Broadcasting live to viewers around the world, managing local and international talent and ensuring that the show goes on is no easy endeavour even for the most seasoned veteran. Asma Abdelmajid Benlouaer, DFI’s star intern, is taking up the challenge and getting ready to go live this evening at 7:00 PM. The broadcast centre is set up in the heart of Souq Waqif and is the perfect place to catch all the action of tonight’s Made in Qatar red carpet. We were able to catch up with Asma a few hours before her big show to get the inside scoop.

‘I think that what makes a great webcaster is focus, focusing on what you are doing, trying to keep everything together, not stressing and of course always communicating with the team. Most of all I try to encourage a positive spirit and enjoy the experience,’ commented the up-and-coming broadcaster.

As a Qatar University Mass Communications student, Asma is learning a great deal and has taken her knowledge to the next level through her collaboration with DFI’s production team. The live broadcast will be the culmination of Asmas’ experience and quick thinking, as she put it ‘it’s an amazing opportunity to enrich my skills and learn more about web- and broadcasting in general.’

Having interned at DFI for the last several weeks, Asma has become an important member of the production team and adds her own flair. Tonight is a big evening, especially with the Made in Qatar Thriller Night that is screening Qatar’s first zombie feature film, ‘Lockdown: Red Moon Escape’, as well as the compelling films ‘Crazy Calm’ and ‘I’. With the potential that zombies might wander into the live broadcast, Asma will certainly have to keep things moving—even if they are the undead. Although this is her first time managing a broadcast, she speaks with confidence while thinking about tonight: ‘I can’t afford to hesitate or be scared; a whole show waits for my word – I have to make important decisions and not look back.’

We asked Asma to reflect on her internship at DFI and she excitedly replied, ‘I actually love DFI, it opened my eyes to new things in life. I always had lectures about media, was given homework and projects, but I never held an important position in a big company before. So from my point of view, interning with DFI is a big step for me and made me sure of what I want to do in the future.’

The only thing that would hold Asma back during the second half of the Festival is her longing to watch Robert De Niro’s latest film. ‘I saw the trailer and I became crazy in love with the film. I was meters away during the first screening of ‘Silver Linings Playbook’, but we had the show so I couldn’t make it. But I will definitely find a way to see it.” With her outstanding work ethic, determination and love of film, we are sure that the webcast will be picture perfect, we just hope that she will find a way to sneak into the second screening of ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ on Thursday (6:00 PM at the Al Rayyan Theathre in Souq Waqif). Tune in tonight at 7:00 PM to see Asma’s handy work and support local filmmakers walking the red carpet.