(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The wait is over for hundreds of Malayalee short filmmakers here in the UAE.
Khaleej Times broke the news of a short film festival in July, and ever since the UAE chapter of the Kochi Metro Short Film Fest, a Whatsapp group community of filmmakers, has been waiting for their dreams of becoming filmmakers to materialise. 45 short films on 45th National Day Kochi Metro UAE Film Fest is planning to produce 45 films before the UAE's 45th National Day, thus providing an opportunity for the Malayalee community in the UAE to pay tributes to the country. The details will be announced soon, Ravindhar, festival director said: "The formalities will be the same as in the case of the short film festival. Registration is free and open for all. We offer guidance and assistance to nurture talents." According to the organisers, it is also the culmination of a mobile film literacy movement ,which is taking shape in the form of the Kochi Metro Short Films UAE. It is also planning 45 short films on the occasion of UAE's 45th National Day. On Friday, the first of its kind film festival will have an informal opening at Ramada Hotel, Deira, Dubai, with the screening of Reflections, a 20-minute short film, which has Mohanlal, one of the top Indian actors, in the lead role. This screening is open only to members. The three-day film festival has two other venues in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. On September 29, the venue of the festival will be Sharjah Indian Association Hall and on October 1, the films will be screened in Abu Dhabi Indian Social Centre. The organisers are also planning to arrange screenings in Al Ain. According to Ravindhar, who has been in the South Indian film industry for decades as an actor and script writer, the festival is part of his mobile film literacy movement, followed by the Malalayali community worldwide. Ravindhar said: "If feature films are looked upon for entertainment, short films serve the purpose of social reformation. It also provides a platform for new comers." As part of the Kochi Metro Short Films UAE, expat filmmakers can also to participate in two theme-based contests namely "Sneham" (Love) and "Pravasam" (On Expat life) for first comers (non-experienced) and filmmakers (the experienced) respectively. Explaining the themes of the contests, Ravindhar, who is also the festival director, said: "Intolerance is widespread and there is a need to spread the importance of universal love among people. The Indian diaspora has so much to share, but they do not have a strong platform to unleash their creativity. Short films are a powerful tool in this digital age to make their voices heard." Submissions for the Kochi Metro Short Films UAE are open until October 15. "The main task is to identify budding talent and help them grow," the actor added. The Kochi Metro UAE, which has Mohanlal as its chairman, is a 250-member Whatsapp group, and makes use of the vast digital landscape for their creative expression. Nazeem Beegum