Among the most interesting events taking place on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche as part of the citywide Yasalam programme is a festival that began in a cafe in Sydney almost two decades ago. Tropfest may now be considered the world’s biggest short film festival, an annual event that in Australia has launched the careers of numerous filmmakers, but when it began back in 1993 it was a somewhat different affair.
Films: The National watches
Film reviews, festivals and all things cinema related
Film
“I started it myself with a screening of a short film I had made,” says John Polson, the festival’s founder. “I expected about a dozen people to show up just from the cast and crew, but when I got there that night there were about 200 people.”
From this, an idea was born to start a short-film festival. "The first year 1,000 came, the next 7,000," says Polson. Now, Tropfest attracts a live audience of some 150,000, is broadcast live on television and is one of the most successful channels on YouTube. Major film names have emerged from the festival. Sam Worthington, recently seen romancing blue Na'vi aliens in Avatar, won the Best Actor award at Tropfest 2001.
And this Friday, having already expanded to the US, south-east Asia and China, Tropfest lands in Abu Dhabi for the inaugural Tropfest Arabia.
Aspiring filmmakers from across the Middle East and north Africa were invited to send in their entries by the end of September, and in October the judging panel – which includes among others the Where Do We Go Now? director Nadine Labaki, the Egyptian producer Mohammed Hefzy and the UAE's Nayla Al Khaja – sat down to select the 12 shortlisted finalists to be premiered at the event.
Egypt – perhaps predictably – dominates the list announced in mid-October, contributing six of the 12 finalists. There are two entries from Iraq, with the UAE, Oman, Morocco and Lebanon sharing the remaining spots. Whoever is chosen this Friday as the overall winner will be given US$12,500 (Dh46,000), a trip to Los Angeles to meet film executives and a place on the judging panel of the next Tropfest in Australia.
“Our ambition is for it to have a really big impact,” says Polson. “Tropfest helps provide a platform for people to show what they can do in front of an audience. That’s what it’s become in Australia and that’s what we hope it becomes in Abu Dhabi.”
Those watching the films at this weekend’s event should notice one small similarity between them (aside from length). To make filmmakers produce their shorts especially for Tropfest, the festival introduced a “signature item”, something to be included in the film that can be interpreted in whichever way the director wants. Over the years in Australia they’ve had a gherkin, a coffee bean and the number nine. For the first Tropfest Arabia, it is a star.
But this did not mean that those submitting films needed to go out and buy a glitteringly expensive prop in the shape of a star. For Polson, Tropfest is about demonstrating your talent, not your wealth. “We don’t care how big your budget is,” he says. “Many times over the years a film that cost $50 has beaten out a film that cost $10,000. This is about the idea and how well you can execute it.”
The last winner of Tropfest New York cost $40 to make.
Short-filmmaking across the UAE has been gathering force in recent years, with the Emirates Film Competition providing a platform for aspiring filmmakers since 2001. The Dubai International Film Festival’s Muhr Emirati Awards have also been celebrating the talent of storytellers from the country, while the Gulf Film Festival helps link up filmmakers and provide them with support to develop their ideas. But with Tropfest, emerging talent from the region has a real chance to tap into an international market and to have millions of eyes looking at something they have produced.
“Some of the most successful films in the past few years in Australia have come from people who might never have been exposed if they hadn’t been a finalist in Tropfest. If you’re a finalist, anybody who’s anybody sees that film, whether it’s live on the night or on TV,” says Polson.
And although 150,000 people may struggle to cram on to the Corniche this weekend, the first Tropfest Arabia event should be one to watch out for if you are keen on films. Who knows? The next Sam Worthington may emerge, or perhaps a director who goes on to become one of the region’s leading names. Some of the films may not be to your taste, but if you’re worried about heading down without knowing exactly what it is you’ll be watching, bear in mind that each entry is only seven minutes long.
The 12 short films selected as finalists in Tropfest Arabia will be shown on Friday starting at 7.30pm at Abu Dhabi’s Al Sahil Beach as part of the Yasalam activities. The winner will be picked live on the night
Follow us on Twitter and keep up to date with the latest in arts and lifestyle news at twitter.com/LifeNationalUAE
Afghanistan Premier League - at a glance
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Fixtures:
Tue, Oct 16, 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Kabul Zwanan; Wed, Oct 17, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Nangarhar Leopards; 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Paktia Panthers; Thu, Oct 18, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Kandahar Knights; 8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers; Fri, Oct 19, 8pm: First semi-final; Sat, Oct 20, 8pm: Second semi-final; Sun, Oct 21, 8pm: final
Table:
1. Balkh Legends 6 5 1 10
2. Paktia Panthers 6 4 2 8
3. Kabul Zwanan 6 3 3 6
4. Nagarhar Leopards 7 2 5 4
5. Kandahar Knights 5 1 4 2
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
TYPES%20OF%20ONLINE%20GIG%20WORK
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDesign%2C%20multimedia%20and%20creative%20work%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELogo%20design%2C%20website%20design%2C%20visualisations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBusiness%20and%20professional%20management%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELegal%20or%20management%20consulting%2C%20architecture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBusiness%20and%20professional%20support%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EResearch%20support%2C%20proofreading%2C%20bookkeeping%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESales%20and%20marketing%20support%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESearch%20engine%20optimisation%2C%20social%20media%20marketing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EData%20entry%2C%20administrative%2C%20and%20clerical%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EData%20entry%20tasks%2C%20virtual%20assistants%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIT%2C%20software%20development%20and%20tech%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EData%20analyst%2C%20back-end%20or%20front-end%20developers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWriting%20and%20translation%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EContent%20writing%2C%20ghost%20writing%2C%20translation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOnline%20microtasks%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EImage%20tagging%2C%20surveys%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20World%20Bank%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)