When cinema binds
One of the most encouraging responses to the first edition of the Dubai International Film Festival was the cross-cultural bonding it facilitated, says Shivani Pandya, executive director, Festival Operations. Rajeev Nair met her
In the run-up to the second edition of the Dubai International Film Festival, Shivani Pandya, executive director of Festival Operations, has more than a fair share of challenges.
The toughest part, she says, would be “meeting the expectations of people, and making sure that the hard work put in, manifests into the benefit of the audience.”
Her responsibilities include “programme admin” which covers setting up the industry network, marketing, project planning and co-ordinating the technical aspects. She speaks about the preparations currently underway for Diff 2005. Excerpts:
How do you look back on Diff 2004? What are the lessons learnt, and how does the experience help in planning for Diff 2005?
Last year, we worked out the concept of the film festival we had in our mind. And for an initial event, we were able to get most of the elements in place. We have learnt in many areas; we know what works for Dubai, and how the audience reacts to our different segments.
How would you describe the Dubai audience for Diff?
Dubai has a very good film-going audience, and the fact that we could get films that they haven’t seen before worked well for us last year. The audience is indeed a cultural mix with so many different nationalities appreciating not just their films but others’ too. There was a good cross-cultural mix in the audience; people are open to looking at films from other cultures and that was very nice.
Do you therefore see Diff as a platform for a true cross-over culture in film appreciation?
I think we are headed there. Foreign films are rather new to Dubai but with Diff 2004, we could elicit a good cross-cultural responses to the films. Khamosh Pani, a Pakistani film, for instance, fetched a diverse audience. That is a trend we saw across the board.
What according to you is the unique identity of Diff?
We are not looking at Diff as a festival for the industry (like Cannes) because we don’t have a local industry. But we are focused on two targets: The local community, who appreciate films; and the film fraternity — local, regional and international. Through this multicultural event, we are looking at setting up a industry. We are trying to showcase Dubai as a destination for films, and it is happening.
Have you seen tangible results?
Arab films screened at Diff were showcased at Miami Festival because its festival director was here. There were other films that evoked interest in distributors. Yes, the results have been small but they have started to show, which is very encouraging. It makes us realise that we are on the right track and we have to build on it.
The Cairo Film Festival closes on Dec. 9. Diff opens on Dec. 11. Will there be an overlapping of interests?
I feel it is good that these events are close, and even if there is a slight overlapping, it is not a big deal because the audiences are very different. And the industry…, they travel across the world. For many international artistes, the close dates also help plan their itinerary. In fact, we have a few big celebrities doing both Cairo and Dubai.
Which are the new markets that Diff reaches out to this year?
We have segmented audiences in terms of the region and sub-continent; and international. What we are trying to do is create awareness, by and large. We have been able to do so by participating at international film festivals (this year at Cannes), and advertising in trade. We have collaborated with many festivals around the world.
Is the logistics involved similar to Diff 2004?
It could be very similar. We had some 350 people working towards the last three months of the festival on Diff 2004. The core team comprises 10 to 15 people who work round the year; a lot more would come in six months onwards. This year, the theatre venues are Madinat Jumeirah, Mall of the Emirates, Knowledge Village and the DMC Amphitheatre. We have made it more convenient for audiences this year in terms of accessibility. Based on the feedback we received last year, we are asking the filmmakers to increase the screenings to two. We will have on-line ticket sales and shuttle services — on the whole, we are looking at making it more user-friendly.
