Mass Communication and Media Department at GUST OrganizesSecond Annual Cultural Industry Conference: “THE SCRIPT”

Kuwait City, 13th April 2015– The Mass Communication and Media Department (MCM), in conjunctionwith the student-led Media Club, at the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST)partnered with the Ministry of State for Youth Affairsto launch its second Cultural Industry Conference entitled THE SCRIPT on Sunday evening. From April 12th to 16th, the weeklong conference aims to celebrate local cultural icons, emerging talent, and inspire the next generation to discover their inner talents and appreciate the achievements of their predecessors.The event launched with considerable star-power, asactors AbdulhussainAbdulredha, Mohammed Al Mansour, Saad A FarajHayat Al Fahad, and Souad Abdullah were honored with the first ever Al Shakoor Award in recognition of their achievements in the theatre and television.The award ceremony was also used to mark the recent passing of the late Ahmad Al Saleh, one of Kuwait’s legends in the realms of radio, television, and theater. 
Bestowing the award wasShaikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs, who is also an active filmmaker and social entrepreneur. Al-Zain has produced and directed several award-winning news stories, feature films, short films, and public service announcements. AbdulSattarNaji, renowned film, theater, and drama criticfrom Annahar Newspaper, presented tribute speeches for each of the lifetime award winners. In addition to serving over 30 years as a critic, and contest judge,Najiis the founder of the Arab critics’ Award at the Cannes Film Festival and author of three books on cinema. He is currently developing his fourth book, which features each of the Al Shakoor Awardwinners and their careers.
MCM Department Chair, Dr. Fahed Al-Sumait, said, “We were honored to have such esteemed guests at the ceremony. It was especially touching to hear them speak about the legacy of the late Ahmed Al Saleh, whom they worked with for decades. Our heart-felt sympathies go out to Mr. Al Saheh’sfamily and friends, as well as everyone in society who had the pleasure of witnessing his many accomplishments.”
For the reminder of the week, THE SCRIPT will feature a number of lectures, workshops and exhibitions, which are all open to the public. Speakers include filmmaker Abdullah Boushahri, actor Khaled Ameen, composer Riad Al-Qabandi,  Marina FM radio personalitiesAli Najemand EmanNajem, theatre and cinema specialists Dr. JamshidMalekpour and Dr. Khalefah Al Hajri, Sahar Al LailTV series writer Fahad Al-Olaiwa, actor Jassim Al-Nabhan, and actress Basma Hamada. In addition, the conference will feature a festival of Kuwaiti shortfilms organized by the Creative Production Department (ADASA) at the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs,  followed by open discussions with selected actors, producers and directors. The three-day film festival will be moderated by AbdulSattarNaji, as will several of the public talks.
On THE SCRIPT’s final day at 12:30, the non-profit NGO, INJAZ-Kuwait, willhost a “Business Leaders Campaign” panel discussion featuring film industry expertsZeyad Al Husaini, Abdullah Bushahri, Ali Al Ali and Nadia Ahmed, which will be moderated by “Launch on Fire” presenter, Khalid Al Zanki.
Attendees seeking a hands-on approach to film can pay a small fee to attendworkshops on documentary filmmaking or sound engineering for TV and Film.Workshop details and registration, as well as a full schedule of the conference events, areavailable at https://script.gust.edu.kw.
MCM Department Chair, Dr. Fahed Al-Sumait, said, “The learning experiences our students havegained from THE SCRIPT are twofold.  First, they develop insight and hands-on experience of what it’s like to put on such a high-standard event. Second, they also have unprecedented access to hear from the icons that have made great strides to elevate the level of television, theatre, media culture in Kuwait.”
GUST President, Dr. Donald Bates, said, “What makes this event special, is that it puts the spotlight on local talent.  In an increasingly globalised world, we sometimes overlook the abundance of talent and creativity around us.  Therefore, I thank the Mass Communications Department for putting on this program for our students and the general public alike and for their contribution in making GUST a true learning hub.”
The MCM Department and its students are organizing the conference as the second in a three-year sequence. Each annual conference is dedicated to an area of emphasis within the department’s Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Mass Communication. These include Visual Communication, Radio and TV Broadcasting, and Public Relations and Advertising. The previous conference, “THE SEEN”, was held in 2014 and focused on visual communication in Kuwait. Next year’s conference will be dedicated to public relations and advertising.  To follow THE SCRIPT on Facebook visit the.script.kw, or on Instagram and Twitter @thescriptkw.