Northwestern University in Qatar’s Summer Media Institute will bring together NU-Q alumni and 30 local high school students to share insights on reporting and filmmaking.
The two-week programme, running from August 3-14, is designed to help students understand what makes headlines in human rights, health, politics, and conflict resolution among other social issues.
Now in its fifth year, the institute will also provide students with hands-on training in documentary filmmaking, emphasising key techniques in cinematography, lighting and editing.
“The Summer Media Institute is an opportunity for local, young minds to explore the continuously developing field of media, as well as gain a sense of university life, responsibilities and expectations in the workplace,” said Everette E Dennis, Dean and CEO of NU-Q.
Dana Atrach, NU-Q alumna and Communications Specialist at Teach For Qatar, a local NGO that tackles education challenges, will engage students through a series of workshops focusing on script writing, pre-production and conceptualisation.
A recent winner of the Best Unproduced Script Based on a Family Drama award at the St Tropez International Film Festival, Atrach will pass on knowledge of what it takes to succeed on a global scale.
“When I was a student at NU-Q, my screenwriting professor was a huge inspiration to me. She was very passionate about screenwriting, and she instilled the same passion in her students,” said Atrach. “My aim is to emulate her teaching style and hopefully have the same impact on my students as she had on us.”
Joining Atrach, to tell students how to get their films accepted into film festivals will be fellow NU-Q alumnae and founders of Torath Production, Shannon Farhoud, Rana Khaled al-Khatib, Ashlene Ramadan and Melanie Fridgant.
The programme also offers a unique opportunity to get expert advice from NU-Q faculty and staff. Christina Paschyn, lecturer in Residence in the Journalism programme, will teach how to interview on camera, Chris Adamescu, Production and Broadcast Technical Support Specialist, will give a technical overview of production and Leon Braswell, Director of Admissions at NU-Q, will give advice on the admission process.
