Gulf Film Festival and Image Nation Abu Dhabi to support 7 new Gulf short films

Enjaaz, the post-production support programme, and Image Nation Abu Dhabi announced today a collaboration that will see them joining forces to further support the region's filmmakers in developing their own voices and taking their place in the international film community.

The move to strengthen the support for the production of Gulf short films was launched in 2011 between the Gulf Film Festival and the Dubai Film Market’s Enjaaz programme supporting 4 projects last year, and together with Image Nation Abu Dhabi will support 7 films from the 2012 Enjaaz cycle with the mission of bringing these projects to the big screen. This is the first time Image Nation Abu Dhabi and the Gulf Film Festival have pooled resources and funds with the common goal of supporting filmmakers from the Gulf towards the completion of their short films and further develop a sustainable film industry in the region.

The seven selected projects will see the filmmakers awarded up to $50,000 per project in production funds and access to a wealth of experience and guidance from Image Nation Abu Dhabi.  The Enjaaz projects include: Fragrance of the Dead from Bahraini writer Farid Ramadan and Iraqi director Emad Ali Abbas, Cholo written and directed by Munza Musafer from Oman, Don’t Leave me Behind from Emirati writer Yousef Ebrahim and director Khalid Al Mahmoud, The Crucified from Qatari writer and director Khalid Al Mahmoud, Cotton by Iraqi writer and director Loay Fadhl, Ambulance Driver written and directed by Hadi Mahoud and Our Screens written and directed by Mohammed Tawfik both from Iraq.

The projects Cotton, The crucified and Cholo were all selected through the Gulf Script Market for Short Films, an initiative that was launched in 2012 to raise the profile of the Gulf’s scriptwriters, assist them in fine-tuning their scripts and form partnerships with directors and producers.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Festival Director of the Gulf Film Festival, said: “The collaboration with Image Nation Abu Dhabi is a step forward in further building a stronger foundation for the film industry in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf. Working with strategic like-minded organizations who are dedicated to creating new and exciting opportunities for regional talent will significantly enhance the opportunities for these talented filmmakers.”

Mohammed Al Otaiba, Head of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, added: “Image Nation Abu Dhabi is excited to partner with The Gulf Film Festival and their Enjaaz program to support Gulf film makers. Our collaboration is in perfect alignment with Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s mandate to help develop a sustainable film community in the region, and all of the filmmakers selected for the initiative this year show much promise. We look forward to seeing their contribution to this exciting and rapidly growing industry.”

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