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Bahraini producer and director Mahmood Al-Shaikh is presenting a masterclass at Hawa Al Manama festival, which will be followed by a film screening.
Manama Light is an eight-day workshop, which runs until January 13, and will focus on various aspects of the craft, including script writing, production, direction and lighting, among others.
A total of 16 Bahraini enthusiasts are attending the sessions, which will culminate with a film screening at the festival. The participants have been divided into two teams and are working together to create two short films guided by learnings from the workshop.
The second edition of Hawa Al Manama, which runs until January 15, is being staged by Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) at Manama Suq and features a wide range of attractions, from cultural and heritage activities to historical exhibitions and experiences.
The masterclass is supported by Saynario – an online space that seeks to showcase the voices of Arab cinema lovers and pop culture enthusiasts.
“The Manama Light workshop is an intensive journey that takes participants from the initial concept to the final screen, focusing on practical aspects such as directing, production, and professional cinematic lighting,” Mahmood told GulfWeekly.
“We are deeply proud of our collaboration with the BTEA to present this workshop, which is supported by Saynario. This strategic partnership enriches the filmmaking industry in Bahrain and contributes significantly to developing national talents,” the entrepreneur, who recently founded Picture House Production as hub for Bahraini creatives, added.
The 39-year-old, who works at the Information Ministry, believes in sharing his knowledge, and is presently working on two feature films, one of which will commence shooting this year.
“This follows my previous work, which includes directing the feature film May Ward (Rose Water) last year and the TV series Dafee Alshowar (Warm Feeling) that was aired in 2023 on OSN,” noted the Sanad resident, who has a Bachelor’s degree in multimedia from Bahrain University.
Sharing his view on regional films, he said: “Arab cinema has achieved remarkable milestones in recent years, producing significant films of high artistic value. A clear testament to this is the presence of four Arab films on the Oscars shortlist recently.”
The Arab films that were shortlisted for the Oscars are: All That’s Left of You (Jordan), Palestine 36 (Palestine), The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia) and The President’s Cake (Iraq).
“As for Bahraini talents, they possess immense passion and a capacity for innovation. Through these workshops, we aim to provide an environment that enables them to bring our local stories to international platforms with a modern cinematic vision,” he added, praising local creatives.
One such artist is 23-year-old Adnan Ahmed, who is pursuing his final year at Bahrain University. The Al Dair resident has assisted on numerous projects in the past as an assistant director, including for BTV and the popular comedy film Sambosa Chapati. However, his passion lies in script writing.
“I have gained some great insights on writing good stories during this masterclass. I think young Bahrainis usually focus on the technical aspects but a good script is equally important,” he noted.
For more information on the sessions and festival, follow @hawa_almanama on Instagram.
