Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC) has formed a film financing subsidiary that plans to spend more than US$1bn (Dh3.67bn) developing, financing and producing as many as 40 feature films over the next five years, it was announced yesterday.
Based in Abu Dhabi, the company, called imagenation abu dhabi, will form joint ventures with Hollywood and other international producers to create globally distributed movies and digital content, while also working with Middle Eastern film-makers to produce Arabic language and dual-language films with crossover appeal. ADMC is also the publisher of The National. "The idea behind imagenation is to create a relationship with the filmmaking community so we can develop the skills in Abu Dhabi to grow an industry," said Edward Borgerding, the chief executive of ADMC.
Mohamed Khalaf al Mazrouei, the chairman of both imagenation and ADMC, said establishing a strong global media company was a component of the emirate's investment strategy. "Abu Dhabi has established itself as a major player in the global economy, as evidenced through recent activity in the energy, real estate and transportation sectors," he said.
"Media is no different."
The first of the Hollywood partners will be announced within weeks, Mr Borgerding said. The company has already set up offices within ADMC and hired Stefan Brunner, a German who recently helped co-produce animated series for Marvel Entertainment, as its chief financial officer. Imagenation's first film project will be announced before the end of the year.
"We will make movies with hundreds of actors and hundreds of directors, and our movies will probably win Academy Awards because these kinds of guys are good at that, which is why I wanted to do business with them," said Mr Borgerding.
But for the former Disney executive from Michigan who was hired in March to lead the newly rebranded ADMC, the most compelling dimension of the new subsidiary is its mission to "develop a management class" from local talent who will be able to sustain the business of making movies in the emirate for decades to come.
"We are importing the Hollywood professionalism here, and we will put it together with talented professionals in the region, so that there can be a transfer of knowledge of how the industry is operated at the world-class level, which is how it is done in the United States and London," he said.
The venture represents the second wave of Hollywood alliances forged by the Government-owned ADMC, which also owns an array of television, radio, print and digital media assets. The first was the multibillion dollar deal signed last autumn with Warner Brothers and Aldar Properties to build a theme park, hotel complex and chain of movie theatres. That deal also created two film funds - one for Arabic-language films - and another for the development of video games. The partnership's first film, the family adventure comedy Shorts, directed by Robert Rodriguez of Spy Kids fame, is now in production.
Imagenation, however, will form its own, separate partnerships with Hollywood and Middle Eastern film-makers. These alliances, along with the company's recently formed joint venture with Arvato Middle East Sales, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann, the German-based media company, to create the digital media brand Getmo, were part of a larger effort to become a global media player.
But unlike most of its international competitors, imagenation will face the added challenge of having to balance the appetites of the global media marketplace with the cultural sensitivities of the Gulf.
"There's a line that we will not cross," Mr Borgerding said. "We will certainly not be involved in any movies that are insulting to Islam or insult the leaders of the country or the region. All of our partners are completely on the same page. There's not an upside in creating a huge problem with the region. It's not good for business.
"But other than that, we will make normal movies."
@Email:khagey@thenational.ae
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Engine 3.5L V6
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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The Laughing Apple
Yusuf/Cat Stevens
(Verve Decca Crossover)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
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Shower or bath after being outside.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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