ABU DHABI // Emiratis are being offered the chance to learn from some of the best at a French film school.
Image Nation, the UAE company that is developing the film industry in the Emirates, will give three people the opportunity to study at La Femis during an intensive programme in Paris this summer.
A fourth Emirati student will be sponsored by Total, the French oil and gas company.
“An essential part of Image Nation’s mission is to foster local talent, and the programme at La Femis is a perfect opportunity for UAE filmmakers to learn from and interact with international talent,” said Michael Garin, chief executive of Image Nation.
“Paris is responsible for some of the most important cinematic movements, which makes the vibrant city the ideal place to study film.”
Participants will be involved in the Gulf Summer University programme, which focuses on creative workshops. These workshops teach the students to better understand the roles and tasks required to take part in filmmaking.
The film school is located in the historic Pathe Studios, in the centre of Paris.
La Femis is ranked as one of the top 10 film schools by The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
The select group of Emiratis will learn about filmmaking theory and practical skills from some of the best tutors in the industry.
They will also learn more about contemporary French cinema by studying the role played by important French directors.
“We are very proud, along with Image Nation and the support of Total, to contribute to the development of a generation of Emirati filmmakers,” said Michel Miraillet, the French ambassador to the UAE. “This is the first time that the prestigious French film school La Femis has created a programme dedicated specifically to the emerging talents from the Gulf.
“Those kind of exchanges are essential to nurture Franco-Emirati cooperation, both on a cultural and economic level.”
La Femis was founded in 1986, and its chairman since 2010 has been the international award-winning director Raoul Peck.
The school trains 50 students a year to be directors, screenwriters, producers, editors, sound designers, directors of photography, production designers, continuity supervisors and film distributors.
The five-week-long programme will run from August 8 to September 12 and is open to Emirati filmmakers aged 21 to 30.
For more details on how to enter, email alicia.gonzalez@imagenation.ae.
Entrants must apply before 5pm on June 26.
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