Dubai International Film Festival: Key Takeaways

Apre preske diznev e nan avyon, I'm back from the Dubai International Film Festival where I accompanied a group of 15 South African filmmakers who were there seeking to get a better understanding of the region. There are some key takeaways from my trip which I've outlined below.

(1) The festival and market are heavily regional focused. Sa vle di li difisil pou peyi ki pa nan Middle East ou byen ki pa Arab penetre marche sa. Preske tout moun nan United Arab Emirates (UAE) pale Angle but few speak French. With the majority of Haitian films being in either English, Creole or French, it is nearly impossible to sell to that market, unless your film has subtitles. The problem is that subtitles tend to limit your reach. Some movie enthusiasts prefer not having to read subtitles while watching a film. So it's not impossible, it's just a little more difficult. Many market attendees were from the Arab world with filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon etc. It's important to note that these filmmakers tackle some of the same issues as us, including how to make films that will satisfy their audience and still sell overseas. During my stay, I noticed many American films on television. 'Green Hornet' and "Analyze This' aired repeatedly. But there were also ads for 'Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins', a comedy starring Martin Lawrence. There were ads for Denzel Washington's 'Antwone Fisher.' Also, keep in mind that the region tends to be socially conservative.

Opening night at the 2014 Dubai International Film Festival.

2.Nevertheless, they are open to new content, primarily because they have a diverse population. Mwen te sezi le mwen we jan gen packet moun diferan ki ap viv Dubai. It's much more diverse than I expected. The UAE is home to people from numerous countries including Indians, Pakistanis, Nigerians and Camerounians.There is small community of Haitians living there as well.Keep in mind that i am speaking only of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, two of the 7 cities in the UAE. They are the most eclectic and liberal cities in the UAE.

3. If you have a project/script which you think would be well suited for the region, it's not too difficult to find private equity in the UAE. Wealthy private investors are willing to back those projects that would do well in the region and in other countries.

4. I had the distinct honor of meeting Hrn Chief Zwelivelile Mandla Mandela, grandson of the late Nelson Mandela. We discussed how Haiti and South Africa can work together, especially when it comes to filmmaking. Li di mwen li pare pou fe tout sa li kapab pou ke genyen yon koperasyon ant Haiti ak Afrik di Sid. Li di nenpot ki propozisyon mwen genyen sou sa, fe li konnen epi nou ka pale. While I would love to see a co-production agreement between Haiti and South Africa, those agreements generally are mutually beneficial and typically there are government funds available to the filmmakers. Gouvenman Ayiti pa mete kob nan prodiksyon fim, kidonk pa ka genyen Ako Co-Prodiksyon ak okenn lot peyi. We're not unique in that regard, the U.S. does not have offer government funds for filmmaking either, so it does not have co-production agreements with any countries. This does not mean that individual filmmakers can't work together, just that government sanctioned co-productions that come with funds, rebates and incentives do not exist. I have a few more ideas to iron out and I will reach out to Haitian filmmakers (PLEASE, PLEASE feel free to reach out to me too!!!) as ideas become more concrete.

Hrn Chief Zwelivelile Mandla Mandela, grandson of the late Nelson Mandela