MDX Studios and COP28

MDX Studios Contribute to Groundbreaking COP28 in Dubai

Students from Middlesex University Dubai’s MDX Studios put their knowledge into action, by playing a pivotal role at the 28th UNFCC Conference of the Parties (COP28) held in Dubai from 30 November to 13 December 2023.

MDX Studios, the recently inaugurated state-of-the-art Film lab supporting BA Honours Film students, was proud to support the annual sustainability conference by providing technical assistance in collaboration with Hi-Impact Studio London, which involved rigging across all pavilions, facilitating single and multi-camera setups, sound engineering, and managing all broadcast streaming and on-stage experiences. The incredible efforts of the Film students resulted in the broadcast of thousands of hours of content, allowing millions of global viewers to be a part of the world's largest climate conference.

COP28 witnessed the convergence of approximately 200 nations, including world leaders such as UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among many others, and focused on the topic of mobilising global collective action to implement the Paris Agreement. This event was one of the most prominent international symposiums globally, and it was an honour to be part of facilitating open discussion for positive change.

This event also marked the culmination of MDX Studios’ most extensive Career and Employability outreach programme to date, with over 30 students taking on roles such as multi-service operators, sound engineers, broadcasters, and rigging/de-rigging specialists. Leveraging MDX’s vast alumni network, talented graduates were also enlisted to assume senior positions, showcasing MDX’s commitment to supporting students to transform their learned experience into real-world career development opportunities.

Afroz Nawaf, Head of MDX Studios, said: “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our students for their unwavering support, dedication, and radical creativity. Their teamwork, discipline and hard work have been instrumental in achieving such milestones. As we go into 2024, we are committed to seamlessly integrating with Middlesex University's strategic priorities and further elevating the film programme to new heights. Our goal is not only to be recognised as one of the top film schools in the world, but also to contribute significantly to the development of the film industry in the UAE.”

Watch the behind-the-scenes video here: https://vimeo.com/895958198 

A huge thank you to all the MDX students that contributed to COP28:

Year 1
Ananya Padmanabhan, Vayuvee Gupta, Zeann Marc K. Tañada, Abdul Samad, Anastasiia Zatsepina and Soha Faheem

Year 2
Harsh Purohit, Zara Farooki, Hayden Dias, Jason Gomes, Tala Sleiman, Ali Fuad, Laurence Ingham, Ahmed Hassan, Gabi Beltram, Ali Mostafa and Zariash Kadyrbekova

Year 3
Anoushka Sunil, Ward Abdullah, Omar Ahmed, Suraj Noushad, Vaishnavi Pramodh, Vrinda Purohit, Wynonna Luicien, Abdullah Al Wahed, Pranav Chelatt, Joshua Abraham, Basmalla Khaled and Nida Khan

Alumni
Sahil Shettigar, Jatin Kalwani, Zyrus de Leon and Vignesh Hariharan

-----------------------------------------
About MDX Studios

The past year has seen much success for the Film Department, with over 20+ awards and official selections at film festivals worldwide. This brings the department’s total to over 120 awards and 200+ official selections across the globe.

MDX Studios celebrated a sold-out premiere event at Roxy Xtreme Dubai Hills, where MDX made history as the first and only university in the region to have showcased student films at the largest theatre in MENA.

The movie Oyster directed by student Anoushka Sunil not only graced the big screen but also earned 10+ accolades across various film festivals, including Cannes World Film Festival, where it won Best Female Director, Best First-Time Director, and Best Student Film.
Oyster is available to watch at the upcoming official Dubai Culture and Arts Authority event, the Al Marmoum Desert Film Festival, where it is featured in the official programme from January 12th to 21st, 2024.

Lamcy by Jatin Kalwani, Wigmakers Tale by Vaishnavi Pramod, and Sage by Sahil Shettigar have all garnered multiple awards and official selections at various film festivals.

Office War by first-year student Ali Fuad emerged as a final selection at the Sharjah International Film Festival, with the film being featured at Vox Cinema during the festival's showcase event.

Watch MDX Studios’ students movies here: https://vimeo.com/user61057353

For more information about the BA Honours Film programme, click here: https://mdx.ac.ae/courses/course-list/course-detail/ba-honours-film