MDX Studios, the award-winning Film School at Middlesex University Dubai, celebrated another highly successful edition of Premiere de MDX Studios, the University’s annual student film festival. Hosted at Xtreme at Roxy Cinemas in Dubai Hills Mall on Thursday 25 May, the landmark event marked ten years of filmmaking at the University and saw its talented graduating filmmakers debut their original productions at the prestigious venue to a packed audience of the region’s film and cinema industry leaders, as well as faculty, classmates, friends and family.As well as being the first edition where every film was produced in the newly enhanced MDX Studios film lab, launched in February 2023, the event marked the first time that any university has presented student work at Xtreme, the largest cinema screen in the MENA region. Each student director was given the chance to premiere their film and discuss their process and inspiration with the audience. Head of MDX Studios Afroz Nawaf also shared exciting news and updates about MDX Studio’s growth, future plans, and upcoming industry projects.Presenting the perfect chance for the aspiring filmmakers to showcase their creative skills, the films brought to life untold stories inspired by young people, communities, cultures, and prominent topics of discussion across the world, touching on subjects as diverse as homelessness, mental health, mother-daughter bonds, and childhood fears. For instance, the spine-tingling film Lamcy, created by final year students Jatin Kalwani and Omar Al Amri, focused on a young boy who sets off a chain of terrifying events when he wins a toy clown from an arcade. Director Jatin Kalwani said: “The idea for this movie came from our feeling that people don’t actually get scared whilst watching movies anymore. We wanted to change that and create a film that really addressed social and mental health issues. The name of the clown is inspired by Lamcy Mall, an old mall in Dubai that had a clown hanging outside. We had one-on-one coaching from Afroz throughout every step of the process, and we learned so much about Sound Design working with the Dolby Atmos sound system on campus, and all the stages involved with film production.” Meanwhile, students Ashwin Ashta Kumar and Micheal Yazji incorporated their own personal experiences from relationships in their lives into the plot for their psycho-thriller Polaroid.  Speaking about what they learnt throughout the process, Director Ashwin Ashta Kumar said: “We gained so many new skills in story development, synopsis and tagline writing and directing. The tips and techniques from our professors about how to grab the attention of investors was really useful, and we loved learning how to use the RED cameras, set up our sets, and shoot our films at MDX Studios.” A series of awards for the Class of 2023 were also granted to several students in recognition of their achievements, to rapturous applause. Director Zyrus De Leon and producer Vine Aerien Bianzon were awarded the MDX Studios Award for Best Film for their short film Pink Rose, while The One-on-One by director Ashwanth Ashwinikumar and producer Vine Aerien Bianzon won the MDX Studios Audience Choice Award.The MDX Studios Award for Best Directing went to Zyrus De Leon; the MDX Studios Award for Best Cinematography was granted to Sahil Shettigar; and Vine Aerien Bianzon walked away with the MDX Studios Award for Best Producer. Jatin Kalwani received the MDX Studios Award for Outstanding Student.Professor Cedwyn Fernandes, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Middlesex University and Director of Middlesex University Dubai, was also awarded the inaugural Patron of the Arts 2023 Award for his outstanding contribution to supporting the creative art programmes in the areas of Film, Graphic Design, Fashion Design and Digital Media.Professor Fernandes said: “I am honoured to receive the award and am astounded by the creative output of our students. I would like to congratulate all our students on their outstanding films, which were showcased on the silver screen in one of the largest commercial cinemas. Our Film School MDX Studios offers a truly professional filmmaking experience to students who are mentored by an outstanding faculty team, made up of leading academics and industry practitioners Dr David Tully, Head of Media; Afroz Nawaf, Head of MDX Studios; Daniela Tully, Lecturer in Film and Creative Writing; Deema Maghalseh, Lecturer in Film; and Shazia Ali Khan; Lecturer in Film. Thank you to our faculty, parents and guardians who support our students to live their dreams.”Dr David Tully, Head of Media, Middlesex University Dubai said: “Today's milestone event, our biggest ever, celebrates not only the extraordinary filmmaking abilities of our students, but also ten years of the Film department at Middlesex University Dubai. That is a decade of continuous, spectacular growth, in student numbers, in quality of studio resources, in industry-trained faculty, and we're just getting started. We have revolutionised and redefined film education in the Middle East, as the outstanding quality of today's films, in every aspect of visual storytelling, cinematography, direction and production value makes clear. Here's to the next decade of cutting-edge filmmaking in the region!”Afroz Nawaf, Head of MDX Studios, Middlesex University Dubai said: “It was my pleasure to celebrate another fantastic edition of our annual film showcase, Premiere de MDX Studios 2023. This year’s edition held extra significance as it featured the first student films to be created in the brand new state-of-the-art MDX Studios. Seeing their work in such a large format on screen in Roxy Cinemas, Dubai Hills Mall was so exciting for all our students, and I can’t praise them enough for their hard work and efforts throughout the past three years. I would like to thank Erik Stevens and the team at Roxy Cinemas for their continuous support of our students and giving young filmmakers a platform to showcase their work. The Film Festival gives students a unique chance to experience what it’s really like to prepare a project for being showcased in the cinema, and I thought that each of the featured films were all equally creative, thought-provoking, and impressive. Each production involved a team of first, second, and third year students who worked together to bring our directors’ and producers’ creative visions to life on the big screen – presenting a unique immersive learning opportunity for our students, right from their first class. I am immensely proud of all our filmmakers!” Offering one of the only integrated, end-to-end film production university courses in the UAE, MDX Studios based at Middlesex University Dubai offers extraordinary technical features, including an extensive facility of co-production space for filmmakers, a dedicated Podcast Studio, Pitch Desk, Writers Room, viewing theatre and a Dolby Atmos Mixing Theatre.Involving a ‘script-to-screen’ learning approach, the BA (Honours) Film at Middlesex University Dubai, delivered at MDX Studios, is centered around industry immersion. Students graduate ready to jump right into the film industry and start their prosperous careers. MDX Studios provides students with first-hand experience of each different role in the film business from their first year as they support other students’ creative projects, exploring every stage of production and having the opportunity to run and manage their own cutting-edge and futuristic studio and gain real-life film shoot experience. Functioning more like a professional studio than a university department, the practical and theoretical BA (Honours) Film spans insightful modules such as Film Entrepreneurship, Public Speaking, and Pitching Movies and Scripts.Ideal for studio and commercial work, camera equipment at MDX Studios includes professional standard Blackmagic Design cameras, as well as the RED camera ecosystems that are approved for use by content producers for global media platforms such as Netflix. With the newly upgraded cameras and editing suites, students are able to master advanced industry software, equipment and filmmaking techniques as part of their degrees, even being able to produce finalised movies that are in line with the latest industry standards.Middlesex University Dubai is proud to support the next generation of aspiring filmmakers in the UAE and provide a platform for them to achieve their goals and advance the future of the industry, though a world-class UK education.To find out more about MDX Studios and the BA (Honours) Film programme at Middlesex University Dubai, please visit www.mdx.ac.ae.

Middlesex University (MDX) Dubai is the largest British higher education institution for total student enrolment licensed by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) for a third consecutive year, new KHDA Open Data for 2023 shows. Over 4,800 students from approximately 125 nationalities are studying at the University, reflecting an 8% increase on the 2021-2022 academic year.Released annually to showcase the growth of Dubai’s international higher education sector, KHDA’s Open Data 2023 also shows that MDX Dubai remains the top university of choice across Dubai for a range of degree choices.Reflecting their commitment to providing an outstanding and well-rounded university experience that prepares students to thrive in the professions of the future, MDX Dubai has continued to ensure that its academic curriculums cater to the demands of industry and focus on employability, enhancing the learning experience with cutting-edge facilities designed in partnership with industry. The University has introduced a range of innovative degrees in subjects such as Data Science, Robotics, Cybersecurity and Digital Media and Communications in recent academic years to reflect industry growth and the increasing interest in both creative and technology-driven careers across the UAE and wider Middle East.As a result, in addition to having the most enrolled students for popular degree subjects such as Business and Law, MDX Dubai’s Information Technology and Media and Design programmes continue to attract more students year-on-year. According to KHDA Open Data 2023, the University is the largest UK provider in terms of student enrolment for Information Technology and Media and Design degrees.Professor Cedwyn Fernandes, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Middlesex University and Director, Middlesex University Dubai, said: “We are extremely proud that our institution remains the largest British university licensed by KHDA in Dubai, and we would like to thank our students, faculty, partners and the KHDA for their tremendous contribution to our continued growth. With the support from our local partner Amanat Holdings, we continue to invest in our state-of-the-art facilities and expansion into new international markets, in order to develop our educational offering and benefit students across the globe.”Professor Fernandes continued: “Our vision for every student is that they are empowered to put their academic knowledge into action to create real change. Collaborating with our partners across the UAE and internationally, as well as our international campuses around the world, we work to ensure our students have access to global opportunities to acquire real-world industry expertise, build their employability, become a leader in their fields, and cultivate their passions outside the classroom, graduating as transformative individuals who develop fairer, healthier, more prosperous and sustainable societies. With the consistent innovation of our state-of-the-art facilities and academic curriculums to reflect industry trends, we look forward to opening up a leading British education to even more students as they seek out career opportunities in the UAE’s thriving economy.”Throughout this academic year, the University has continued to provide a solid platform for its student community to equip themselves with the skills and expertise they need to thrive in an ever-changing international job market and find solutions to global challenges. Careers and employability are at the forefront of the University’s teaching and learning approach. Providing career counselling, employer engagement opportunities, and support to secure internships and job opportunities that reflect academic learning are paramount. Over 1,000 current students and alumni had the opportunity to develop their industry connections with over 120 prominent companies at the University’s most recent careers fair. Successful alumni were also in attendance to guide current students in their careers journey, including several who have become entrepreneurs after graduation.With an extensive calendar of student activities, campus events, and sports and social clubs on offer, students are also able to take part in extracurricular activities that develop their leadership, teamwork and independent learning skills – all soft skills that are highly coveted by employers in industry.Faculty members are actively engaged in encouraging their students to develop a multidisciplinary understanding of current societal shifts making an impact on the world around them. This includes topics such as sustainability, community initiatives about which are led by MDX Dubai’s Institute of Sustainable Development (ISD). ISD recently launched the highly successful sustainability festival For The Love Of The Planet in March, which saw the University’s students come together with game-changing companies to share knowledge and find solutions to the challenges presented by climate change. The festival was launched as part of the University’s longstanding efforts to support the UAE’s sustainability agenda as the nation prepares to host COP28 later this year.Bringing their extensive industry expertise into the classroom to benefit their students’ learning, the University’s faculty are world-renowned researchers and industry leaders, offering their students extensive connections to their chosen professions. MDX Dubai’s School of Law recently built on its stellar reputation as the leading provider of a British Qualifying Law Degree in Dubai with the launch of JURIS Centre of Excellence for Legal Education and Training, an innovative hub for legal education initiatives and professional training activities across Dubai, the region and internationally. JURIS will lead the University’s engagement with Dubai’s legal sector to provide training and development opportunities for MDX Dubai Law students and alumni.Ensuring the student learning environment is innovative and impactful, the University has also recently launched a series of new specialist labs designed in collaboration with industry, including a fully equipped VRx Lab, a new research centre focused on immersive virtual reality and the metaverse, and MDX Studios, a fully-equipped film production house designed to provide a holistic film education. Each space will act as an innovative research and education centre in fields such as virtual reality, the metaverse, and film and digital media in the UAE and wider region.These new facilities and continued achievements further expand MDX Dubai’s capacity to educate the next generation of talent in the UAE and beyond.Admissions are open now for Middlesex University Dubai’s September 2023 intake, offering more than 70 careers-focused and innovative British degrees in the heart of Dubai. For more information about applying to Middlesex University Dubai, please visit www.mdx.ac.ae/september2023.

Middlesex University Dubai’s highly anticipated Schools Week returned to classrooms across the UAE from 8th-11th May, as more than 100 schools counsellors, class teachers and students joined the UK university’s team virtually for four days of informative sessions about campus life in Dubai.Designed to provide high school students of all ages with the skills, knowledge and experience to make the right study decisions for their future, participants had the opportunity to receive advice from Middlesex’s faculty, Admissions Counsellors, and current students.Students benefitted from academic taster sessions across diverse subjects such as Fashion Design, Media, Computer Science, Finance, Law and more, as well as joining a live campus tour. Samantha Roberts, Campus Programme Coordinator – Undergraduate Law and Politics, gave an insightful and engaging talk into the wide variety of options open to those studying the Middlesex British Qualifying Law Degree. She explained that Law graduates who study in the UAE don’t just have to become practicing lawyers in Dubai – they can become in-house legal advisors, become policy makers, or even work in NGOs and in the world of business around the globe.Dr David Tully, Head of Media, took students through the importance of staying up-to-date with the booming and ever-changing world of media and communications. David also talked about the concept of storytelling and how words and images are used in the media to tell a story, before participants went head-to-head in a fast-paced and exciting quiz about the latest trends and news from the world of media, film, and advertising.The university’s Student Services, such as the Library, also gave an overview of the wide range of study support they provide. Siobhan McNiff from the Centre for Academic Success enlightened participants with tips and insights into making the transition from high school to university easier. Amanda Fernandes, Assistant Manager – Careers and Employability Services, encouraged the participants to make use of the resources available to them at university to build their CVs, make connections in their chosen industry, and find internships to develop real-world experience, explaining how Middlesex’s Careers and Employability Services team can help.Each day, students also had the helpful and engaging opportunity to put their questions to a current student to gain a clearer picture of what awaits them at a leading British university in Dubai.Middlesex’s Schools Team were the hosts of Schools Week. They host schools on campus at the University’s state-of-the-art campus throughout the year through their KICKSTART programme, a tailor-made university immersion experience.Learn more about Middlesex’s resources and programmes for Schools on our website here.*Image taken from a KICK-START school collaboration event.