Canon Middle East, as a leader in imaging solutions, supported budding young filmmakers and aspiring cinematographers at the 11th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) through hosting a workshop to enhance their knowledge and skills on DSLR cameras, encouraging them to fulfil their cinematic aspirations.

The course was attended by young filmmakers, directors, cinematographers, film enthusiasts, and documentary producers & Media students. On behalf of Canon Middle East, Frederico Beja, Managing Partner at ConceptView Media and a well-known DSLR Film Maker and Canon user, trained attendees on skilled use of DSLR cameras to in making their own films and documentaries.
Anurag Agrawal, Managing Director, Canon Middle East, said: Canon is committed to supporting, encouraging and inspiring filmmakers of all ages, especially by leveraging our advanced DSLR digital technology which has the potential to transform the Middle Easts film industry landscape.
Building upon the regions resources and talent, Canon continuously engages with the community in promoting their filmmaking skills. We encourage film talents from all walks of life to make the best use of their available resources and express themselves through the power of film. The DSLR camera workshop thus served as the ideal platform for strengthening the knowledge of films through hands-on training for many young film enthusiasts, he added.

The Egyptian film star Khaled Abol Naga, an Ambassador for Canon Cinematography and an active user of Canon DSLR cameras, had a strong presence at DIFF, where he showcased his new films Out of the Ordinary and From A to B. Khaled recently won the Best Male Actor for Egyptian independent movie "Villa69" from the National Egyptian Film Festival 2014.
Commenting on the film industry, Anurag Agrawal added: The filmmaking industry in the Arab world is recording significant growth led by the potential offered by digital technology. Our Ambassador, Khaled Abol Naga has recognised this, and has used DSLR cameras and EOS cinema for his films. We congratulate him on winning the Best Male Actor award.
Frederico Beja, Managing Partner at ConceptView Media, said: Canon revolutionised the filmmaking world; the 5D Mark II was definitely a game changer when it first came out.

Saying that a DSLR is less of a film camera is a mistake; there are no better or worse cameras, there are just different cameras that fit different projects. Even with cheaper digital film cameras, there will always be a market for DSLRs: they are great in low light, portable, easy and intuitive, and perfectly matchable with other bigger cameras when it comes to the editing room, he added.
When Canon first introduced video possibility in DSLR models, they knew they were shaping the market, and this made them ahead of the competition. They have the necessary Know-how, they have been there since the start,
Filmmaking is now accessible to more people, under different budgets. You can start making films with a $500 investment, 10 or 20 times less than 10 years ago. he concluded.

Canons digital filmmaking technology covers its full-feature DSLR cameras and the professional EOS range. The EOS 5D Mark II, introduced in 2008, is the first DSLR camera to incorporate full HD video capability and has transformed the motion picture industry, making it possible for anyone to shoot video with a limited budget. Adding to its strength of Cinema EOS range, Canon introduced its latest launch, the C100 M2 EOS Camera, the step up model of the highly successful C100 which keenly targets to the entry level cinematographers & documentary produces.

In keeping with Canons responsible business efforts, energy saving features are integrated into the innovative product technology with benefits including less power and lighting required compared to traditional filmmaking equipment. No chemical processes are needed that conventionally go into developing films. Also, due to the compact size of the cameras and accessories mobility is made easier.

Canon Middle East is focused on diversification into new business domains including professional cinematography and pro-video business in the region.