The School of Media and Communication, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Dubai Campus, will hold its 5th Manipal International Media Research Conference  yesterday (Tuesday).

The conference will feature speakers from a range of professions representing media and communication, said a press release.

Among them are Indian actor Gulshan Devaiah, critically acclaimed cinematographer Kamaljeet Negi, VFX artist Ragui Hanna, award-winning filmmaker and film historian Anil Zankar and documentary filmmaker and media academician Prof Dr Nilufer Pembecioglu.

The speakers will shed light on their experiences as media professionals and share insights on the future of the media industry.

This year, the conference explores the theme ‘Emerging Trends in Storytelling’.

The theme will stimulate elaborate conversations on the trends emerging in different facets of the media industry, the release said.

With research paper presentations from media scholars and academicians all over the globe, the scope of research further delves into various streams in media and communication - news, advertising, film making, pedagogy and many more.

The conference will also feature panelists from the industry engaging in substantial discussions on the topic ‘Storytelling in the Age of Disruption’.

The panelists are Mohammed Al Mezel, managing editor at Gulf News, Ehtesham Shahid, managing editor at Al Arabiya English, Dr. Padma Rani, director and professor at School of Communication, MAHE, India, and Sajith Ansar, CEO of Idea Spice.

Chiranjib Sengupta, hub editor at Gulf News, will moderate the panel discussion. The conference will also showcase performances pertaining to the theme by students.