Nawaf Al-Janahi is on a mission. The 32-year-old Emirati filmmaker is enjoying a coffee before heading into a youth theater festival where he hopes to discover some potential talent to work on his next feature film. He has been in the audience every night, but is yet to find anyone suitable.

If he's willing to be patient with this casting, though, his attitude towards the UAE's film industry is quite different. "Things are changing slightly," he says before stopping himself. "Actually, slowly. Things are changing slowly. I think in maybe a few years things will be remarkably different, but at the moment you can't really notice unless you're really, really involved in the industry."

Having acted from the age of seven and dedicated himself to filmmaking from the age of 14, it's fair to say that he is indeed really, really involved. After a lot of waiting - and almost two decades of hard work, including a three-year stint as a film student in San Francisco - Al-Janahi's first feature film, The Circle, hit the big screen this year. He starred on both sides of the camera; it was the realization of a long-held ambition. "Every dream I have is a practical objective and the possibility of reaching it is there for me. If I'm set for that dream - I'll keep working towards it until I get it." What, then, is his next objective? "Actually, I've already achieved it," the filmmaker says with a smile. "It was to be totally free and go professional with the filmmaking - I used to have a day job."

Having returned from California, Al-Janahi worked with Abu Dhabi Television for six years, then the Emirates Film Competition for two. Despite hailing from Abu Dhabi, his latest job came with the Dubai International Film Festival. Being free from the shackles of working life went a long way towards realizing his potential, but was not without its issues. "This is one of the problems we have in the UAE - when you talk about being an artist... everyone seems so consumed with the idea of having a job and a guaranteed salary," he says, gazing into his coffee. "I knew since I got back [from the US] that I didn't belong in any job; I just wanted to make films. I had to struggle with it, but I finally reached the decision and resigned."

Now, with The Circle edging towards a general release via several film festivals, and his second film going into production, the extra time is invaluable. The new film for which he is currently scouting will be shot on location over five weeks in Ras Al-Khaimah.

Although his work so far has been distinctly Emirati, Al-Janahi hopes that his stories appeal beyond these shores. He wants to create movies that are not bound by conventions of language or setting and believes that with The Circle, he went some way to achieving that dream. While he is very obviously an artistic person, would he be averse to having a big Hollywood hit?

"I think of film festivals only as doors to new audiences," he replies. "With the world of feature films, though, it doesn't make much sense if you don't go to the commercial cinemas. That's the aim really. Of course a big hit would be tempting, so why not?"

While Hollywood-calibre filmmaking still seems like a long way off for the UAE, Al-Janahi believes things are moving in the right direction. In Abu Dhabi alone, The Circle Project, the Middle East International Film Festival and the New York Film Academy are all striving to raise the profile of the city as a hub for cinema. Simultaneously, they are improving the appeal of filmmaking as a career for the local community.

From his experience, Al-Janahi feels that the foundations are in place for real progression; now the industry needs money men to start taking chances on local talent. "We can't say we have an industry right now; it's a movement," says Al-Janahi. "But with what's going on now, and if the production companies do what I'm hoping they will, then perhaps in five years we'll have a real film industry in the UAE."