Sharjah Media City (Shams) has officially launched The UAE Entertainment Experience. This native project in the film production industry, is touted as first of its kind in the Arab World.
“Revealing the start of the work on the first Emirati and Arabic film is an important milestone of The UAE Entertainment Experience. Part of Shams’ strategy to ensure an innovation-based media environment, and to provide elements of a comprehensive and sustainable media city,” said Dr Khalid Omar Al Midfa, Chairman, Shams.
The announcement was made during the launch ceremony which was organized by Sharjah Media City in collaboration with Arab Format Lab.
“We are seeking to develop the film industry’s infrastructure and nurture young Emirati and Arab talent in all areas of film and television production. We also aim to stimulate start-ups and provide them with long-term training, which will reflect our strategic goal. As part of The UAE Entertainment Experience, Sharjah Media City will launch ‘films made by audience members’ for the first time in the Arab world,” Mr Al Midfa added.
In his speech, the chairman of Sharjah Media City also said, “We are pleased to launch the first 10 minutes of the script of the first Emirati crowdsourced film, as part of The UAE Entertainment Experience. In an interactive community of UAE-based talent, consisting of a group of scriptwriters, actors, directors and technical professionals who are respectively proficient in audio, cinematography, lighting, music composition, graphics and interior design will all compete. The project will include training, workshops and will culminate with an awards ceremony. The award-winning project has been successfully implemented in a number of countries thus far”.
Khulud Abu Homos, CEO of Arab Format Lab, is of the opinion that the project will serve as added value to the emirate’s offering in terms of media, knowledge, thought and culture. She expressed how Arab Format Lab is “proud to collaborate with Shams”, citing this as one of the Arab World’s “most important projects in the field content development for film and television production”.
Shams has revealed names of the team members that will take part in The UAE Entertainment Experience. These comprise director Nahla Al Fahad, actors Habib Ghuloom and writer Mohammed Hassan Ahmed and Abdullah Haider. The UAE Entertainment Experience is set to be an ongoing, interactive platform for crowdsourced movies.
