Mahdi Ahmed

Scripting waves of imagination from the sunny side of the Maldives.

Posts tagged ‘Olympus Cinema’

THE HISTORIC SUCCESS OF KAMANAA

Kamanaa has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in Dhivehi cinema with an incredible 37 housefull shows at Olympus Cinema. This unprecedented achievement marks a new chapter for local films, as it’s the first time a Dhivehi film has been screened at 02:30 PM—a slot never tried before. Not only did Kamanaa break barriers with 02:30 PM shows, but it also managed to fill seats for all four screenings in one day: 02:30 PM, 04:30 PM, 08:30 PM, and 11:30 PM. The demand for the film was so overwhelming that every show ran to a packed house, underscoring the film’s magnetic appeal.

A massive queue at Olympus Cinema, eager to grab their tickets for Kamanaa.

The excitement surrounding Kamanaa extended far beyond the capital. The film’s compelling storytelling, powerful performances, and socially relevant themes have sparked a nationwide craze. To date, Kamanaa has been screened in 74 islands with a total of 104 shows, a remarkable feat that reflects its wide-reaching impact. Moreover, the demand continues to grow, with 38 more islands already requesting screenings, proving that the film has captured the hearts of audiences across the Maldives.

While Kamanaa ends its historic run at Olympus Cinema, the journey is far from over. Starting from 20th September, the film will continue to captivate audiences at Shwack Cinema HM, giving more fans the opportunity to experience this groundbreaking film. The overwhelming response is a clear reflection of the film’s ability to resonate with viewers and foster meaningful conversations on important societal issues.

Kamanaa director and Shwack Cinema team up to bring the groundbreaking film to a new audience.

The success of Kamanaa is not just a victory for the filmmakers and cast but also a defining moment for Dhivehi cinema. It showcases the potential of local stories to inspire, challenge, and entertain, and it sets a new benchmark for future films in the industry.

AND THE WINNER IS…

I have no explanation for my absence except that I have been away from publishing any posts here for one year, two months, three weeks and four days. That’s four hundred and forty nine days.

The night of April 29th, 2014, ILSHA MALDIVES FILM AWARDS 2014 was held at revamped Olympus Cinema. The little film called INGILI (Finger) which Ravee Farooq, Hussain Munavvaru and I produced and released on May 16th, 2013 was nominated in 14 categories. It was behind DHILAKANI (Fire Sparks) written by me, leading the awards with 16 nominations.

INGILI which barely managed to break even its budget commercially ran away with most of the awards including BEST PICTURE. Here’s the list of awards that INGILI bagged that night.

BEST PICTURE

BEST DIRECTOR

BEST ACTOR

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

BEST SCREENPLAY

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

BEST MUSIC

BEST SOUND EDITING

BEST SOUND MIXING

BEST ART DIRECTION

BEST NEWCOMER ACTOR (MALE)

DHILAKANI took BEST ACTRESS and BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS awards. It was an added joy for me since DHILAKANI which was thrashed critically, most of the heavy criticism targeted at the role of the leading actress. Most felt she was portrayed like a loose canon. But for me I saw a terrific character arc in the role delivered with composure by none other than superstar, Niuma Mohamed. It was her third consecutive best actress award. Awesome!

Sadly, I watched the whole show from Colombo.

Cheers!