In a trans-geographical cooperation aiming for supporting young filmmakers to produce low-budget films, Film Clinic, with the support of the US embassy, has wrapped up the Virtual Cloud Filmmaking Salon Workshop in Cairo, which aims to empower young filmmakers to make their films by using easily available mobile devices and internet technology to share and tell their stories and make their own short films. The workshop was led by multiple award-winning filmmaker Tiffany Shlain along with her team from The Moxie Institute at San Francisco, and Egyptian Director Tamer Ezzat over the course of two Google Hangout Sessions on two separate days at the InterContinental Cairo Semiramis hotel.

Started on March 31st and having ended successfully with the selection of the top 5 films towards the end of April, the one-month-long workshop aimed at helping young filmmakers learn basic skills on filming on cell phones and other mobile devices, and most importantly the benefits of sharing videos shot by others from all over the world. The theme of most of the films produced was about connectivity, and the things that unite and empower us. Twenty five filmmakers participated in the workshop which yielded into producing 12 films; only five of them were chosen by votes as the best films to express the workshop.

Those films are: Mesh Aqaleyya (Not A Minority) by Nesma Zazou, Nos Wa Nos (Fifty Fifty) by Ahmed Fouad, Khat Sakhen (Hot Line) by Mostafa Al Barbari, Ekhteffa (Disappearance) by Ayman Abdel Hamid and Nos Kamel (A Whole Half) by Jasmine Amr Arafa.

The workshop comes as part of Cloud Filmmaking initiative which includes producing 10 universal short films in 4 years with the participation of people from across the world through sending video clips that sheds light on different aspects of their lives as a way of stressing communication between nations.

By the end of the workshop, the filmmakers were proud to have completed their first films, in most cases, and especially those whose films were selected among the five. In doing so, they came to realize that one does not need expensive technology and big production means to complete a short film that is fun, informative, artistic, and at the same time bursting with a quick paced energy. The community formed through this salon continues to exist today and the filmmakers are planning further projects in collaboration or on their own, armed with the knowledge gained during the workshop.

Tiffany Shlain is an American filmmaker and activist. Her films are best known for tackling complicated topics such as identity; science and technology. She received 56 awards and distinctions for her films through film festivals including Tribeca Film Festival, and was chosen by the American Newsweek Magazine to be included on the list of Women Shaping the 21st Century. The US Department of State uses Shlain's films at the country's embassies across the world as a medium of defining U.S.A.

Shlain co-established The Webby Awards which is given to artistically and technically outstanding films made over the internet. She also established The Moxie Institute of which the last 4 films have garnered 45 awards. Those films were also screened at the Sundance Film Festival. The New York Times proclaims the company's films are "incredibly engaging...Examining Everything From the Big Bang to Twitter."