What does it take to make a film in 48 Hours? In Dubai? With only a genre, a character and a line of dialogue? What happens when you send teams of film crews into the city for two nights and one day, and tell them to make a movie out of it? We are doing it, this month. And we are letting you be a part of it.
The 48 Hour Film Project comes to Dubai on the weekend of November 10th. Filmmakers from all over the United Arab Emirates will compete to see who can make the best short film in only 48 hours. The winning film will go up against films from around the world.
On November 17th, we open the doors at Shelter Dubai and roll down the white screen to host the premier screening of the Dubai project. A week later, we invite you back to Shelter for an Awards Screening, where we will bid bon voyage to the winning films as they begin their global journey.
Munir Fasheh on Knowledge, Institutions, and Communities
This Open Diversity meet-up will revolve around Munir Fasheh’s key questions raised in a talk he delivered at TEDxRamallah last April: Where do we acquire our knowledge? What is our role in our community? What is the role of institutions in promoting social and community knowledge?
Munir Fasheh, a Palestinian educator, tackles community education through the nurturing of “learning environments”, building on what is beautiful, inspiring, healthy, and abundant in people, communities, and cultures, and making sense of one’s experiences.
Munir’s pre-recorded talk will be followed by brainstorming and dialog around the intersection of knowledge, institutions and community.
This event will be facilitated by Joumana al Jabri, co-organizer of TEDxRamallah. This event is free. Bring friends and feel free to share details via Twitter and Facebook. All are welcome.
What does it mean to be “Made in the UAE?” What does it take to stitch that logo into your clothes, stamp it on your product, and claim it on your business report?
The Emirates are booming with business, but when it comes to local brands, the fight is on. How do local clothing stores, magazines, airlines and investors compete with their global counterparts?
Promise of a Generation is teaming up with Shelter Dubai to raise these questions, and hopefully answer them, during a Panel Discussion this Thursday, November 3rd, at Shelter. Join with HH Sheikha Hend Al Qassemi of Velvet Magazine, Thatcher Brown of Jumeirah, Olivier Auroy of BQ, the women behind BoumApp and Effa Al Dabbagh of EFFA Abayas for an evening of conversation about what it is to be Made in the UAE.
What does it mean to make a film in just 48 hours? What happens when you send a team into a city with one mission: to make a film, given a character, a genre and one line of dialogue?
The 48 Hour Film Project is coming to Dubai, and before we set you lose on the city with nothing but a camera, your friends, and a crazy challenge, we invite you to check out what the film project is all about.
Join us, Saturday, October 22nd at 6pm at Shelter Dubai for a pre-screening event. Watch films from across the world, all made in just 48 hours.
The first Open Diversity of the season brings together both our Learning and Innovation group as well as our Social Entrepreneurship group for discussion and activities centered around “open culture and sharing”.
Whether you are interested in open source software development, open education resources, peer production, open product development, applying “open ethos” to your workplace and projects, or just learning what “open” means, all are welcome to join in the discussion.
We will also use this meet-up to discuss the future of Open Diversity – new developments, community participation, volunteer opportunities, additional groups, and more. For further information about the event, contact Mahmoud Abu-Wardeh (Baraka, mahmoud@baraka.ae) or Anna Batchelder (Bon Education, anna@boneducation.com).
In September, Shelter Dubai hosted a panel discussion with regional experts in online business in the Middle East. What follows is a report on the conversation that unfolded:
Why online? Why Now?
To kick off the panel discussion, event moderator Danish Farhan, CEO and founder of Xische, questioned the panelist about the current boom in online business in the Middle East.
Michael Mansour, Group Director of Development and Platform Technologies for Microsoft in the Middle East, attributed the rise in Internet use among UAE residents to “the increase availability of internet-enabled phones, giving large swaths of the population access to the Internet by default,” Mansour said.
Akram Assaf, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Bayt.com, encouraged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the groundwork that has already been laid by web pioneers. “The pipes have been built. Start thinking about what can be put through those pipes, and how it can be monetized.” Assaf said.
Hot Topic: Social Media
As the discussion turned to social media and marketing, the panelists began to reveal some of the challenges and opportunities presented by the breakthrough technology.
“In two years, our advertising budget changed from being 90% spent on print advertising to 90% spent on digital ads,” said Narain Jashanmal, CEO of Voila Dubai.
Omar Kassim, Founder of JadoPado was quick to point out that social media is a requisite, not an option. “Every business is online,” Kassim said, “because someone [online] is talking about you.”
Hurdles Ahead
One challenge left unresolved by the discussion was consumer confidence in buying online. Customers in the Middle East are wary of online credit card transactions. The technology has not reached the level of ease and security as in Western markets and instances of fraud are not uncommon.
Further complicating the online purchasing process is the decidedly unclear postal system in the region. Lacking standardized street addresses, customers are asked to give their location using physical landmarks and neighborhood or building names.
Mr. Kassim shared a story of one customer who listed his location as simply “Al Barsha.” (Al Barsha is a sprawling neighborhood, encompassing apartment towers, villas, schools and the Mall of the Emirates).
To read the full report, including an overview of online business trends in the region, click here: The Case for Digital Start-Ups.
-Mary
mary@shelter.ae
Warehouse 30, Al Serkal, Al Qouz
Phone: +04-380-9040
Fax: +04-380-9041
Mobile: +971-55-653-2084
On the evening of the 27th of October, Shelter Dubai will offer a series of Master Classes for up-and-coming designers and independent retailers. The event will be a source of instruction and inspiration for designers and retailers in the early stages of development and production. The Master Class format means that select designers will have the opportunity to have their products reviewed and constructively critiqued by an industry expert in front of an audience of fellow designers and retailers.
Dubai is a global hotbed for fashion and retail. It is also home to a growing number of independent designers and retailers who are looking to break into a market that is eager for diversity. The Independent Fashion and Retail Master Class Series is an evening where like-minded designers and industry professionals can come together to share expertise and advice aimed at growing the independent fashion and retail “scene” in our region.
Designers, industry followers, fashionistas and the community are all welcome to attend this free event.
Independent Fashion and Retail Master Class Series Shelter Dubai October 27th 7pm – 9pm Networking Before and After
- Mary mary@shelter.ae
Warehouse 30, Al Serkal, Al Qouz
Phone: +04-380-9040
Fax: +04-380-9041
Mobile: +971-55-653-2084
Shelter Dubai is partnering with StartUp Weekend to offer an evening of free pitching practice and networking for local start-ups. Intel Capital and Innovation 360 will be on deck to offer advice on how to market your small business to investors. The event will be part panel discussion with local investors and start-up gurus, part networking and part practice at pitching your business. We welcome all potential attendees of StartUp Weekend Dubai to visit Shelter on Thursday night to get some high-quality, person-to-person insight and training on launching your idea.
Pitchers report October 6th at 7pm to Shelter Dubai.
Shelter is hosting a panel discussion on “Online Business in the Middle East.” It is happening on September 29th. The event starts at 7pm. Okay. What does this mean to you?
Online business occupies a remarkably small segment of the market in the Middle East. Only 5% of business in the region conduct business transactions online. But things are changing, and they are changing fast. This year, GoNabIt, which was born in Shelter Dubai, was bought out by mega-company Living Social. Online start-ups are experiencing rapid growth as they enter into a market that is wide open to innovation and opportunity.
Entrepreneurs across the region are looking at how to break in to the online business market. By hosting a panel discussion with local entrepreneurs-turned-heavyweights, Shelter is providing a forum for start-ups, small businesses and idea-guys to gain entry into the burgeoning virtual economy in the Middle East.
The panel discussion on Thursday the 29th is an opportunity to hear what Dan Stuart of GoNabIt, Nahrain Jashanmal of Voila Dubai, Omar Kassim of JadoPado, Mike Mansour of Microsoft and Rabea Ataya of Bayt.com have to say about the challenges and opportunities for developing an online business in the Middle East. The discussion will be moderated by Danish Farhan.
Anyone with an interest in the local business market will learn from and enjoy the event. To RSVP on Facebook click here.
Shelter Dubai is a space for young entrepreneurs to connect and grow their businesses, whatever they may be. As an incubator, we seek to offer a series of informative events with an entrepreneurial focus. We are offering two events in September: a GeekFest dedicated to female entrepreneurs and a Panel Discussion with the heads of major online businesses in the region.
And now we are asking: what do you want? Fill out the form below to share your ideas for events at Shelter.
