ABU DHABI //Fans of Emirati film productions will not have to wait long for two eagerly awaited movies to make it to local and regional cinemas.
An exclusive agreement between Imagenation Abu Dhabi, which develops, finances and produces Arabic and international features, and Empire International, the largest movie distributor in the region, will bring locally produced films to cinemas in at least 19 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Imagenation is owned by Abu Dhabi Media, the parent company of The National.
The first two films slated for release are Sea Shadow, a coming-of-age story by the Emirati director Nawaf al Janahi, and Djinn, an Arabic horror thriller directed by Tobe Hooper, known for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist.
Empire will be the exclusive distributor of the films, which are in post-production. No release dates have yet been announced.
"Empire is an important player in the regional film market, with excellent reach and a long track record of launching successful films here," said Mohammed al Mubarak, chairman of Imagenation.
"I am confident that this partnership will aid us in developing unique motion pictures that will appeal to local, regional and international audiences alike."
[ hkhalaf@thenational.ae ]
