Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi's Creative Media Authority (CMA) has announced a new partnership with one of the UAE's leading independent, Emirati-owned and operated production houses, FilmGate, to secure a suite of benefits for the wider production industry in Abu Dhabi. FilmGate will produce a minimum of 15 productions in Abu Dhabi over the next five years. The productions will employ 50 percent of production talent from within the CMA's ecosystem.
According to Emirates News Agency, the partnership will also provide extensive learning and development benefits for the ecosystem, including annual workshops hosted by FilmGate on specialist production topics and four, six-month paid internships per annum for young Emirati talent. This initiative aims to provide permanent employment opportunities to grow and nurture talent from within the UAE.
Mohamed Dobay, Acting Director-General of Creative Media Authority, stated that establishing partnerships with local and regional production leaders is crucial for the industry development strategy to position Abu Dhabi as a global content hub. Dobay emphasized the importance of supporting and increasing the Arab content produced in Abu Dhabi to ensure a thriving ecosystem for Emirati and wider Arab narratives.
The partnership is designed to offer various opportunities, including employment for over 1000 registered freelancers and internship opportunities for young creatives. Founded by leading Emirati filmmaker Mansoor Al yahbouni al Dhaheri, FilmGate will also benefit from the recent update on the rebate offered by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission. Qualifying productions can apply for cashback on production and postproduction spend, ranging from 35 percent to 50 percent based on specific criteria.
Mansoor Al yahbouni al Dhaheri, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of FilmGate, expressed that the new rebate for production starting January 1 and the partnership with CMA will maximize the opportunities offered by Abu Dhabi in terms of filming locations, creative infrastructure, talent, and financial support. Al Dhaheri, a renowned producer, director, writer, and philanthropist, has had his work showcased at various international film festivals and leads a team dedicated to creating engaging content from Abu Dhabi.
The FilmGate partnership is among several initiatives by CMA aimed at stimulating growth across the creative industries of Abu Dhabi, with the production industry being a key focus.