Latest news with #ParamountHotels
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Hollywood Meets Dubai: ‘We Create Drama' film festival returns at Paramount Hotels
Following the success of the past three We Create Drama Film Festival seasons, the curtain rises once again on 'We Create Drama, the highly anticipated film festival hosted by Paramount Hotels. This global platform has become a premier stage for emerging filmmakers and daring storytellers to showcase their craft and shape the future of cinema. This year, 'We Create Drama' returns bolder and more dramatic than ever before. Paramount Hotel Midtown will be a part of the competition this year, marking its first participation since the Film Festival's inception in 2022. Paramount Hotel Dubai and Paramount Hotel Midtown will evolve from just luxurious destinations into dynamic canvases and vibrant hubs for creativity. These iconic lifestyle destinations will transform into sanctuaries for dreamers, innovators and storytellers—places where visions are realized and dreams take flight. In this cinematic haven, emerging filmmakers will compete to craft the next award-winning short film, stepping boldly into the legacy of Paramount Pictures and the legendary films that have defined the industry. At the heart of Paramount Hotels lies a brand vision 'For the Creative, By the Creative' a narrative that celebrates the limitless potential of storytelling. This vision fuels every project, collaboration and experience within the hotels, making them more than just places to stay. As Season 4 unfolds, the stakes are higher than ever. The festival promises to be a thrilling showcase of undiscovered talent, with emerging filmmakers pushing the boundaries of creativity. In an exciting move to broaden the festival's reach, submissions will now be accepted via Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok, opening the door to a new generation of storytellers from around the world. 'We Create Drama' is a collaborative partnership between Paramount Hotels and renowned industry leaders who share the same passion for storytelling. Paramount Hotels, in collaboration with Nicolas Naim, founder of Scripted Events, the visionary behind the We Create Drama Film Festival, joins forces with Westford University, Nikon Middle East FZE, Grand Stores, and Aputure to provide aspiring filmmakers with everything they need to bring their stories to life. Together, they are ensuring that this year's festival is a true celebration of innovation, craftsmanship, and cinematic excellence. Submission and production guidelines: Filmmakers are invited to submit scripts that ignite drama, break creative boundaries and embody the power of storytelling. Each submission must be 3 to 10 minutes long, accompanied by a log line, synopsis and adhere to professional industry standards. What sets this season apart is the unique challenge: every film must be shot entirely within the stunning confines of Paramount Hotel Dubai or Paramount Hotel Midtown, within a single 24-hour filming window. The pressure is on but so is the opportunity to create something truly unforgettable. Selection and production: A distinguished panel of judges, featuring industry experts and acclaimed filmmakers will meticulously review the entries and selected to 12 scripts. Shortlisted filmmakers will embark on an exhilarating production journey in May, armed with professional filmmaking equipment provided by our festival partners – Nikon Middle East FZE, Aputure Middle East and Grand Stores. The shooting window runs from May 12 to May 29, with each team getting a 24-hour slot at selected hotel locations. The grand finale: This year, We Create Drama Film Festival will take a more elevated twist, offering a week-long opportunity to screen short films at Paramount Hotel Dubai and Paramount Hotel Midtown, giving filmmakers a unique chance to share their work with a wider audience. In addition to the screenings, the festival will host a series of film-making workshops led by industry experts. These workshops will cover everything from scriptwriting and filming techniques to innovative storytelling approaches, all taking place throughout the first week of June, leading up to the Grand Finale. This dynamic program will provide aspiring filmmakers with valuable skills and insights to help them hone their craft and push creative boundaries. Prestigious awards up for grabs include: • Film of the Year • Director of the Year • Actor & Actress of the Year • Writer of the Year • DOP of the Year Winners will walk away with exciting prizes, including high-end filmmaking gear and luxury hotel experiences, ensuring they continue their cinematic journey with the finest tools at their disposal. New this year: the short film corner: In addition to the main competition, this year introduces the Short Film Corner a showcase of selected short films that will screen leading up to the grand finale. • Selected films will be screened at Paramount Hotels throughout the festival. • The Short Film Corner will feature talks from directors, industry panels and networking opportunities. • Filmmakers can submit their short films via email to Marketing@ with the subject line: Short Film Submission – We Create Drama 2025. Filmmakers keen to make their mark in the industry can submit their scripts via Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok using the official festival hashtags, or email their submissions to Marketing@ Each team can have a maximum of five members officially recognised. 'Paramount Hotels is a place where creativity thrives, making it the perfect stage for storytelling. Season 4 of 'We Create Drama' promises to be our most exciting yet, showcasing the vision and talent of emerging filmmakers. We look forward to witnessing the compelling stories that will come to life this year,' said Nicholas Chalmers, General Manager at Paramount Hotel Dubai. 'This year, we are elevating the festival experience, expanding creative possibilities and accessibility for filmmakers. We Create Drama is not just a competition—it's a guide for emerging talent and we're proud to be the stage where their stories come to life,' said Pascal Eggerstedt, General Manager of Paramount Hotel Midtown.
Trade Arabia
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Trade Arabia
We Create Drama Film Festival returns for season 4
The We Create Drama Film Festival, hosted by Paramount Hotels, returns with a bolder and more dramatic twist this year. Paramount Hotel Midtown will be part of the competition, marking its first participation since the festival's inception in 2022. The lifestyle destinations of Dubai and Midtown will transform into hubs for creativity, where emerging filmmakers compete to craft the next award-winning short film. The festival is a collaborative partnership between Paramount Hotels, Scripted Events founder Nicolas Naim, Westford University, Nikon Middle East FZE, Grand Stores, and Aputure to provide aspiring filmmakers with everything they need to bring their stories to life. The Grand Finale will feature a week-long screening of short films at the hotels, along with workshops led by industry experts.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Artificial judgements
Hariprasath Rajan, 28, is a Dubai-based filmmaker who participated at the yearly 'We Create Drama' challenge that Paramount Hotels organises for filmmakers in the city. Paramount selects short film scripts through a submission process and the selected scripts become films that are shot at a Paramount hotel within 24 hours. Rajan's debut short film, Vision, went on to be among the top three films last year. It has been screened at the Paramount Film Festival, which screens the best films that emerge from the challenge. Vision unfolds over a gripping arc — and within its short running time (10 minutes and 40 seconds), the filmmaker-writer's grasp over filmmaking craft is obvious — in the way he builds up momentum for a climactic twist within the four walls of a swank hotel. The film has terrific production value and the cinematography by Umesh Chandra Javagi is an additional propeller to the overall bite of the narrative. A Chennai-born filmmaker who was more attuned to Hollywood time travel films after watching Robert Zemeckis' classic Back to the Future (1985) than Tamil cinema. His cinephile father introduced him to VHS tapes of all the Hollywood films the father-son duo could get their hands on from a video lending library in Chennai. 'I knew from then that I was only interested in learning filmmaking. Thankfully, unlike many Tamil parents when we were growing up, my parents never forced me to be an engineer. They were ok with me pursuing filmmaking,' Rajan says. Having worked in Chennai as a junior artiste and producing and directing education videos for YouTube, he left for Dubai for a job in graphic design in 2021. 'I discovered a small but vibrant community of actors, screenwriters and directors in Dubai. I would work at my office, and while on my one-hour commute to and fro between office and home, I would write my scripts.' The cast in vision is entirely from the community of expat actors living and working in Dubai. The titular 'vision' is a time travel experience that a butler at a luxury Hotel (Tea Zwarych) acts upon, unleashing a chain of events that requires intervention by an expert. A family checks in to a hotel room that the butler is taking care of — squeaking every corner clean, ensuring there is no threat or discomfort for the guests and observing the guests to know what they want or need. Out of a moral imperative, the butler takes a decision that puts the reputation of the hotel and the lives of the guests in jeopardy. A scientist (Keith Allison) intervenes to save the unforeseen trouble, but whether he succeeds or not depends on factors that are also out of his control. Rajan's film couldn't have come at a more apt time. What makes a super-efficient butler go rogue? Can artificially created workers develop moral prisms or emotions or intuition? And what happens if they go beyond what their creator imagined and programmed for them? Vision throws up questions about AI-human collaboration that are not only relevant to the age, but also to our trepidations about the limits of AI. 'It has become quite obvious by now that AI is crucial to the way creativity, judgement, ethics and morality will look like. If AI can't be controlled by human intelligence, how far can it go? It's a question I have thought about a lot,' Rajan said. The filmmaker had to dumb down the theme of the film to suit the Paramount challenge. 'The original script had a lot of bloodshed. I am now developing the story as a feature film script, where an AI sniper replaces the hotel butler, and how the main dilemma that the sniper is faced with, amid a lot of violence and gore, will change the lives of human beings and nations around him,' he added. ------------------------------- Short Stream is a monthly curated section, in which we present an Indian short film that hasn't been seen before or not widely seen before but are making the right buzz in the film industry and film festival circles. We stream the film for a month on HT Premium, the subscription-only section in Sanjukta Sharma is a Mumbai-based writer and film critic. Write to her at
Khaleej Times
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
An art exhibition for the creative, by the creative
In the heart of Dubai's thriving cultural landscape, art has been on a transformative journey, an energy that pulses through the city igniting passion and creativity. This year, Paramount Hotels is scripting an entirely new experience in collaboration with Artventurous, marking their sequel to last year's successful exhibition with another week-long art showcase, an episode designed 'For the Creative, By the Creative'. The art exhibition at Paramount Hotel Dubai in 2024 opened doors to various local and global artists, spearheaded by Spanish art curator and sculptor Will Yaya, founder of Artventurous Magazine, the exhibition highlighted the diverse spectrum of artistic talent and creativity. Esteemed figures in the local and international art scene such as Jivan Hovhannisian, José Luis Ramirez, Angelica Lenzen, Shahi Dayekh, Giuseppe Gianotti, Pinar Tuba Bicmen, Osama Elolemi, Rafah Abdulrazzak, Gesere, Rita Madeleine Loewenthal, Sandeep Soni and Christine El Ojeil were recognised for their contributions, underscoring Paramount Hotel Dubai's commitment to fostering and promoting artistic excellence on a global scale. This year, the exhibition will take place from 12 to 19 April, ahead of Art Dubai 2025. The opening night on 12 April 2025 will be held in Paramount Hotel Dubai's iconic Screening Room, where artists and guests alike will gather, their conversations punctuated by the soft clinking of glasses and the hushed anticipation of what lies ahead. The evening will also mark the launch of the Spring Issue #41 of Artventurous Magazine, a tribute to the artists who shape the world with their hands, hearts and unrelenting vision. This partnership brings together some of the world's most captivating artists, promising to elevate luxury, creativity and cinematic storytelling. The exhibition will celebrate both local and global art communities, culminating in the grand finale of Art Dubai. The synergy between these two artistic movements is undeniable, each amplifying the other and cementing Dubai's status as a global hub for culture and creativity. Throughout the week, Paramount Hotels will host some of the most exciting artistic voices of today, many of whom will be exhibiting at both Art Dubai 2025 and the Artventurous Art Exhibition at Paramount Hotels. A distinguished panel of art professionals will curate and judge this year's exhibition, ensuring that every piece reflects a deep artistic vision. The jury includes: • Fatma Abdullah – Art Curator & World Art Dubai Organiser • Ahmad Al Awadhi Rukni – Businessman & Art Celebrity • Professor Ahmed Elserafi – Art Collector, Gallery Owner & Advisory Board Member at Sharjah University, UAE • Seth Benzel – Painter, Curator & Gallery Owner • Alex Rios – Writer, Director & Cinematographer The exhibition will feature an extraordinary selection of artists from around the world, including: • Jivan Hovhannisian (Armenia/UAE) – Mastery of Spatula Award winner • José Luis Ramirez (Mexico) – Creativity Without Limits Award recipient • Shahi Dayekh (Lebanon) – Deeper Understanding of the World Award recipient • Angelica Lenzen (Germany) – Photography visionary • Pinar Tuba Bicmen (Turkey) – Emerging contemporary artist • Eman Abdellatif (Egypt) – Notable abstract painter Female artists have played a key role in shaping this movement. Pinar Tuba Bicmen from Turkey, Angelica Lenzen from Germany (awarded the Connecting the World of Light Award for her innovative photography) and Shahi Dayekh from Lebanon (honoured with the Deeper Understanding of the World Award for her poignant storytelling) have all contributed greatly to the cultural dialogue within Artventurous. Their works, alongside many others, have elevated the movement beyond an exhibition, transforming it into a vital space for cultural exchange and artistic dialogue. Nicholas Chalmers, General Manager of Paramount Hotel Dubai, commented: 'Our collaboration with Artventurous represents more than just an exhibition. It is an embodiment of the Paramount Pictures legacy, reimagined for a new generation of creators. We are deeply committed to continuing Paramount Pictures' rich history of cinematic storytelling through art. This exhibition is a powerful testament to how the worlds of art and cinema can coexist, inspiring fresh ideas and conversations within our community.' Pascal Eggerstedt, General Manager of Paramount Hotel Midtown, reinforces the brand's commitment: 'At Paramount Hotels, we are more than just a hospitality brand. We are a platform for creativity, innovation and artistic expression. 'For the Creative, By the Creative' is our brand vision, the core of everything we do. This collaboration with Artventurous allows us to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible in hospitality, filmmaking and art, ensuring that we stay at the forefront of creative excellence. It will inspire deeper connections between artists and guests, inviting everyone to engage, explore and be inspired.' Paramount Hotels embody a vision of innovation and artistic integrity, where luxury hospitality meets the magic of cinema. Paramount Pictures has long been synonymous with entertainment and storytelling and the brand represents the future of luxury hospitality, blending creativity, design and cinematic excellence. The ambience, soundtracks and even the check-in experience immerse guests in cinematic magic. As a member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world's largest collection of independent hotel brands, Paramount Hotels is part of a network that spans 45 unique brands and more than 850 hotels across 100+ countries, bringing together a world of luxury and exclusivity for over 30 million members. Paramount Hotels adds a distinct, creative touch to this prestigious alliance, offering more than just luxury stays, but opening doors to extraordinary, artistic experiences that blend cinema, culture and creativity. GHA members are invited to explore a universe where luxury and imagination collide, making every stay not just memorable but truly transformative. Dean Rossilli, Senior Vice President of DAMAC Hospitality, comments: 'It's incredibly rewarding to see our collaboration with Artventurous grow year on year, now extending beyond the walls of our iconic hotels. What began as a fusion of art and hospitality has evolved into a dynamic platform supporting both emerging and globally recognised talent. We are honoured to connect artists with Dubai's thriving art scene, fueling a creative community that continues to inspire and innovate. This is just the beginning, and we're excited for the continued impact of these initiatives in shaping the future of creativity.'
