Filmi to support UAE feature films

Filmi, part of Watani, has announced its partnership with The Gulf Film Festival (GFF) and Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF)  to bring projects selected through Enjaaz, the post production support programme which aims to help further boost the emerging Emirati identity within the global film industry, to fruition.

Filmi, the innovative project which launches on May 1, will be dedicated to Emiratis working within the media industry and filmmakers to promote, reinforce and enhance the cultural identity of the UAE, practices of good citizenship and promote Emirati social values through films. A key objective is to support filmmakers from the UAE to take their films to festivals around the world and showcase their work to international audiences.

Filmi has allocated a dedicated fund to support a minimum of four Emirati projects for both production and post production in the coming 12 months and will select two features, fiction or documentary, per Enjaaz cycle in July and February 2013. This additional funding will be available for new and emerging talent from the UAE who are passionate about bringing stories that reflect the rich diversity of life in the UAE to audiences around the world.

Dubai International Film Festival and Gulf Film Festival Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “We are thrilled that Filmi is supporting features that have been selected through Enjaaz, every year we are presented with a diverse collection of bold, unique projects from Emirati filmmakers that require resources to bring their projects to fruition. Through this partnership between Filmi and Enjaaz, UAE talent will have the opportunity to apply to Enjaaz for feature films that require financial production support. Valuable associations with organizations like this only help us further contribute to the cultural landscape in the UAE and we are honored to be working with them.”

Watani Director General, His Excellency Dherar Belhoul commented on the partnership: “Our investment in this partnership is in fact an investment in Emirati filmmakers and the broader support of their creativity and innovation. It is this common goal which unites us with the Gulf Film Festival and Dubai International Film Festival and has driven the development of this partnership as we strive to empower the Nation’s filmmakers of the future. We are proud to be in a position to offer Emirati filmmakers’ the opportunity and support to develop feature-length films and hope that today’s partnership opens the door to new areas of cooperation aimed at nurturing the film industry in the local community and across the Gulf.”