16/05/2025
Today, numerous film festivals around the globe eagerly await filmmakers to submit their entries, often requiring fees and promising the chance to win awards online. The Emirates Film Festival (EFF), founded by Ron Awa in 2013, was established in Dubai to provide a platform for aspiring filmmakers both in Dubai and beyond. These filmmakers dream of becoming accomplished storytellers, bringing their narratives to life using borrowed actors, enhanced audio, soundtracks, and meticulous editing to create their final cuts. They aspire to submit their films to local and international festivals, and when their masterpieces are selected and nominated for various awards, it becomes a glorious moment. Regardless of winning or losing, they feel a thrill simply at the recognition their films receive.
For over a decade, EFF has created opportunities for emerging and promising filmmakers to shine, showcasing their works and receiving remarkable feedback. While some of these filmmakers continue to produce short and feature films, others have stepped back, discovering new forms of entertainment. Many have been attracted to the lucrative opportunities offered by social media, venturing into diverse communities that seek alternative engagement accessible via smartphones anytime and anywhere. This hype surrounding social media interaction has led some filmmakers to overlook the fundamentals of storytelling, such as having a clear beginning, middle, and end. Instead, they often leap directly into arguments and conclude with trendy pauses to maintain viewers' interest for the following video, which will likely be shared the following day.
Unfortunately, the film content that fills social media often lacks the essential elements to portray characters and tell unique stories, resulting in stagnated development. The allure of easy, feel-good content has drawn many away from independent films, as their preferences increasingly shift toward material that simplifies their lives and adds a sense of joy.
This year, Ron Awa is excited to host a local Iriga Film Festival, explicitly aimed at Filipino filmmakers to showcase their films. We must continue to support emerging filmmakers and actors, helping them to realise their potential in the ever-evolving landscape of storytelling.
