Kuwaiti Short Film Experiences... "Cinema, But!"
This was the outcome of the youth dialogue session “Cinema, But,” hosted at the Kuwait National Library Theater on Saturday evening, as part of the eighteenth edition of the Summer Cultural Festival.
The session featured the “Archive Podcast” group, a team of young Kuwaiti creators who have established a pioneering platform through their podcast to critically and engagingly re-examine artistic and media memory.
The group comprises writer and content creator Dawood Abdulaziz, Kuwait Television and former “Al Sabah” channel broadcaster and content creator Nawaf Shahab, and Mohammed Awad Al-Shammari, who participated in the writing workshops for the series “Taqdeer Ihtiyaj” and “Jana Tascends the Stage.”
Cinema production, particularly short films, was placed on the discussion table to arrive at a cinematic formula that aligns with the Kuwaiti artistic reality. The session also examined successful Gulf and Arab experiences in short film production to draw lessons for local initiatives.
For his part, Mohammed Al-Maghribi, Director of Cultural Activities at “Summer Cultural 18,” stated: “This cinematic dialogue session was organized by creative young people interested in cinema and drama. The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters is keen on encouraging youthful talents. We indeed met with them and learned about their podcast, and this session was held to encourage their ideas and distinctive initiatives.”
For his part, Dawood Abdulaziz, co-founder of “Archive Podcast” alongside his colleagues Nawaf Shahab and Mohammed Al-Shammari, said: “Our lecture is titled ‘Cinema, But,’ and we will discuss cinema in Kuwait: what do we need, and what is missing for us to have a local cinema industry?”
He explained that they require support and foundational infrastructure to establish a cinema sector. “It is important that we have an institute for cinematic studies, similar to the Higher Institute for Theatrical Arts and another for music, or a cinematic academy, or an international festival sponsored by the state that focuses on cinema,” he added. “There is no support even from the private sector. There are experiences among young Kuwaitis regarding short films, and how they are ‘digging through rock,’ spending their own money, but receiving no return—just love for this industry.” He emphasized the necessity of supporting cinema to activate cinematic activity.
Nawaf Shahab discussed the challenges facing the cinema industry during the session, including issues related to government and private support, general public culture, audience culture, and prevailing audience trends. He said: “We proposed solutions that we hope will resonate and find listeners, so that we can plant the seed for a genuine cinema industry in Kuwait that competes in global festivals and generates revenue. Cinema in other countries is a source of income and helps consolidate national cultures. We lack nothing compared to other countries that are currently distinguished in cinema production.”
He revealed that the cinema industry in Kuwait is dormant, adding: “However, there are only short films. There is no support, and there are many obstacles and taboos standing in the way of our cinema industry. Therefore, young people resort to short films, which do not constitute a cinematic movement or industry.”
In the same context, Mohammed Awad Al-Shammari said: “‘Archive Podcast’ was established about a year ago, and we try to shoot films every week, mostly in English and some in Arabic... We continued our efforts and reached out to the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters to raise the question: ‘Why is there no cinema industry in Kuwait?’”
He pointed to the audience’s confidence in cinema, noting that several distinguished Kuwaiti films had passed unnoticed due to a lack of continuity. “Therefore, we need sustained efforts in developing Kuwait’s film industry.”
Participants in the session examined the experiences of Kuwaiti short films, which represent one of the most prominent avenues for local cinematic expression, and then compared the Kuwaiti reality with Gulf experiences that have succeeded in building more supportive ecosystems for the film industry.
