Aisha Blackwell, Head of Production Services, Serviceplan MAKE Germany“I wish I’d been part of that” – that’s the feeling I’m always chasing in a jury room. And judging Film Craft at Dubai Lynx this year gave me quite a few moments like that.
It was a chance to hit pause and truly dive into the region’s best work – not just the big, loud ideas or the flashy execution, but the stories with soul. The kind where you feel the love, the labour and the craft in every frame.
One question echoed throughout our jury room: what made us stop in our tracks? It wasn’t always the most expensive work. Often, it was the most honest or the most intentional – the ones where every element elevated the others.
Simplicity, I believe, is one of the biggest opportunities for film craft in MENA and beyond right now. We saw some great examples – clear, emotionally resonant storytelling that left space for the idea to shine. But, in many cases, there was still a lot of visual and audio noise. Too many shots. Too much dialogue. Too many ideas packed into one execution.
In today’s world, simplicity is becoming a superpower. Audiences are overwhelmed – they’re not waiting to be impressed. If a story doesn’t grab them in the first five seconds, it’s already lost. So, as filmmakers and creatives, we must be ruthless. Does every second of this film earn its place? Is every moment adding to the story, or just filling space?
Trimming the fat doesn’t mean losing emotion. Quite the opposite. When we simplify, we make room for feelings. For silence. For tension. Remember Bouncy Balls for Sony Bravia? This is what I’m talking about.
Another essential ingredient of great film craft is collaboration – when storytelling is elevated by the composition of disciplines. Stunning visuals alone aren’t enough. You need a smart edit to build pace and tension, sound that draws the viewer in and direction that gives everything purpose. When it all clicks, that’s when craft sings.
One of the biggest conversations in the jury room at Dubai Lynx was how we tell our stories – and how often those stories reflect the culture they’re coming from. MENA is such a diverse and vibrant region, and when the work leaned into that – through music, language, humour, wardrobe – it stood out. These weren’t just ads. They were snapshots of a place – its mood and rhythm.
But I’d love to see more of that. I’d love to see more confidence in using traditional storytelling and cultural references – not as decoration, but as the foundation. There’s clearly an appetite for something rooted, real and local. And it’s not about choosing between global ideas or regional identity – the real magic happens when the two meet, merging into something truly one-of-a-kind.
Now, of course, no 2025 op-ed would be complete without talking about AI. And here’s the truth: while AI is growing fast on social platforms, it hasn’t yet made a big splash in the region’s film craft. Most of the entries we saw were still grounded in traditional production and post techniques – and that’s a good thing. Because traditional craft is still king. And AI, for now, works best when it’s used by humans who understand storytelling.
When AI is in the right hands, it can speed things up or open new creative doors. But it’s not a shortcut to a great idea. And it’s certainly not a replacement for human intuition when it comes to craft. The emotion and resonance that come from real storytelling still can’t be faked. Not yet.
One area I’d encourage MENA creatives to explore more is shorter-form storytelling. We saw plenty of great 90-second-plus films – and some were truly beautiful. But as attention spans shrink and platforms evolve, there’s huge value in being able to tell a powerful story in 30 seconds. That’s not easy. But when it’s done well, it’s unforgettable.
To circle back to simplicity, I see it not just as a creative direction, but as a wider trend. It brings us back to the basics of advertising – creating awareness for products and their features. Purpose-driven work still has its place, but the economy is pushing us back to showcase tangible value and clear USPs. Combined with platform shifts and changing formats, these trends are already shaping the future of film craft.
To the creatives, producers, account directors and clients who poured their hearts into this year’s work at Dubai Lynx: thank you. We saw it. We debated it. We felt it. We rewarded it – and celebrated it.
Great craft in film is more than just technique; it’s when everything you see and hear comes together in service of the idea. That’s when the magic hits – when everything falls into place.
By Aisha Blackwell, Head of Production Services, Serviceplan MAKE Germany
