AFLAM is an organisation showing local cinema gratis every month in the city. Now, they need funding to keep the club alive
With so many massive Hollywood blockbusters hitting our movie screens every summer, it’s easy to forget that plenty of good cinema is actually made in the Middle East. One group that has been bringing Arabic movies to the region for the past year and a half is AFLAM, who show a film for free monthly at VOX Cinema in Marina Mall. The film’s director is flown in and the audience is given a chance before and after the screening to network and chat with fellow film buffs.
But AFLAM has hit a bit of a snag. Because moviegoers don’t have to pay for their tickets, the club’s future is in doubt, unless new sponsorship deals can be found.
‘We definitely need sponsors, I don’t want to be in a situation where the club shuts down because it’s at its peak; membership has quadrupled in the past eight months,’ says the club’s founder, Emirati movie producer Nayla Al Khaja. ‘Right now I’d like the club to stay afloat.’
Nayla started AFLAM back in January 2012, after running a successful similar club in Dubai. ‘I was personally tired of going to the cinema and seeing the same selection of films. So where do you go and watch independent films? I knew there was a gap in the market,’ says Nayla, who has been in the movie industry for ten years.
‘In 2007 I started a film club in Dubai, it was very successful and always did well. We had 630 people want to attend the last one. The whole point was to get independent movies from the region and we flew in the directors.’
AFLAM is different to the one she ran in our neighbouring emirate, though, because of the kind of films that are shown. ‘In Abu Dhabi we focus on the best of Arab cinema from all over the world; even from
Arabic directors based in places like Sweden. It’s the films that get shown at festivals but don’t get distributed in the UAE, she adds. ‘I’d say 50 percent of our audience are expat and we show everything from Moroccan film to Libyan film. They’re not your typical mainstream films but they’re not too arthouse. They’re entertaining and provocative and create a dialogue afterwards.’
The format for an evening out with AFLAM is simple. It all kicks off at 7pm, with the chance for members to network and meet the director until 8pm. Then a short film is shown, usually one made by twofour54’s creative lab or a Tropfest festival entry, before the main film is shown. Previous films include Egyptian flick Cairo Exit and Emirati movie Sea Shadow. Afterwards the movie’s director, who’s been flown in especially for the event, gets on stage and answers questions about their project. ‘The number one thing to me is content, it pulls the crowd,’ says Nayla. ‘Since the inauguration we’ve shown 16 films. Tahrir has been my highlight. It’s Egyptian and shows the story of how the revolution took place through social media. It’s amazing how five guys went underground and started the movement.’
AFLAM has almost 2,000 members but because they don’t pay, the need for new sponsors is still massive. ‘Screenings are on a first-come, first-served basis and 90 percent of our audience are just regular people,’ she adds. ‘It’s very difficult to get sponsors, but the events are always packed. My dream is for directors to do a tour; so they stop in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain. Before the crash in 2008 we had plans for branches all over the region. Now my main concern is keeping AFLAM on its feet. It’s really at a critical stage. I don’t want to shut down the club because the nights are so positive and they’re always full.’
One way that AFLAM could raise funds is to start charging members, something Nayla is loathe to do. ‘The worst case scenario is making people pay; we did the sums and it still doesn’t cover much.’
Her dream is that the Abu Dhabi Film Festival gets involved. ‘It costs us around Dhs55,000 to run it on a monthly basis, which includes flying in the director. You still have to put your office percentage, staff salary percentages, it really adds up,’ she says. ‘What would be ideal is for the Film Festival to get involved. In Dubai, the film club has been running thanks to the Dubai International Film Festival; we cross-market with it. It’s not a lot of money they give us every year. I hope the Abu Dhabi Film Festival can look at it in the same way and sponsor us.’
AFLAM’s next screening takes place on May 29 at VOX in Marina Mall. www.aflamclub.com.
Watch great films in Abu Dhabi
Floatin’ Films
Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s pool-based movie nights are back on now the weather is warmer. Every Thursday, you can watch blockbusters while floating around. It’s Dhs15 for members, Dhs25 for non-members, kids under 12 go free.
www.adgolfclub.com (02 558 8990).
Movie Club AD
A group on social networking site Meet Up, who get together to go and see the latest flicks and give recommendations. The group currently has 226 members.
www.meetup.com/MovieClubAD.
Abu Dhabi Documentary Club
This group watch award-winning local and international documentary films. They often have screenings at VOX in Marina Mall. Check out their Facebook page (search for Abu Dhabi Documentary Club). abudhabidoc.club@hotmail.com (02 626 5995).
