My time on the red carpet at the Dubai Film Festival

Basama Al-Nasseri​ is an electrical engineer based in our Oman office. From an early age, Basama always wanted to be an engineer  but she also harboured a passion for media and photography. Here, Basama shares her experience on the red carpet of Dubai's International Film Festival.

 I have always had a passion for media. Ever since I was a child, one of my biggest dreams has been to participate in the Dubai Film Festival as a professional photographer on the red carpet. For me, being a fulltime employee doesn't mean to me tha​​t I need to stop doing what I always loved, so I took annual leave to attend the Dubai International Film Festival 2016 and take photographs. The Dubai International Film Festival is one of Dubai's most prestigious and glamorous events. 

 It is a wonderful week-long celebration of Arab and international cinema and filmmakers, and attracts film-buffs, actors and directors from Hollywood, Bollywood and beyond. 152 long and short films were shown during the course of the event – 

the first time in the world that so many films have been shown at a festival.

 

Celebrity spotting The film festival also served as a platform to introduce

 new cinematic technology from around the world. I got to see a demonstration of the new 7D technology that will be used for the movies and games of the future, which is hailed as the next generation of interactive and immersive entertainment. 

 And, needless to say, I was very excited to see celebrities, actors, producers and directors from all around the world. I saw so many charming, beautiful and talented celebrities with big smiles on their faces. It was like a dream come true! My own time to shine And the icing on the cake was that I got my very own moment in the spotlight. ​While I was on the red carpet photographing celebrities, one of the journalists, Meenakshi Shedde, asked if she could feature me in her article. 

After a short talk with her, she asked me a few questions and took my photograph. And I tell you, reader - at that moment, as Meenakshi's camera flashed as I stood on that red carpet, I felt like a celebrity myself. It was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. Two days later, Meenakshi emailed me with a link to the article (you can read it here) - and wow - what an amazing feeling it was to read it and see my own name in print. A new direction ​Ultimately, attending this event was not just about snapping celebrities and walking the red carpet. It meant so much more to me. 

This was a once-in-a lifetime experience that gave me more confidence – and a new direction. 

 My next plan is to return to the Dubai Film Festival next year – but this time, on the other side of the camea. I want to make and participate in my own short film, and then showcase it at next year's Dubai Film Festival. I managed to turn a dream I had seven years ago into reality, and I intend to fulfill this new ambition with just as much determination. My message to all of you reading this is: never stop dreaming and fighting to achieve your dreams. Only you have the power to make them a reality.

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