At ADFF 2014, Emirates Film Competition’s student shorts turn the spotlight on women

Aisha Abdullah's The Blind Side explores the need to encourage women to exercise. Courtesy ADFF

The Abu Dhabi Film Festival is not just concerned with A-listers from established filmmaking nations – Emirati talent is also nurtured and given a spot in the limelight during the event, courtesy of the Emirates Film Competition (EFC).

Launched in 2001, it is one of the region’s first film contests and has quickly established itself as a key platform to show off the UAE’s burgeoning film talent.

The student strand of EFC, which is open to students from the UAE and GCC countries, offers a snapshot of the issues affecting the youth of the region.

“It’s a very important event to the overall film festival,” says Saleh Karama, the EFC director. “I have been seeing some great developments in terms of the technique and storytelling of young filmmakers from the region, particularly from the UAE.”

Part of that development is the increase in Emirati women filmmakers. This year, they are out in force as they compete in the EFC’s Student Short Film Competition stream.

“It is an important opportunity and I felt that I had to take it,” says Aisha Abdullah, one of the entrants. “I love using film to express myself.”

The 27-year-old is rounding off a big year, during which she graduated from Zayed University with a degree in communications, by screening her latest short documentary, The Blind Side.

The film deals with the often neglected topic of health among Emirati women. Through a series of interviews, The Blind Side explores the need to create initiatives that encourage Emirati women to exercise.

“There is not enough encouragement from society and families themselves,” says Abdullah. “The film speaks to sportswomen and it shows how they achieved, despite the lack of encouragement from those close to them. I wanted the film to be a message that such conditions need to change.”

Fatma Al Ghanim's film is a more personal affair. The 22-year-old Abu Dhabi resident's documentary, Dates, follows the experiences of her mother who, after marrying early and raising children, decides to go back to school to learn handicrafts.

“It’s not easy to direct your mother,” says Al Ghanim. “But we worked hard and we are happy with the result.”

Al Ghanim is studying multimedia at Zayed University and Dates was the result of a class project.

“I wanted to tell a traditional Emirati story,” she says. “I wanted to give a glimpse of traditional life that perhaps others didn’t see before and may find interesting.”

Like The Blind Side, Al Ghanim's film has an overarching theme of Emirati female empowerment – this time through education.

She says the message of Dates is that it is never too late to learn.

“If you have a passion then go for it,” she says. “Sometimes life can make things difficult but don’t lose hope, you can always go back to the things to enjoy.”

Karama describes the strong involvement of Emirati filmmakers in the EFC experience as “inspiring”.

“This is very important for me,” he says. “They have the avenue to tell us new stories and discover new ways of thinking. I am so happy that we are showing their talent to the people.”

• For details of the Emirates Film Competition screenings, visit www.abudhabifilmfestival.ae