Emirati filmmaker Abdullah Hassan Ahmed has directed several short films and worked as an actor and cinematographer.

From 1 – 4 September, he will lead Doha Film Institute’s ‘Films Tawash’ workshop – a course on how to produce a short film.

In this interview, we speak to him about the region’s film industry history, his own journey, and why short films are essential in creating a strong foundation.

Directed by Abdullah Hassan Ahmad, “Tenbak” won at the 2006 Dubai Film Festival. (With English subtitles)

DFI: We’re very excited you’re leading the ‘Films Tawash’ workshop coming up; we’ve been flooded with applications! What’s on the agenda?
Hassan: The workshop is on the filmmaking process of a short film based on samples of works I’ve produced and directed. We will learn about budgeting and the difficulties of implementing an idea from conception to production, and discuss the best ways to portray the original idea. It’s also important to know the means available to fund the films.

DFI: You’re considered a pioneer in founding an Emirati film scene. How do you view the region’s evolving industry?
Hassan: Cinema in the Gulf was a sort of taboo and now it became an important cultural identity. In 12 years, cinema proved to be a necessity.

Cinema is an important part of every country’s culture and heritage…It is our cultural gas.

DFI: How did your journey begin?
Hassan: I started with theatre, the master of all arts. Theatre’s been a part of UAE culture for over 45 years.

DFI: So when did cinema become more prevalent?
Hassan: We were encouraged to participate in cinema with the arrival of film competitions in Abu Dhabi, initiated by Masoud Amr Allah. He got us all involved. This was the industry’s foundation; many filmmakers took off before the year 2000.
Our strong dose of short films, along with some experimenting, created a new wave of cultural activities.

DFI: Is that why you’re using short films to lead the September workshop here in Doha? What’s the relationship between them and the creation of a strong film industry?
Hassan: We’ll learn a lot from short films by observing and analysing; it is very important. After the first series of short films in the UAE, film festivals started developing in the GCC. This was a natural development of what we worked so hard to achieve.

DFI: Are more people interested in pursuing careers in cinema? What else would boost the region’s industry?
Hassan: Filmmaking was not a career one would pursue, but it has changed now. I see more people interested in media studies and many of them are girls. What we lack is a proper education for those interested in cinema. We are still worried of considering it as a career field.