Tempo competition changes winner’s life
The year 2011 was all about the 40th celebration of the UAE’s union. There were parades, bazaars, exhibits, fireworks and so much more! Tempo decided to join the celebrations by collaborating with the New York Film Academy (NYFA) in Abu Dhabi to organize the ‘I Love UAE’ video competition. Participants had to send in a 2-minute video about the UAE which was judged by audience votes and an expert panel decision.
Alina Mustafina scooped top honours with her entry ‘Many Hearts – One Love’ and won herself a 12-week intensive film making course at NYFA. “At the ceremony my friends and I were really nervous. I was sweating and shaking and when the envelope was finally opened and I heard my name, I couldn’t believe it! I was so happy and kept shaking hands with all the jury members. And I thought, I’m going to study at one of the best film academies in the world!” recalled Alina.
Driving up and down from Dubai for the course was not easy but Alina was determined to make the most of the opportunity. “We started with theory classes and within a month we were making our own films! We were divided in to two groups of five people and each person had to make a two minute film, and all this had to be done in just two days. I quickly learned that filmmaking is a team effort as we all had to do everything for each other all the time. It was tiring and stressful but we had to find a way to deal with it because that’s how filmmaking is. The most difficult part was being the director because now I had a team who was waiting for my command!”
Alina recently contacted Tempo and told us about how her life has transformed since graduating from the course. “Before the contest, I planned to do my Masters in marketing and public relations but winning was a sign. It was a sign that I was meant to be a filmmaker! I enjoyed making the video for the competition so much that I knew I had to give up my boring plans and study filmmaking. The competition helped me face my fears and make my dreams come true. It helped my husband live out his dreams too. He had always wanted to be a pilot, so we both moved to Spain for him to study to become a pilot and for me to do my Masters in film making!”
“I would like to thank the ‘I Love UAE’ video competition team for changing my life in a positive and creative direction. With you and the education I received at NYFA, I realized that we should all follow our dreams no matter what people say or what you are afraid of. I believe that we should just give it our all, otherwise we will always regret it.”
See Alina’s winning entry ‘Many Hearts – One Love’ at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s26uferP4dU&feature=related
By Sharon Carvalho
