Young movie and media art fans in the UAE have a unique opportunity to spice up their filmmaking skills at a special one-off workshop given by Griffin Hammond, acclaimed director of the hot sauce documentary ‘Sriracha.'

Organised by FUNN, the Sharjah-based organisation dedicated to helping the younger generations become engaged in media arts, in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate and Flag Island, the activity will see the award-winning filmmaker give a training session to children on how to create an engaging and enjoyable documentary.

Hammond will be appearing at The Flag Island in Sharjah on 4pm Tuesday, January 30, to screen his movie that traces the history and popularity of Sriracha, the spicy sauce that has rapidly established itself as a favourite condiment on table tops around the world. In addition to offering an exclusive viewing of his film to attendees, Hammond will be conducting a short documentary filmmaking workshop for youngsters aged 14 years and over to show how to create a captivating narrative film.

“We are pleased to be hosting Griffin Hammond, an award-winning documentary filmmaker who will be showing his highly praised Sriracha film and teaching the basics of documentary making to youngsters at a special workshop. The activity will see participants learn the fundamentals of the art and receive guidance on how they can turn an idea for a documentary film into a viable filmmaking project. This is an exciting opportunity for older children who are keen on movies and the media arts to see how an acclaimed documentary professional goes about his craft,” said Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of FUNN and SICFF.  

Based in New York City, Griffin Hammond has won numerous accolades for his award-winning Sriracha documentary. Dedicated to lovers of the spicy condiment that has developed a cult following, the film travels around the globe to reveal its origin and the man behind the iconic ‘rooster sauce.’ Griffin is also known in the industry for his work producing DIY filmmaking tutorials for indie filmmakers.

Anyone interested in registering for the workshop, should visit workshops@funn.ae or contact 06-5941232

FUNN strives to provide a platform for young talent to showcase their creativity and learn first-hand about different aspects of the media industry, thereby enabling them to gain real insight into and experience of the media arts at a young age. The organization’s ultimate aim is to form a close-knit community of talented and dynamic young people who can share their experiences and expertise on a global scale through the promotion of their media work at film festivals across the world.