Canon Middle East empowers local female talent to achieve artistic heights

Today, thousands of women in the Middle East are joining others around the world to celebrate International Women’s Day, marking achievements made by women across all fields of society. In the field of photography and film-making, female artists across the region have been making headway in their profession through pioneering achievements and international recognition, thanks to the support of Canon Middle East.

“Canon empowers creativity and wants everyone to be passionate about the power of image and the emotions that it can evoke. Visual imagery has – and always will – play a key role in how we perceive the world,” said Hendrik Verbrugghe, Marketing Director, Canon Middle East. “We are proud to help empower local female talent to share their vision through the realm of photography and film-making. In recent years, we have seen some amazingly talented women come to the fore in these creative fields, and we hope to inspire even more to do the same in the years to come.”

One of Canon’s brand ambassadors, recently declared as one the 100 most powerful Arab women in 2012 by Arabian Business, is Emirati Producer and CEO, Nayla Al Khaja. Her film production company, D-SEVEN Motion Pictures has been a huge driving force behind the growth of filmmaking in the UAE and wider region. Her Dubai and Abu Dhabi based film clubs play a key role in showcasing the best of independent cinema.

Nayla commented: “Each year we see more female filmmakers and photographers achieve recognition and awards for work that is truly inspiring and of high standards. With the support of companies like Canon, I am confident we will continue to discover and encourage new talent, who will contribute to the flourishing of cinematic and photographic arts in the region as a whole.”

Among the women who have made a mark with their work include Dubai-based Charney Magri, who is known for her striking fashion, beauty and luxurious lifestyle imagery. Canon has provided the award-winning photographer with the EOS 5D Mark II DSLR camera to produce stunning images in her photo-book, ‘Women of the UAE’.

In Saudi Arabia, Canon Middle East has also supported Sahar Al Shamrani, the first Saudi woman to have travelled to the South Pole. Canon gifted her with an EOS 600D to chronicle her historic adventure, which has become an inspiration to many Middle Eastern women.

As part of its ongoing commitment to women in the region, Canon Middle East has also announced its support of the FeminiTea event, a charity initiative organised by women in aid of the Maria Christina Foundation, an organisation which aims to raise funds and awareness to beat poverty around the world. The event, which takes place in Dubai on 20^th March, will help support five gifted children from Bangladesh, for who the Foundation is providing secondary education in Dubai to help them turn the lives of their families around.