Short films are the ‘test drive’ every new filmmaker needs

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Short films might be tiny stories, but they create a huge impact and could be a starting point for emerging filmmakers ready to go small before going big.So, you’ve decided to dive into filmmaking. First of all, welcome to the club! Second, let’s get something out of the way—your first masterpiece doesn’t need to be a two-hour epic with explosions, 10 love triangles, and a budget that would make Marvel Studios jealous. Nope. Trust me when I say this: starting with a short film is not only the smarter move but also the secret sauce to making it big in the industry.Think of short films as the ultimate warm-up for the marathon that is your filmmaking career. They’re your training ground, playground, and “let-me-try-this-before-I-go-broke” phase. And before you roll your eyes and say, “But I want to make the next Black Panther,” hear me out. Even some of the biggest directors in the game—Christopher Nolan, Greta Gerwig, and, yes, even Quentin Tarantino—started their careers with short films.Still sceptical? Let me break it down. Making a short film is like getting a starter pack for the filmmaking world. It’s packed with lessons, creative freedom, and opportunities to showcase your genius without draining your wallet. READ ALSO: Let’s celebrate these top 5 veteran Nollywood actorsSo grab your camera, charge those batteries, and explore why short films are the perfect first step for any emerging filmmaker.Budget-Friendly DreamsLet’s be real. Filmmaking can be expensive. Unless you have a secret stash of cash (or a rich uncle), you’ll want to keep costs low. Short films are like the budget-friendly buffet of the film world. You can tell your story without needing a million dollars for that slow-motion helicopter explosion scene.With short films, you can use your friend’s garage as a set, borrow costumes from your mom’s closet, and still end up with something that slaps. Plus, the money you save? You can use it to buy snacks for your crew because well-fed actors make happy actors and happy actors make great performances.Perfect for ExperimentationEver wanted to try making a sci-fi romance about time-traveling chickens? Go for it. Short films are your safe space to experiment. They’re where you get to test out weird ideas, crazy shots, and unconventional stories without the pressure of studio execs breathing down your neck. The best part? If it works, you’re a genius. If it doesn’t, you’re still a genius for trying. Short films are like creative playgrounds where you can swing as high as you want.Build Your Crew (and your squad or tribe)Filmmaking is a team sport. When you work on a short film, you’ll start building your crew—camera operators, editors, sound designers, and that one friend who’s really good at holding boom mics. These are the people who’ll stick with you when you’re making your Oscar-winning feature someday. Also, short films let you figure out who your ride-or-die team is. Got someone who ghosted you mid-project? Time to find a replacement. It’s all part of the learning curve.Short Films, Big Film FestivalsGuess what? There are film festivals just for short films! From Cannes Short Film Corner to Africa’s own AFRIFF, your short film could be your golden ticket to industry recognition. Winning (or even just screening) your short film at festivals is like getting your name on the map. It’s a chance to rub shoulders with industry pros, potential investors, and, who knows, your future producer.It’s All About the ImpactShort films are proof that less is more. You have limited time, so every frame, line, and scene must count. This sharpens your storytelling skills and teaches you how to make an impact quickly. You learn to kill filler scenes, craft tighter narratives, and leave your audience wanting more. And guess what? That’s exactly what feature film producers want to see in a filmmaker. If you can make magic in five minutes, they’ll trust you with 120.Showcasing Your TalentYour short film is your resume. It’s the thing you show producers, investors, and Netflix execs when they ask, “What can you do?” It’s proof that you’re not just talk—you’ve got the skills to back it up. Plus, short films are super sharable. Post them on YouTube, Instagram, or even TikTok (yes, TikTok!). Before you know it, your work could go viral, and people will be sliding into your DMs asking, “When’s your next project dropping?”Short Doesn’t Mean SmallLet’s squash the idea that short films are “lesser” than feature films. Some of the most powerful stories ever told were in short films. A compelling 10-minute story can stick with someone longer than a mediocre 2-hour movie. Think of it as quality over quantity.So, if you’ve got a story itching to be told, don’t wait for a massive budget or a big studio. Start small, start bold, and start now. Who knows? The short film you make today could be the feature-length blockbuster everyone’s talking about tomorrow.Now go grab that camera, filmmaker! Your masterpiece awaits.

Maa Kaali: Abhishek Singh’s Film Receives Praise From Goa CM At IFFI Premiere

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

The talented IAS officer-turned-actor Abhishek Singh, known for his impactful performances, is all set to captivate audiences once again with his upcoming film ‘Maa Kaali.’ This thought-provoking film aims to shed light on the erased history of Bengal and has already created ripples at the prestigious International Film Festival of India (IFFI). ‘Maa Kaali’ was screened at IFFI in the esteemed presence of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose. The dignitaries were deeply moved by the film, praising its powerful narrative and Abhishek Singh’s stellar performance. 

Following the screening, CM Pramod Sawant shared his thoughts on social media, writing: “Attended the World Premier of movie ‘Maa Kaali’ (Erased History of Bengal) Directed by @VijayYelakanti, Produced by Vandana Prasad and performed by Shri @Abhishek_asitis at the 55th International Film Festival of India @IFFIGoa, which explores the erased history of massacres after Direct Action Day in Noakhali in East Bengal. 

 

Attended the World Premier of movie ‘Maa Kaali’ (Erased History of Bengal) Directed by @VijayYelakanti, Produced by Vandana Prasad and performed by Shri @Abhishek_asitis at the 55th International Film Festival of India @IFFIGoa, which explores the erased history of massacres… pic.twitter.com/WqisOwVRTD
— Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) November 26, 2024

 

The Hindu Minorities in erstwhile East Pakistan faced inhuman atrocities and still facing discriminations. It is important to bring out and learn the history. Cinema is a good medium to explore such forgotten topics and bring out to the people. I congratulate the Makers and those who performed in this movie and extend my best wishes for successful run all across the country and the world & appeal everyone to watch it.” 

Directed by Vijay Yelakanti and produced by TG Vishwa Prasad under the banner of People Media Factory, ‘Maa Kaali’ delves into the untold stories of atrocities faced by Hindu minorities in East Pakistan post-Direct Action Day. The film’s focus on history, combined with Abhishek Singh’s compelling performance, has earned widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. 

Abhishek Singh, previously celebrated for his work in the web series ‘Delhi Crime’ and chartbuster songs like ‘Yaad Aati Hai’ and ‘Kaali Kaali Zulfo Ke,’ continues to impress as an actor with substance. His latest venture reaffirms his commitment to meaningful cinema. 

The 10x Impact of the Human+AI Business Model

Business News

Generative AI platforms like AI coding tools are reshaping how we work and influencing the results we deliver. They go beyond technology, transforming business impact and even work culture. For many companies, AI has moved from potential and experimentation to substantial results, but the real test lies in translating these pilot successes into large-scale, secure enterprise solutions. 

Even the Indian IT giants are struggling with this shift from POC to production, for it requires not just technology but a strategic bridge, clear business metrics, and a cultural transformation towards a new ‘Human+AI’ model.

One company to have successfully made this leap is ValueLabs, a global tech firm powered by its GenAI platform, AiDE®. In just 75 days, AiDE® has saved its clients an impressive 500,000 person-hours, equating to the work output of 1,200 full-time employees. 

By March 2025, the company aims to double this impact and achieve a 40% boost in efficiency across all client projects.

Arjun Rao, the founder & CEO of ValueLabs, described this milestone as a pivotal moment. “We’ve crossed the chasm from POC to production, and this is just the start. Next stop: 1,000,000 person-hours saved in 75 days. Final destination: a 10x company powered by AiDE® and 10x engineers.”

Building an Enterprise Strategy: From Idea to Operations

When it comes to AI integration, enterprise strategies tend to fall into two categories: isolated departmental use cases and integrated approaches that capture the entire business lifecycle. The latter provides a more practical path for achieving large-scale results. The challenge lies in selecting AI platforms that address the needs of diverse business functions, from product and design to development, testing, data security, and operations.

While some GenAI tools are narrowly focused on tasks like coding or conversational assistance, AiDE® operates across a wide range of business processes. Whether in regulated industries like healthcare and finance or faster-paced sectors like software development, AiDE® addresses security, data privacy, and response quality. 

Source: Link

According to ValueLabs, AiDE® has boosted productivity by up to four times, delivering cost savings and enabling teams to achieve more in less time. Mogens Hansen, the CTO of Secomea, one of ValueLabs’ clients, said, “We’re setting a bolder vision for our modernisation, which includes implementing AI agents in our workflows and expanding into an AI network.”

‘Human+AI’: A New Approach to Work

One of the biggest questions surrounding GenAI is how it complements human roles. The key to achieving transformative impact is ensuring that both technology and culture evolve together. ValueLabs champions a ‘Human+AI’ model, where AI becomes a collaborative partner, enhancing efficiency, quality, and security. 

The company’s internal campaign to introduce AiDE® included gamified initiatives to inspire employees to embrace the future. Today, 100% of its workforce uses AiDE® daily, measuring productivity gains in speed, quality, and security.

The end goal, as ValueLabs envisions, is to create ‘10x engineers’— teams capable of producing 10 times the output using GenAI tools. As Daren Lauda, the CEO of Outset, observed, “Efficiency leads to growth, and that’s the vision at ValueLabs—doing the work of 70,000 with 7,000 associates.”

Source: LinkedIn

Custom Solutions for Unique Industry Needs

Each business has its own distinct vision and operational landscape. A versatile GenAI platform should align with these nuances, providing tailored workflows, models, and integrations. AiDE® offers enterprises a plug-and-play capability that allows clients to configure custom workflows and solutions. 

As Veda Reddy, the CEO of Imagine, the innovation arm of ValueLabs, puts it: “We’re not just enabling coding copilots; we’re building end-to-end business workflows with the security and customisation that enterprises need.”

The concept of a “10x company” represents a future where one person can accomplish the task of 10, serve 10 times the clients, or achieve 10 times the outcomes in healthcare, education, and beyond. This vision of the ‘Human+AI’ model is not simply about automation, it’s about enabling employees to solve complex problems and drive meaningful change.

As companies adopt platforms like AiDE® and embrace a ‘Human+AI’ culture, the future looks transformative. It opens doors to amplified productivity and a reimagined workforce. In this vision, every employee’s potential is amplified, moving organisations closer to the goal of becoming true 10x companies.
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DK Children’s expand Pop Up Peekaboo series into picture books

Arts & Culture, Books

DK Children’s is expanding its Pop Up Peekaboo series into picture books with Say Peekaboo, written by Anne Forni alongside illustrator Sebastien Braun. The first book, Valentine’s Day, will focus on seasonal and milestone moments for preschoolers and will publish in November 2025.
The deal for world rights, including audiobook, was brokered by trade strategy director, Arabella Stein, directly from Forni for text and from Nicky Lander at The Bright Agency for illustrations.
Stein said: “Our beloved and bestselling Peekaboo series has been enjoyed around the world by so many that we felt this was the perfect time to bring the brand into picture books with exactly the right author and illustrator partnership behind it.”
The first Pop-Up Peekaboo title published in 2011, and in 2022 the series diversified with the first illustrated Pop-Up Peekaboo titles publishing, beginning with Butterfly.
Braun added: “I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to be illustrating the first titles in the DK Peekaboo series. I can’t wait to bring these stories to life with lots of vibrant colours, making them as engaging and fun as possible for little readers.”
Forni said: “It’s such a lovely series, full of child appeal.”
Valentine’s Day, publishes globally in November in paperback. A second title, Easter Surprise, publishes two months later with a further two titles scheduled for 2026. A Say Peekaboo audiobook collection is coming in late 2026 with narration and full-sound design.

Actor Dhanush drags Nayanthara to court for unauthorised use of film clip in her biopic

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Stung by actor Nayanthara using a 3-second clip from the movie ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’ without a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the film’s producer Dhanush, the latter has moved the Madras High Court against the ‘Lady Superstar’, her husband and filmmaker Vignesh Sivan, and a subsidiary of Netflix.
Allowing the application of Dhanush after hearing preliminary arguments and without going into the merits at this stage, Justice Abdul Quddhose on Wednesday said a major part of the cause of action had taken place under the territorial limits of the High Court’s jurisdiction.

Dhanush, a national award-winning actor, has filed the petition through his production firm, Wunderbar Films, which produced the movie and released it in 2015. This followed the actor’s legal notice to Nayanthara, demanding Rs 10 crore as damages for using the clip in the Netflix docu-drama, ‘Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale’ released on November 18. Besides Nayanthara and Sivan, Dhanush has sued their production company Rowdy Pictures Pvt. Ltd. and Los Gatos Production Services LLP, the Mumbai-based entity through which Netflix operates its investments.

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Tooth loss fix may lie with a slimy eight-limbed sea creature, scientists say

Science and Health

Octopus-inspired dentures may sound like something pulled straight from a science-fiction movie. But researchers now believe these eight-limbed creatures may be the key to helping individuals with missing teeth – all thanks to their squelchy tentacle suckers. Academics at King’s College London aimed to tackle a common issue among denture wearers, specifically regarding their ability…

Tooth loss fix may lie with a slimy eight-limbed sea creature, scientists say

Science and Health

Octopus-inspired dentures may sound like something pulled straight from a science-fiction movie. But researchers now believe these eight-limbed creatures may be the key to helping individuals with missing teeth – all thanks to their squelchy tentacle suckers. Academics at King’s College London aimed to tackle a common issue among denture wearers, specifically regarding their ability…

Husband and wife team behind best-selling Ambrose Parry novels to appear at Kirkcudbright Book Week 2025

Arts & Culture, Books

The husband and wife team behind the best-selling Ambrose Parry novels will be appearing at Kirkcudbright Book Week 2025. Award-winning crime novelist Chris Brookmyre and Dr Marisa Haetzman are heading to the Artists’ Town in March to talk about the Raven and Fisher series, which is set in Victorian Edinburgh. They said: “As the winter…

SCCI hosts Sharjah-Côte d’Ivoire Business Forum

Business News

Held at SCCI’s headquarters, the forum brought together senior representatives from the UAE’s private sector, particularly Sharjah-based businesses, and their counterparts from Côte d’Ivoire, spanning key strategic sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, agriculture, logistics, and renewable energy.The forum was attended by Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI, and Mr. Toure Faman, President of Côte d’Ivoire Chamber of Commerce and Industry.Also present were SCCI Board Members Halima Humaid Ali Al Owais and Mohamed Rashid Ali Demas, along with Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Business Sector at SCCI, and Fatima Khalifa Al Mokarrab, Director of SCCI’s International Relations Department. The gathering also included influential business figures and officials from both chambers, fostering collaboration and mutual engagement.On the sidelines of the forum, SCCI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cote d’Ivoire Chamber of Commerce and Industry to strengthen cooperation and boost bilateral trade volume and mutual investments between the business communities of both countries.Key objectives include enhancing economic collaboration, facilitating reciprocal trade missions and business delegations’ visits, and establishing an expanded business network to streamline the exchange of opportunities. The MoU also emphasises coordinated efforts in participating in trade shows, conferences, and events hosted by both countries to maximize investment promotion efforts.In his address at the forum,  Abdallah Sultan Al Owais emphasised the importance of the gathering, highlighting its potential to establish impactful partnerships and unlock growth opportunities for both nations. He underscored the attractive opportunities, incentives, and business advantages offered by both the emirate of Sharjah and Côte d’Ivoire, encouraging increased investment and the expansion of current ventures.Al Owais also pointed to the robust and expanding economic relations between the UAE and Côte d’Ivoire and the potential for enhanced investments in key sectors such as food security, agriculture, manufacturing, and logistics. He added that the strong ties between the two countries are pivotal in driving economic growth and social progress, noting that the Sharjah-Côte d’Ivoire Business Forum offers a strategic platform for unlocking new business opportunities between the two sides. Al Owais highlighted the remarkable growth in UAE-Côte d’Ivoire bilateral trade, with non-oil trade reaching $468 million in 2023- a 95 percent increase compared to 2020. He also pointed to the increasing investment flows as a testament to the deepening economic ties between the two countries. He reiterated the shared commitment of both nations to strengthening their partnership and bolstering cooperation in priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, and telecommunications.For his part, Toure Faman expressed his gratitude to the Sharjah Chamber’s officials for their warm hospitality and efforts to foster stronger connections between the business sectors of Sharjah and Côte d’Ivoire. He highlighted the remarkable growth in economic and trade relations between the two countries, with an average annual increase of 16 percent over the past decade. Faman stressed that the Sharjah-Côte d’Ivoire Business Forum reflects the shared vision of both countries’ leaderships to advancing bilateral cooperation. Coinciding with the visit of Côte d’Ivoire’s Prime Minister to the UAE, the Forum marks a significant step forward in the development of relations with the UAE’s private sector, bolstered by numerous business meetings over the past five years. The Sharjah-Côte d’Ivoire Business Forum showcased the wide range of investment opportunities available in the emirate of Sharjah across various key sectors, emphasising its investor-friendly environment designed to drive business growth. With robust infrastructure and streamlined support, Sharjah offers businesses strategic access to diverse markets, enabling them to expand their reach, boost trade activities, and increase export volumes.The forum featured one-on-one business meetings between Sharjah-based companies and entrepreneurs and their counterparts from Côte d’Ivoire. These meetings aimed to uncover investment prospects in both markets, facilitating the exchange of insights into key enablers and promising fields of investment.