A desert is perhaps the last place you’d expect to find artificial intelligence, but the fourth Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert is using the technology to demonstrate new ways of storytelling and inviting audiences to craft their own films and artworks.
Independent cinema remains a cornerstone of the festival, which is running until January 12 at Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve. Eighty films are being shown, including works by Emirati director Hussain Alansari, as well as a feature on the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. Short films are also in the running in the competition section across several categories, including documentaries, animation, and live action. There is also a section dedicated entirely to films with AI.
“Dubai Culture, through this festival, aims to develop and elevate the local film industry by providing an innovative platform to support and empower talented individuals and filmmakers,” said Maitha Ali Al Blooshi, manager of the events section at Dubai Culture and project manager of Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert festival.
“The festival encourages them to express their perspectives and showcase their work to the public, thereby contributing to the growth of Dubai’s cultural and creative industries.”
But it is the interactive and immersive experiences, some of which use AI, that separate Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert from the landscape of other festivals in the region. They are also what underscores the festival’s theme, Where Stories Come to Life.
Look for example at the festival opener, which has a personalised red carpet generator, where audiences stand in front of a green screen as a software renders for them a boisterous digital reception, complete with fans and the flashes of photographers. Moving forward, there are installations across the landscape where visitors can use AI to create short films and music.
The installations, crafted by Dubai studio Hybrid Xperience, were developed for the event, says Jad Farhat, a representative for the company which specialises in curating AI experiences, and has set up installations at several events in the region, most recently at the Liwa Festival.
The installation at Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert was designed to be more streamlined, so that with a mere few taps and prompts, the AI software can generate a short film that is limited only by the imagination, and music that defies genre. Want a track of acoustic dub in a cyberpunk atmosphere? No problem. A short film, where a skunk and gorilla become friends after a heated basketball match? Forty seconds later and the work is on the screen.
“We saw there were musicians here, so we made this experience about people trying to create sound in a very basic way,” Farhat says. “You don't have to be a musician or an artist. Anyone can create something.”
Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert also has other components that make the most of its remote setting. From a telescope observation deck, which allows visitors to witness close-ups of the Moon and Jupiter to a planetarium that details fascinating stories and facts about the cosmos.
Artworks by international artists include an Al Marmoom mural by Abdulla Lutfi, a digital gallery featuring AI artworks by Lina Kattan, and an installation by Mikhail Antykov that aims to bring a new twist to the art of the selfie.
The installation invites people to stand in the midst of a sequence of LED frames and pose for a portrait that shows the manipulative potential of light.
“I wanted people to see how colour and light can change their face,” Antykov says. “It's not always beautiful. Sometimes, you will not be satisfied, but it shows the power of light and colour.”
One major festival highlight is The Cube by Ghaleb Hawila. The sculpture, crafted from steel features a poem by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. The poem is rendered with calligraphy that extends out of the steel cube and wraps around the installation. “We see dimensions in the letters, and this is because of my obsession with the Arabic language,” says Hawila.
He adds that he had long had the idea of presenting a steel cube within the desert. The contrast of materials and the symbolism of the cube shape and its references to the Arabic dot had long been an inspiration. However, is was the poem by Sheikh Mohammed that brought it all together.
“The installation is meant to show how we keep old wisdoms alive within us,” he says. “And the poem reflects that, saying how a country is not merely homes and streets, but its people.”
The work, he adds, is entirely handmade. “I wrote the poem on paper and then digitised it, and then we cut the steel and began welding. I’m grateful to Dubai Culture and Dubai Public Art who helped me with the research and the approval to use His Highness’s words.”
As with past iterations, Emirati culture has a strong presence across the festival, in both the film programme, and the food offerings, where visitors can try local favourites including ragag and luqaimat.
The festival’s workshop programme is also notably robust. More than two dozen workshops led by film creatives and experts are designed to inspire young talent to pursue careers in various roles in cinema and the arts. These include workshops in cinematography, acting, directing and special effects. There are also more unexpected additions, such as courses in astronomy and panels about AI and how it will feature in films of the future.
But the true main attraction, according to Al Blooshi, is the setting itself. “The fourth edition of the festival is distinguished by its diverse activities, encouraging visitors to explore the Al Marmoom Desert as a natural reserve and a significant cultural destination in Dubai.”
“The festival offers a chance to learn about traditional crafts, immerse in local heritage, and savour authentic Emirati cuisine in a setting thoughtfully designed to blend artistic and cultural elements.”
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
More on Quran memorisation:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
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Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
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She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
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The years Ramadan fell in May
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