FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
May 7, 2008
USA: Nan Sumski
nansumski@aol.com
(323) 420-5353
DUBAI: Ahmed Bin Saeed
makaram@hotmail.com/tabreez17@gmail.com
050-7919515/0559148057
FIRST EVER UAE DOCUMENTARY FILM INITIATIVE ESTABLISHED
DUBAI, UAE – Documentary Voices: Pulling Focus, the first ever area initiative to focus strictly on documentary films, will premiere in Dubai July 4-8, 2008. Screenings and workshops will be held at Knowledge Village, Dubai’s state-of-the-art destination for educational opportunities. Documentary Voices: Pulling Focus will highlight perspectives on culture, society and development by new and established filmmakers. It will be a centerpiece for summer cultural activity in the UAE.
Documentary Voices’ Artistic Director Anisa Mehdi’s aim is to bring together documentary filmmakers at all stages of career development. “Combining the know-how of established talent with the wit and audacity of newcomers will give everyone a creative boost -- not to mention the benefits of nourishing relationships for future projects,” said Mehdi. A veteran American news and documentary filmmaker Mehdi has a track record in building bridges through reporting and interactive workshops among people of different cultures with similar concerns. Mehdi is a Muslim American who devotes professional and personal time to projects that break stereotypes and amplify authentic voices from diverse communities. She is founder and president of Whetstone Productions, producer of Documentary Voices.
Pulling Focus in Dubai
The initiative is endorsed by the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). It will showcase stories of the greater Gulf region and the filmmakers with the zeal to tell them. There will be films about music, politics, war, peace, and faith by men and women with the passion and vision for reality and for what’s possible. An international jury of experts in film, diplomacy, and the arts are selecting top contenders, primarily from Arab Countries, the USA and Iran, to be screened for the public in July. Filmmakers will attend the screenings of their work and engage with the audiences. They will also participate in an intensive program of workshops, master classes and symposia designed to hone skills, amplify effective communication, and encourage networking.
A Commitment to Culture
Dubai’s leader, His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Maktoum, is eager to make his city a cultural hub of the Middle East. Documentary Voices complements that goal. Approximately 20 top quality, thought provoking documentary films will be screened and discussed. The initiative will entertain and educate audiences of all ages, while providing a much-needed platform for filmmakers from the region to learn about production, financing, distribution and creative development from experts in the field. Networking among professional filmmakers from both inside and outside the region will foster dialogue and continued partnership.
“Documentary Voices: Pulling Focus in Dubai” is produced by Whetstone Productions (USA) and Caspian Events (Dubai). Anisa Mehdi, President of Whetstone Productions, is Artistic Director. Mahshid Zamani, CEO of Caspian Events is Managing Director
For more information, please visit www.documentaryvoices.com.
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