The casting call comes as part of a project, with an aim to have the majority of its cast be People of Determination- including writing, acting, filming and production.
FilmGate Productions and Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO) have launched a global casting call, seeking an experienced Film Director and Executive Producer from People of Determination (those with disabilities), as part of the second phase in the production project announced last year.
The casting call comes as part of a unique project, which will be funded and produced by FilmGate, with an aim to have the majority of its cast be People of Determination- including writing, acting, filming and production.
FilmGate, an independent productions company based in Abu Dhabi, founded the idea in line with its commitment to provide opportunities for people of all ages, genders, nationalities and abilities to showcase their creative talents. From its end, ZHO is providing its limitless expertise and global database, as it is the leading government organisation in the UAE responsible for supporting People of Determination. The phrase ‘People of Determination’ was a term coined by the government of the UAE to refer to all persons with special needs- primarily those with physical and intellectual disabilities.
The first phase of selecting the writers was completed after FilmGate and ZHO began the awareness campaign for the project in Q4 of 2020, as they launched a joint invitation on social media for writers from People of Determination. Within five days, the invitation had received more than 300 submissions from around the world. A talented team have now been selected, which includes Mohammed Al Azmi from Kuwait, Ahmed bin Salem Al Hajji from Oman, Mouhannad AlAkous from Syria, and Shady Todary from Egypt.
The casting process is expected to take place over the next few months, beginning with the Director and Executive Producer, who will play an active role in the selection of the cast and crew and working with the writer’s Jury to finalise the requirements for their scripts.
The pre-production process is then expected to continue over the next several months, as applications for all roles will be thoroughly considered, and then those who have been shortlisted will be contacted for further interviews and assessments. Filming for the series is set to take place mainly in Abu Dhabi, with a plan to begin in Q4 of 2021.
Interested applicants can apply on the website. A casting call will soon also be launched to fulfil various other roles for the series.
