Don't be surprised if, come December, you happen to see Dubai's famous landmarks captured on celluloid. The UAE's film industry has just received that much-needed boost with the launch of the country's first feature length film chronicling the lives of three expat couples chasing the Dubai dream.

Expats is the brainchild of one-man army, Craig Johnson, who has not only written the screenplay, but is also producing and directing the film. Shooting commences late September for this Dh2.5 million project, but the casting call is this weekend, with two lead parts up for grabs.

Aside from the cast itself, investment opportunities to fund this film are also available. "The challenge I'm facing now is raising Dh2.5m to fund my film," Johnson tells Emirates Business. "I'm selling 10 shares into the project at Dh250,000 per share. I'm not sure how difficult it is, but ask me in six weeks and I'll know."

For the New Zealand native, penning the film's screenplay was an easy decision, especially when scenes from the film have been directly lifted from his own experiences of living in the emirate over the past five years.

Johnson says: "I started to think about Expats as an interesting subject for a movie because Dubai is currently on the radar of the world. It's right up there with Beijing, a new kind of super city.

"We have witnessed this switch in power from the West to the East, with Arabia, India and China being the new empires. This boomtown has resulted in people coming here in search of opportunities and fortunes, and this film's main essence is to capture that on camera."

Comparing the city's current status to that of the California gold rush of the 1800s, Johnson believes that many people mistakenly believe that coming to Dubai will automatically result in rich returns. "People expect to see money being handed out here at the airport," he says. "You soon realise things work differently here."

That initial struggle is an essential part of the film's storyline, along with a subtle depiction of some of the common problems faced here, including discrimination at work. Johnson says: "The ethics of our situation here are also an integral part of the story. I've worked with Indians before who may have had the same qualifications as someone of another nationality, but they are on a different pay scale.

"I wanted to show it's not an even playing field at times, but by being mindful of the country's sensitivities."

The former stand-up comedian says he has always been interested in writing and used to pen his own lines for his live shows in New Zealand and even sold a film screenplay called Repping.

His own Dubai dream then became the focus of his writing skills and once the script of Expats was complete, Johnson decided to launch McMahon Johnson Films, a production company.

But unlike his earlier screenplay, Repping, which is in the midst of pre-production in the United States, the 36-year-old father-of-two wanted complete creative control of this new project.

"Repping is a semi autobiographical comedy about two travelling salesmen. When I sold that script, I was proud that in a money-obsessed market a production house had invested in my work.

"But I soon realised I had lost all rights to any creative input. I vowed to myself my next project will be produced by me. I wanted to keep what's written on the page true to what's on screen."

Johnson seems to have all his plans mapped out, but with filmmaking being such a risky business, has he anticipated all the hiccups he may face along the way?

"Filmmaking is a great industry, completely recession proof," comes the response. "When the economy is down, people look for cheap ways to escape their problems and cinemas thrive.

"Also, it's not just about making a film and letting things run their course. A film like The Blair Witch Project was made on a budget of $22,000 [Dh80,810], which to date has crossed $200m through residuals. The revenue residuals thro-ugh DVDs, satellite rights, in-flight films, soundtracks and sequels ensure the income is long running."

Johnson hopes his initiative will contribute to the growth of the local film industry, which he predicts is facing an upward surge thanks to Hollywood coming to Dubai to find funding for their projects. "It's only a matter of time," he adds.



CASTING CALL


Director/producer Craig Johnson is looking for stars to cast in his film, Expats, this weekend. Two lead parts are up for grabs, that of an Indian couple chasing the Dubai dream.

Johnson says: "The parts are for a man and woman between ages 28 and 35. They should be available for six weeks in
September."

The filmmaker is also looking to cast individuals for smaller roles. "People of all ethnic backgrounds are welcome."

You can e-mail Johnson on expats.dubai@gmail.com