WE’VE A SUPPORTIVE GOVERNMENT

Although she graduated from Dubai Women’s College with a degree in Mass Communication in 1999, Nayla Al Khaja followed her passion for film, leading the way to become the UAE’s first female filmmaker.

Upon starting, she faced criticism and strong opposition from her family, but she went against the odds to receive her degree from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. She’s been climbing up the ladder through writing and directing award-winning films, a journey that led her become the first and only Emirati director to be rewarded twice in international film festivals for her short films Animal and The Neighbour .

Al Khaja also recently made history at Cannes when her feature-length screenplay for Animal became one of 500 entries to be accepted at the festival’s prestigious Producers’ Network, another first for an Emirati.

She now combines her role as CEO of Nayla Al Khaja Films, while mentoring local young talent. Although it was tough to penetrate the film industry while growing up in a conservative family, Al Khaja found no challenges as an Emirati woman in the field.

“I feel fortunate that we have such a dynamic and supportive government that believes in women and seeks to empower them.”

In fact, she believes that gender balance is more in UAE cinema than Hollywood. She hopes to mentor young talents and provide them with a platform.

Gender balance is more in UAE cinema than Hollywood. UAE government believes in women.”

Nayla Al Khaja, UAE’s first Emirati filmmaker