The fifth season of The Smovies concluded in November with an exciting awards ceremony at Vox Cinemas in Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. Participants, representatives and judges flooded into the cinema to see the top 15 films of the competition, themed #BornToChallenge. The films were judged by a prestigious jury panel of accomplished filmmakers and film professors, who meticulously critiqued each film on quality and outcome.
The first place spot went to Vasilis Blioumis who captured the hearts of judges with a film on the challenges of a breast cancer patient in his film “Walking with you”. John Haddad’s “As Always” won second place, and Muhammad Sarfaraz Ali’s “The Expected” came third.
Blioumis bagged the top prize which is the opportunity to show his film in VOX Cinema screens across the UAE, plus a Dh 5000 cash reward. Bliomis announced during the event that he would donate the prize to a breast cancer patient.
“The theme was broad enough for the filmmakers to experiment with style, voice and format. We loved the level of enthusiasm and look forward to expanding the competition throughout the region,” said Sana Bagersh, founder of The Smovies and CEO of BrandMoxie. “We are particularly appreciative of our strategic partnership with VOX Cinemas and the incredible support we receive from our jury members and all our partners. It is important to recognize that community platforms such as this can only exist and grow through collaboration and shared vision.”
The filmmakers talked to Tempo about their films, and gave advice to those planning to participate in the next season!
1st Place: Vasilis Blioumis – “Walking With You”
The IDEA: We did a series of interviews for Native House of breast cancer survivors. The stories I heard were truly touching and inspirational to write a story. The title is very relevant to the core of the film. The patient doesn’t want to get out of her room so her husband has to find a way. I had a chat with Ali Al Sayed and Minna Liccione, accomplished actors based in Dubai, and brainstormed some ideas until we came out with the final output: “Walking with You.” I should also mention the terrific job that Sameer Antulay did as Director of Photography bringing to life the mood of the film. It is important to remember that filmmaking is all about teamwork!
The INSPIRATION: Winning is always a nice feeling. I doubt if someone will tell you that he was depressed J . But especially for this little film it was important because we had the chance to support a breast cancer patient by donating our first prize. A little gesture can change the world and filmmaking has the power to deliver a powerful message whether consciously or subconsciously.
About PASSION in Filmmaking: Go out and film. Today, filming is very affordable. It doesn’t matter if it is a video camera or phone. But you must always prepare your story – there is no point to film something that has no story. Filmmaking is about storytelling – if you are serious about it, then take some courses. It will probably open your eyes.
Catch John Haddad’s ‘As Always’ and Muhammad Sarfaraz Ali’s “The Expected” in the next issue of Tempo!
