New world of Showbiz

Aspiring actors, scriptwriters, film-makers, directors and cameramen can look forward to getting trained at a newly-opened film training institute in Bahrain.

GulfWeekly met up with founders Hejris Al Shirawi and Amour Elliott-Setter who were busy getting the centre ‘Showbiz Film Training Institute’ at the Bahrain Business Incubation Centre in Hidd ready for their first batch of students from the beginning of August.
Amour comes from South Africa where she has a film academy running for the past two years. A film-maker by profession she has produced several television commercials, music videos and journalistic documentaries.
Currently she is putting on the finishing touches to a documentary on Dullstroom, the flying fish capital of South Africa. She is also the South Africa and Middle East representative of an international documentary film called Terror 360.
A former stage actor in South Africa, she said: “Bright lights and a creative eye for film” lured her into film-making.
In her opinion a good film-maker has to have well rounded talents.
“He should know how to operate a camera, has to have a good eye for compositions and necessary technical understanding of the media.
“Knowledge of editing or
splicing a film together and a good ear for music and sound production are also necessary attributes. A producer or director also needs good organisational skills,” she said.
Amour and her business partner Hejris Al’Shirawi spotted a potential for setting up a film school in Bahrain early this year.
Hejris, an event organiser and founder of the first Henna salon in Bahrain, said: “Amour and I share the same vision and wavelength. We are here with a 10-year plan. We hope in due course to fill the gap of available local talent required to put a professional film production unit together.”
The film academy will be run by six faculty members.
Other than Amour, a number of them will be experts from Amour’s academy in South Africa. The academy will hold specialist courses in film-making over and above the general introduction and film-making courses.
They include courses in acting, modelling, scriptwriting, production management and co-ordination.
There are also specific courses for people aspiring to become producers, directors and assistant directors.
At the end of the film-making course students are expected to film a student project which will be screened at a graduation/student Oscar evening in November where Hollywood actor Arnold Vosloo, who acted as ‘Mummy’ in the Hollywood blockbuster is expected to attend.
The best of the films will also be sent for international film festivals.
More on the academy and courses offered can be found on www.tef.co.za

By Anasuya Kesavan
anasuyak7@gmail.com