Alumni Help Create Television Series That Won Venice TV Awards and Telly Awards

VCUarts Qatar alumni were part of the team that helped create ‘About Cinema’, an Al Jazeera Arabic television series that won both the Venice TV Award, and the Telly Awards. The series won the Gold in the Venice TV Award’s Best in Technology and Innovation category, and the Gold Telly Award for Best Television Series: Cultural, and the Gold, and Silver, awards for Television Craft, recently.

Dimitri Yuri, a Class of 2018 graduate in Art History, Saadia Khabab, a Class of 2016 graduate in Fashion Design, and Mohammad Al-Hamadi, a Hamad Bin Khalifa University post-graduate who also studied both painting and printmaking, and fashion design, from 2008 to 2012, at VCUarts Qatar, were part of the team who helped create the television series for the Doha-based media network.

Al-Hamadi, currently Head of Programs Production, Programs Directorate, Al Jazeera Channel, was one of the executive producers of ‘About Cinema’. Yuri, who is a Brazilian scriptwriter and director, scripted and directed the pilot episode, which launched the series.

“The concept and structure of the pilot episode co-created for Al Jazeera Arabic by The Film House set the tone for the series,’’ Yuri says. “This then evolved and was further developed by the talented creative team at Katara Studios. “And now, to know that a television series we helped create and kick-off is being honored alongside other prestigious international shows and media organizations, is definitely the type of recognition we all hope to achieve. It’s a dream come true in every sense.”

He adds, “There are a lot of talented people in Qatar, and an achievement like this is a great way for the world to realize the potential in this country. The creative teams at The Film House and Katara Studios can go toe-to-toe with any international production, bringing creativity and production value, and our own unique perspective to each project.”

Khabab was the Wardrobe Designer in charge of designing costumes for the series. Katara Studio contacted her with the request to design the wardrobe for each episode for season one. The success of the series meant that Khabab continued to work on the series through it’s second season. She is currently working with the production team on the third season.

According to the VCUarts Qatar Class of 2016 graduate, the entire project – given its intention of capturing the growth of cinema and film making both in the West and in the region – involves a considerable amount of research and planning.

“Each costume requires in-depth research,” she says. “I refer to books, the internet, historical films, and tv shows, especially when it comes to recreating period costumes. I also liaise closely with make-up artists and set designers to make sure that the components I design complement the aspects they focus on.

Khabab has a tried and tested process to make sure her creative output serves the purpose, and that she is able to complete each design to a deadline.

“To create a costume, I always start with the script,” she explains. “I break down the script into different characters. Then based on my research into that specific period of cinema that we’re focusing on, I study additional variables such as color palettes, the personalities of the characters in each episode, the actor’s personal preferences, weather seasons, and whether the filming is outdoors or indoors. Working on such an extensive project means that I don’t have room for even the slightest of delays. So, it’s important I consider the budget, and have a thorough understanding of the director’s vision right from the outset.”

When asked what aspect of the design process she enjoys the most, Khabab responds, “I enjoy the process most when a director gives me the freedom to create something out of the box. It gives me the mental space to try out something unique.”

Al-Hamadi, Khabab and Yuri have worked extensively on major filming projects in Qatar. Al-Hamadi was the founding partner of Innovation Films, and has also produced a number of award-winning films such as ‘Bidoon’, ‘Qarar’, ‘Smicha’ and ‘The Voyager’. In addition to her work for ‘About Cinema’ Khabab was the wardrobe designer for creative projects for major clients such as Ooredoo, for music album videos, and for the opening ceremony for the upcoming FIFA Arab Cup 2021TM. Yuri has directed films such as ‘Falling Leaves’, and ‘Seeroo fi al Ardh’, a documentary on the world-famous contemporary painter M F Husain, both of which received critical acclaim in the region and abroad.

The Venice TV Award is a prestigious television prize bestowed each year in September, and traditionally comes on the heels of the renowned Venice International Film Festival. The jury at the Venice TV Award is composed of leading international TV experts from organizations such as Sony, Walt Disney, BeIN, BBC, ITV and so on. Their selections set the standard for creativity across the industry.

The Telly Awards specialize in evaluating video content and visual production prepared for broadcast on television and across various broadcast platforms. This year, its jury included more than 200 experts from international media organizations, channels and production companies. In addition to Al Jazeera, the list of award winners for 2021 included a number of well-known channels, media organizations and companies including Netflix, CBS, HBO, BBC Global, Disney, Apple, Microsoft, Adobe, PlayStation, among others.