Image Nation Abu Dhabi has announced that it had attracted funding from American production company, Participant Media, for its forthcoming documentary about the life of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by the Taliban while campaigning for womens access to education. The Davis Guggenheim directed project has a budget of several million dollars, and will […]
Image Nation Abu Dhabi has announced that it had attracted funding from American production company, Participant Media, for its forthcoming documentary about the life of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by the Taliban while campaigning for womens access to education.
The Davis Guggenheim directed project has a budget of several million dollars, and will be financed in a 50-50 partnership with Participant Media. Image Nation declined to give an exact figure for the deal.
Its a strong vote of confidence in the quality of the film were making, said Michael Garin, CEO, Image Nation.
We didnt seek Participant Media they wanted to be a part of this, and they came to us. Its very nice and very unusual.
This will also be the first time Image Nation has had a complete creative control over a major international film, in addition to providing its financing.
The film is in production, and is likely to be released in early 2016.
It was originally conceived as a dramatisation, but later became a documentary.
After Walter Parkes [the films producer] met with Malala and her parents, he realised a narrative script would do a disservice to the story theres only one Malala, Garin said.
The film is being produced by Parkes & MacDonald, a company launched by the founding presidents of the film studio Dreamworks, which also produced The Kite Runner.
It is likely to premiere at Sundance Film Festival, held annually in Park City, Utah, where Image Nation aims to attract a distributor.
The Emirati firm will have final controls over the message of the advertising campaign and the budget, according to Garin.
