbudget, the movie has already achieved commercial profitability and was the recipient of an Honorable Mention Award for Best Arab Feature Fiction Film at this festival.
On the 4th day, there was a panel discussion entitled ‘Visual Storytelling.’ Ahmad Jamal and Bader Al Moulah from invisible.inc productions gave a presentation on their work in their early years in the business where they honed their craft in companies like Disney and productions such as those in the Marval universe. After giving the audience a crash course in the fundamentals of visuals, they then spoke of returning to Kuwait and establishing invisible.inc productions. Then the panel introduced Khaled Hamad Al Busairi and Ibraheem Al Jeraidan representing Cinescape and they segued into how they commercially collaborated with Cinescape and made a pre-film short animation to inform the audience about cinema etiquette and viewing rules so that all audience members can enjoy their cinema experience. Khaled and Ibraheem also spoke about how they seek collaborations with local talent endeavouring to always encourage, empower and develop their skills.
Thursday 14th November was the last day of Film Week and they held a panel called ‘The Future of Kuwaiti Cinema.’ Dawood Shuail moderated a lively discussion with Dr. Zeyad (Z) Alhusaini and Dr. Ahmed Hamada. The three Kuwaiti Directors ended with a Q & A. The audience were electrified and the energy and enthusiasm in the theatre was palpable. So much so that even when time ran out, many participants followed the Directors into the lobby to pepper them with more questions.
Film making and production is a dynamic and ever developing field as technology, audience appetites for different stories and genres and funding requirements among a thousand other things are all moving targets. Key advice given in a nutshell for all who sought to pursue a career in this field, was to love the industry. People entering this field must be ready to experience setbacks and criticism and it is only if they are able to invest their heart and soul into what they love, that they will be able to keep perfecting their craft and giving them the strength and determination to survive to the fruition of their project.
Always keep an open mind and keep learning so that you evolve and grow with the industry. When approaching anyone for funding or collaboration, do your homework and present well-formed concepts when you pitch. Stay humble and be prepared to adopt positively to any feedback or criticism offered – your finished work can only improve when you are open to seeing your work from another perspective.
The Festival received 3100 international film submissions. The awards night was held at the AIU campus on Saturday 16th November. Esteemed guests, faculty, students, press and guests made this night feel glamourous and it was the perfect evening to cap the Film Festival.
Kuwait’s 3rd Annual International Film Festival was presented by American International University aiu.edu.kw/film-festival. Strategic Partner: Cinescape, cinescape.com. Official Partner: Zain, kw.zain.com. Media Partner: M2r, m2rkw.com. Sponsored by Shasha, shasha.com.
