People in Film: Nayla Al Khaja
Doha Film Institute Article – PDF
Doha Film Institute
Nayla graduated from Dubai Women’s College with a degree in Mass Communication in 1999, during which time she also hosted a very successful travel show on the Arabian Radio Network. However, Nayla soon realised that her true calling was film, so she made the break and attended Ryerson University in Canada, graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor in Image Studies and Filmmaking.
Back in Dubai she found the resources to direct and produce her first documentary film, ‘Unveiling Dubai’, in 2004. The film went on to premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). In 2006, she produced and directed ‘Arabana’, a film that deals with child abuse, which received critical acclaim from the likes of Edward R. Pressman, the producer of ‘The Crow’ film series, ‘Wall Street’ and ‘American Psycho’, who described the film as “gorgeous and disturbing”.
Her Business Super Plan
du Brand Ambassador
du salutes the spirit of women in business with launch of first-of-its-kind in the region “Her Super Business Plan”
Further reinforcing its commitment to catering to the various needs of the diverse small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, du today demonstrated its recognition of women entrepreneurs and professionals, and their role in the business world with the launch of ‘Her Business Super Plan’ – a first-of-its kind plan in the region. The new and vibrant mobile plan is specifically tailored to the requirements of modern-day business women in the UAE (both UAE nationals and residents), providing benefits such as bundled calling minutes, business calling circle, free national data,, shopping rewards, special offers on latest handsets and much more, all for just AED 200 per month.
Keep on moving
Digital Studio
I caught up with Nayla Al Khaja shortly after she collected this year’s Digital Studio Best Production Award for Malal. The film also took the Muhr Emirati Award at December’s Dubai International Film Festival, and has since been selected for the shorts section at April’s Tribeca festival in New York. Not unreasonably, I half expected to find the director/producer still basking in the glory, and gearing up for a year of relaxing and dining out on Malal’s success. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The world of Nayla Al Khaja, it seems, is one with little room for resting on laurels. Far from basking, Al Khaja was like a whirlwind as she filled us in on the busy few weeks for her and her company, D-Seven, since our last conversation, following the DIFF success at the end of 2010.
Lucky Number SEVEN
Digital Studio
Full Digital Studio Article – PDF
The seventh annual Digital Studio Awards came to Dubai in February.
Nayla Al Khaja and were amongst the major creative winners at the Digital Studio Awards for 2011, while Harris and Sony Professional led the charge on the technical side.
Fourteen prizes were handed out at the glittering ceremony held in the Dubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre, on the first night of February’s Cabsat exhibition. Al Khaja’s D-SEVEN Motion Pictures carried off the award for Production of the Year for Malal, the story of a newlywed Emirati couple filmed on location in India. A full interview with the winner can be found later in this issue.
