Actress Cate Blanchett and Gulf filmmakers at the DIFF 2012 IWC Schaffhausen Filmmaker Award. International stars Cate Blanchett, Kevin Spacey and Bryan Ferry grace the IWC Gulf Filmmaker red carpet. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv
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00:00I read the last selected four scripts. They're very interesting, very different from one
00:14from another. There are many criteria, obviously. It's a story, it's the writing, the originality,
00:23basically all criteria which makes a movie of quality. And I think with the committee
00:32which was together this afternoon, I hope we made the right choice.
00:37It's great, it's wonderful, and it gives you hope. It's so hard to raise the funding for
00:42films from this region, and for films, you know, fiction, feature films. And I'm mostly
00:50a documentary filmmaker, so this is my first fiction-feature film, although I'm an editor.
00:56So, you know, there's lots of difficulties, so actually to be at least in the running
01:01for this award is fantastic, because it would really kick off the production funding for
01:05this award. So, I don't think, you know, it's great. I mean, whether I win or not, it's
01:10great. It's not this far.
01:12I've been working very hard on this script. It's been two years I've been working on this,
01:17to see it, to give it away. It's like a baby of mine, almost, to give it away and see people
01:20reading it, and to remember reading it, and then give me feedback on it. That's also surreal.
01:25So, in either case, I'm really happy to be part of this, and to be shortlisted. It gives
01:30us credibility. I have so much gratitude for the Weidman Festival. Wherever I reach around
01:36the world today, or in the future, it's going to be from here, because this was my starting
01:41point. So, I'm quite glad to be back to the festival and to see what's going on.
01:46I think, like, everyone is already a winner. So, whatever the result is, like, it's winning
01:51for all the Gulf region. All the filmmakers are really good filmmakers, and they deserve
01:56all the success. We hope that all these filmmakers come to heaven, because in the Gulf region,
02:01we need more of feature films. So, this award will give more hope for more films to come
02:08from the region. So, whoever will win, it's a win-win for everyone.
02:12We started out with a very lack of understanding of film in this part of the world, and now
02:16we're seeing that there are film grants popping out all over the place. It makes us realize
02:20that there is support, and with the support, we're able to, you know, make our projects
02:24come to life.
02:25It's a privilege. I mean, to head up the judging panel for the emerging filmmakers, and to
02:33have a prize associated with the festival, I think is great. So, it's not just about
02:37the films that have been made, that are being judged. It's also about the next voices,
02:42the emerging voices. I think there's a real, well, it's, you know, obviously, I mean, I'm
02:46from Australia, too, which is a relatively small film culture, but I think there's so
02:52many voices here at the festival, and it's perfect that they're, from my, you know, outsider's
02:56perspective, that it's here in Dubai, you know, gathering together so many different
03:00cultures who are actually so diverse. I think there's so many ways that films are being
03:04made. I mean, so few people are actually shooting on film anymore. I don't even know
03:07why we're calling them films anymore, but it's a constantly evolving medium, and that's
03:13what makes it exciting and dynamic.
03:15Can you wave at us, please? Can you wave at us?
03:19On your right.
03:23That's incredible.
03:27Mr. Spacey, please.
03:29On here, please.
03:33Mr. Spacey, just in front of you.
03:36Ah, okay.