By Gorkem Sifael
Rami Yasin is a filmmaker and the founder of Breakout Films in Dubai.
ADVERTISEMENTHe was introduced to the world of cinema by his father who worked in film and television. “I was a teenager living in the UAE in the 80s, and watching films was my window to the world”, Rami told Euronews.
Rami studied directing at New York Film Academy and writing at Vancouver Film School in addition to his bachelor’s degree in the Liberal Arts. When a former colleague started a production company in Dubai, Rami moved back to join him. After directing and producing television commercials for almost a decade, Rami seized an opportunity to work as a casting director and first assistant director in ‘Syriana’ starring Matt Damon and George Clooney. “It exposed me to how studio movies are made, which is an incredible way of making a film, but it wasn’t for me. It wasn’t why I wanted to be in the industry”, Rami says.
A bigger part in storytelling
Rami found his true passion in independent films, which allows him to take a bigger part in storytelling and creative development. “To look at a blank page and suddenly build a world full of characters and events, then see that transforming into a story is like having a baby”, he explains.
After producing several films that screened in some of the most prestigious festivals like the Berlinale and the Toronto International Film Festival, Rami’s first short film that he wrote and directed - In Overtime - premiered and competed at the Venice International Film Festival. It went on to win the jury mention in the Dubai International Film Festival. In 2020, the first feature film he wrote and directed - Bloodline- was released as a commercial success amid the Covid pandemic.
“Then I went back to producing and I was offered an opportunity to join Image Nation to work on ‘Watcher’ which got selected to premiere and compete in the Sundance Film Festival”, Rami says.
ADVERTISEMENTRami and Breakout Films continue to work on various film and television projects and collaborate with talented local artists and providers in Dubai such as Filmquip Media, Nested VFX and Pixojam.
“You pass through a lot of tests and challenges while making a film, and sometimes what saves you are your collaborators who are as passionate as you”, he concluded.
