Invited by the third edition of Saudi Film Confex, Nawaf Al Janahi will give a session on 23 October 2025 titled “Between Scene and Lens: The Actor Who Directs”. Participants will learn the difference between standing in front of the camera and directing it, and explore the tools used by actor-directors to build scenes, direct actors, and balance personal performance with directorial vision. For more details and registration, click here.

Nawaf Al Janahi joins the jury of the short film competition of the 14th edition of Tangier Film Festival, running from 1 to 4 October 2025. For more information, click here.

Nawaf Al Janahi joins the jury of the feature and short film competition of the 4th edition of Jordan Children’s Film Festival, which will be held from 15 to 21 August 2025. For more information, click here.

Nawaf Al Janahi is featured in a new book titled “+971: 50 Emirati Creatives Shaping the UAE”. The book profiles the Emirati creative scene, introducing fifty individuals working across architecture, culinary arts, design, film, performing and visual arts, music, and writing in the United Arab Emirates. Learn more on this link.

Part of the 23rd edition of the Arab Media Summit which will run from 26 to 28 May 2025 in Dubai (UAE), Nawaf Al Janahi will join a panel discussion about Emirati cinema aiming to explore the personal realities and industry challenges of Emirati filmmakers, especially those who have been pioneers in the field. The conversation will focus on identity, boundaries, infrastructure, and the future of Emirati storytelling. The session will take place on 27 May 2025 at 10:20, and the speakers include Emirati filmmakers Hana Kazim and Abdallah Al Kaabi. To learn more and register, click here.

Invited by the second edition of Arabian Days Festival, Nawaf Al Janahi will join a panel discussion titled “Arabic Culture and Artificial Intelligence: From Heritage Preservation to Creativity Enhancement”, which will take place on 15 December 2024 at 17:00 (UAE) at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi.

Moderated by Hanan Al Darmaki, an assistant professor at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the session includes speakers Abdallah Abushmaes, the head of Language Research and Studies Unit at Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, and Bashar Alhafni, a researcher in AI and natural language processing.

To learn more and book your free tickets, click here.

Returning to Egypt, Nawaf Al Janahi joins the jury of the short film competition of the 1st edition of Fayoum International Film Festival, which will be held from 25 to 30 November 2024. For more information, click here.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina is bringing Nawaf Al Janahi’s workshop Making Short Films to Egypt for the first time, to be held at its headquarters from 18 to 21 August 2024.

This intensive workshop (which Al Janahi gave previously in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manama, Dammam, and Riyadh) focuses on the journey of making a short film, covering the creative and professional aspects, from choosing an idea to exhibition, and all stages in between. Participants will learn how to establish and enhance a solid cinematic understanding built on the foundation of film theory and aesthetics, and will come closer to some essential career secrets and best practices on the ground.

Registration for this workshop is open to individuals from all nationalities, and prior film knowledge is not required, While sessions will be given in Arabic, a good command of English is a plus. For more information and registration, click here.

Nawaf Al Janahi joins the selection committee of the 4th edition of Bahrain Film Festival, which is organized by Bahrain Cinema Club in the Kingdom of Bahrain and scheduled to be held in November 2024. For more information, click here.

Organized by Bahrain Cinema Club, Nawaf Al Janahi will be giving his workshop Making Short Films in Manama, Bahrain, from 21 to 23 April 2024.

[UPDATE, 18 April 2024: Due to exceptional weather conditions, the workshop has been postponed. The new dates are from 19 to 21 May 2024.]

This intensive three-day workshop (which comes to Manama for the first time after Al Janahi gave it previously in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Dammam, and Riyadh) focuses on the journey of making a short film, covering the creative and professional aspects, from choosing an idea to exhibition, and all stages in between. Sessions will be conducted in English, and registration is open to all nationalities. Prior filmmaking experience is preferred but not required. Seats are limited and will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information and registration, click here.