The Smovies Short Film Competition 2019 Launches
Regional Climate Change Challenge
Minister of Climate Change and Environment Kicks off Competition
The Smovies Short Film Competition 2019, a strategic collaboration between BrandMoxie and VOX Cinemas, launched a regional film challenge aimed at fighting climate change globally. His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, officially inaugurated the competition.
The Smovies launch event, held at VOX Cinemas in Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi, brought together stakeholders, filmmakers, content strategists, civic groups, the diplomatic corps and the environmental community. The current challenge marks the eighth edition of the competition under the theme ‘A Planet Worth Fighting For’, since the establishment of The Smovies in 2015 by BrandMoxie, a leading marketing company.
Taif Al Amiri, Director of Government Communication at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, said: “The theme of the current edition highlights the imperative need for all human beings to work towards protecting planet earth. Awareness is an integral part of the fight. We are confident that as people realize their responsibility in preserving the environment, they will take more concrete steps in protecting our precious planet. We are proud to collaborate with BrandMoxie and VOX Cinemas in spreading the word about climate change and highlighting the urgency of bold, all-inclusive climate action.”
She added: “It is up to us to reverse the effects of carbonization. Together, we can rise to the challenge and build a better, climate-safe future. Although we can foresee climate change, we are incapable of imagining its gravity and the magnitude of damage it can cause. This is where initiatives like The Smovies can help. They serve to educate people from all walks of life about the adverse impact we have on the environment and how we can reverse this impact.”
Highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in fighting climate change, Al Amiri said: “Only by working together can we develop a prosperous green economy and protect our environment. Under the Paris Agreement, the international community has agreed to confront the climate crisis by keeping the global temperature increases to below two degrees Celsius. I hope you enjoy watching the various entries at this year’s event and take away some worthwhile ideas about combating climate change to make a real difference to planet earth.”
Speaking at the launch of the event, Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi, Chief Sustainability Officer at Majid Al Futtaim stressed his organization’s focus on promoting awareness about the environment and integrating sustainability into its core operations. He said: “We are pleased to be partners of The Smovies and are committed to spreading the word about climate change and building awareness through screening the films by the winners of the competition across our cinemas in the entire region.”
Sana Bagersh, CEO BrandMoxie and the Founder of The Smovies initiative, said: “We are honored to be working with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and of course, our long-term strategic partner VOX Cinemas on this important climate-focused cinematic competition, because it is only through dynamic collaborations such as these that we can collectively achieve impact. The aim of The Smovies is to leverage the power of creative storytelling through film to create positive social impact. We believe that organic film content has a unique grassroots appeal that is real, emotive and authentic – holding greater power than packaged content to touch hearts and influence minds.”
The Smovies competition invites film entries from amateur and professional filmmakers that are no more than 60 seconds long, and tackle the climate change challenge through presenting content focused on educating, inspiring and motivating. The entries can be in multiple languages but should include English subtitles.
The competition is open to people living all over the world, and the deadline for the entries is July 30. Those wishing to participate can register online at www.thesmovies.com.
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About the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) was established in February 2006 as the Ministry of Environment and Water. Under its redefined scope, the ministry has taken on a dual mandate. On the national level, it aims to strengthen the UAE’s efforts in preserving the environment and promoting food diversity in accordance with the nation’s aspiration to emerge as a key benchmark for sustainable development. On the global level, MOCCAE joins international stakeholders in combating climate change and profiles the UAE’s path-breaking achievements in the sector at thought leadership platforms worldwide.
About VOX Cinemas, Majid al Futtaim
VOX Cinemas is the Middle East’s most innovative and customer-focused cinema experience. With 32 cinema complexes totaling 318 screens across the region, including 14 cinemas in the UAE, 11 in Oman, 2 in Egypt, 2 in Bahrain, 1 in Lebanon, and 1 in Qatar, VOX Cinemas is now the Middle East’s largest and most rapidly growing cinema. Tailoring every cinema location to the surrounding market place and customer preferences, VOX Cinemas offers a mix of cinema experiences including two luxury cinema concepts, the first one VOX THEATRE by Rhodes which is a collaboration with Michelin Star Chef OBE Gary Rhodes, and the much loved VOX GOLD luxury cinema experience. VOX Cinemas also has the very first and only IMAX with Laser screen in the Middle East and its own large format VOX MAX big screen cinema, VOX Cinemas holds the Middle East exclusive rights to 4DX, and recently launched VOX KIDS, the very first cinema in the Middle East dedicated to kids having fun.
The Smovies
The Smovies is a short film competition platform that was established in 2015 by BrandMoxie, a leading communication company in the region, to leverage the power of organic and grass-roots video content creation and to use the power of storytelling to empower, inspire and build bridges between communities. BrandMoxie is a 360 degree marketing company that places strong focus on community engagement and delivering social impact through its platforms: the Smovies film competition platform; Tamakkan, a knowledge-sharing initiative that was established in June 2009 that focuses on entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship and innovation; as well as Tempo (www.feelyourtempo.com), established in 2009, which focuses on sharing inspiring stories about innovators, artists and change agents.
For further information contact Sana Bagersh, sana@brandmoxie.com
