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Awards for GEMS Student Voice given away

Paradoxical Panic won the award for best direction at an Oscars-style grand finale to student voice at the GEMS Wellington Academy, Silicon Oasis, on Sunday.

Fifteen-year-old Afghan national and student of Winchester School, Dubai, Zahra Yaaseen played the lead role in the student short film, Paradoxical Panic.

The Jumeirah College team which won the Best Overall award for their short film Voice. -KT photos by Leslie Pableo

A fantasy/fiction film, Yaaseen’s character decides to sacrifice 100 human souls to bring her friend back from the dead. Completely incepted, directed and edited by six students of GEMS Winchester School, Dubai, the movie was made as part of the annual short film competition, GEMS Student Voice. “We know that the fantasy genre is really popular among people. But we wanted the audiences to take something away from the movie, as well. The basic theme of the movie is about unrealistic demands made by teenagers,” Zahra told Khaleej Times.

The GEMS Winchester School, Dubai team which won the Best Direction award for their film Paradoxical Panic at the GEMS Oscars held at GEMS Wellington Academy Theatre, Silicon Oasis, Dubai, on Sunday.

Paradoxical Panic won the award for best direction at an Oscars-style grand finale to student voice at the GEMS Wellington Academy, Silicon Oasis, on Sunday. “Our script writer has a very creative mind and the experience of working on the movie was something else. We learned so much and we were really hoping that we would win for Direction, because that was our strongest point,” she added.

Student Voice is a concept and project meant to bridge gaps between teenage students and their parents or other adults by capitalising on viewer’s fascination with video and the screen.

The GEMS Modern Academy team which won the Best Screenplay award for their film Connected, School without Wall.

Senior students from five schools: Al Khaleej National School, GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis, Jumeirah College Dubai, Winchester School Dubai, and GEMS Modern Academy were nominated for the awards. Jumeirah College scooped the grand prize for the best overall picture. While the best technical award went to Gems Wellington Academy, Silicon Oasis (including visual effects); GEMS Modern Academy walked away with the award for best Screenplay (including visual effects); Al Khaleej National School with the award for the best Cinematography; and GEMS Winchester, Dubai, with the best Directorial venture award.

The winning entry called ‘Voice,’ came from year 12 students from GEMS Jumeirah College Dubai. Directors, Josh Morrow and Gavin Naylor said: “This was a fantastic experience not just because we were so successful, but because we were recognised by industry professionals, Canon. It was great to be part of a community of like-minded people around our age and stage in life. We wish the best of luck to all the participants in their future film careers.”

TheWellington Academy, Silicon Oasis team which won the Best Technical (Sound and Editing) award for the film Changeling.

The first of its kind in the UAE, the challenge is to produce a five to 10 minute short film, which students approach with perfect local sensitivity and cover topics they are passionate about, such as, culture and generation gap; traditional vs modern, peer pressure and identity struggles; confidence, risk-taking, independence; growing up in UAE; stereotypes, prejudice, third-culture Kids; social media – the power of influence and influencing; and Academic Pressure and The Future.

About 300 students participated in Student Voice this year. All of the short films will be posted on the Facebook pages of the respective schools and Canon ME to be shared with other students and parents.

A panel of industry leaders, including representatives from Canon ME, GEMS Education media and film studies, and BAFTA Winner Allan Nichol, judged the works.

“We are committed to this project because it is a creative and attractive opportunity to nurture understanding between teens and other adults so that students are better supported and more successful in school and their life achievements in general,” said Margaret Atack Group Senior Director GEMS Education. “Experts recommend parents stay informed of what their teenage students are experiencing in order to maintain close relationships in these potentially turbulent years. Student Voice is a strategy for bringing them together.”

Al Khaleej National School team which won the Best Cinematography award for the film Inevitable.

Anurag Agrawal, Managing Director at Canon Middle East, said, “We believe that it is essential for businesses across the region to work together to create an environment that nurtures the talent of our future generations. The ‘Student Voice Short Film Competition’ is an ideal fit to Canon’s Kyosei philosophy of living and working together for the common good, by inspiring people to create and innovate.”

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com