Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert festival seeks to attract more local talents

Dubai Culture has announced that its Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert festival will be held from December 9 to 11.

A celebration of emerging filmmakers and Emirati culture, the event will be held in the Al Marmoom Conservation Reserve, a rich local heritage and cultural site.

The event has also pushed the deadline for entries into its short film competition back to October 7, hoping to encourage more young talents to submit their best works. The competition is open to UAE citizens and residents, as well as filmmakers from across the Mena region.

While the winner will be awarded Dh50,000, those in second and third places will earn Dh25,000 and 15,000 respectively — as well as a series of commemorative trophies.

The festival hopes to promote a sustainable model of growth for the regional film industry, and give experienced filmmakers a platform to share their experiences and insights with a new generation of talent.

Asides from several film screenings, the festival will also include a wide range of interactive workshops for children and young people, panel discussions with international talents and a series of educational sessions for aspiring filmmakers.

The first Al Marmoom: A Film in the Desert Festival was held over four nights in March 2020. Curated by Cinema Akil, it presented narrative and documentary films, including the award-winning You Will Die at 20 by Sudanese director Amjad Abu Alala; and Nearby Sky, a documentary by Emirati filmmaker Nujoom Alghanem, following the journey of a woman's devotion to her camel.

The festival also screened George Miller's 1981 Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and a restored version of the classic, The Lion of the Desert by Moustapha Akkad. Workshops invited participants to go through the process of storyboarding, role allocation and setting scenes and stages for their own short film projects.