For more than 15 years, Faisal Hashmi has been making films in the UAE with whatever resources he can get his hands on. Sometimes that means a camera, a few friends willing to act and a house that could double as a film set.
Now, the Dubai filmmaker wants to turn that resourcefulness into a business model that he believes could help change the regional film industry.
Hashmi has launched Spine Drop Pictures, a production company dedicated to making commercially viable horror and thriller films with budgets of less than $1 million each. Its inaugural slate consists of three features, all written and set to be directed by Hashmi, with an emphasis on contained locations, high-concept stories and international appeal.
The idea emerged from his frustration with the way films are financed and produced in the region.
“I was very frustrated by watching this model here,” Hashmi tells The National.
He says projects that could be made for $400,000 or $500,000 sometimes develop into $2 million productions because local companies are accustomed to working with larger budgets. The additional expense makes it harder for films to recover their costs, potentially discouraging investors from supporting future projects.
Hashmi believes horror offers an alternative because compelling stories and effective scares can be achieved without expensive locations, elaborate visual effects or recognisable stars.
Three films, one business model
Spine Drop Pictures will launch with three projects intended to demonstrate Hashmi's approach.
Off Plan is an anthology of six interconnected horror stories taking place across Dubai over a single night. Each segment is designed to be filmed independently, allowing the production to share crew members and resources.
Cinder, a supernatural thriller set in the remote mountains of the UAE, expands on Hashmi's 2020 short film Amber. Meanwhile, Latching is a possession-revenge horror film unfolding over one night in Karachi, Pakistan.
The projects differ in subject and setting but share a production philosophy built around limited locations and manageable costs.
Hashmi also hopes the three-film slate will be attractive to investors, who can spread their risk across multiple productions rather than committing to one expensive film. A successful release could offset another that only breaks even.
His approach draws inspiration from the American production company Blumhouse, which established its reputation with relatively inexpensive horror films, including Insidious and Paranormal Activity.
He also cites Obsession, Curry Barker's 2026 horror film, which was produced for approximately $750,000 and has grossed more than $500 million worldwide.
Hashmi acknowledges that such extraordinary commercial success cannot reasonably be promised to investors. However, he believes the film demonstrates the potential of productions whose concepts are suited to their budgets from the outset.
The aim is to make films that feel complete at their intended cost, rather than forcing expensive ideas into productions that cannot adequately accommodate them.
Learning to make films with less
Born and raised in the UAE to Pakistani parents, Hashmi studied business before teaching himself filmmaking.
He began writing short stories in high school, eventually turning to screenwriting and directing when he struggled to find opportunities for his writing.
Over the following decade, he completed 10 short films, gradually gravitating towards horror and thriller films. His work, including Amber, Wicken and Skipped, has screened at international festivals and attracted audiences online.
Working independently required him to learn practically every aspect of production, from cinematography and lighting to sound recording and editing. That experience, he believes, has given him the technical understanding needed to execute productions efficiently.
Hashmi is also attached to write and direct Fractal, an English-language time-loop horror thriller being produced by Austria's Pont Pictures, with filming planned in Serbia in 2027.
Yet his ambitions extend beyond making his own films. He believes genre filmmaking has been overlooked in the Middle East, where socially conscious dramas are sometimes regarded as more culturally significant.
“There is a stigma against genre films,” he says. “We've sort of believed that there are important films and that there are genre films.”
Hashmi argues that horror can explore politics, race, gender and other subjects through stories that appeal to mainstream audiences. He cites Jordan Peele's Get Out as an example of a film that uses the genre to address social issues.
However, he cautions against treating horror simply as an inexpensive route into filmmaking. Although comparatively affordable to produce, the genre requires considerable skill to create genuine suspense and effective scares.
His frustration also stems from the years spent approaching producers and waiting for funding opportunities, including grants and international development programmes that can take years to materialise.
“I got tired of waiting,” he says.
Launching Spine Drop Pictures allows him to pursue projects on his own terms while testing a production model he hopes others in the region will eventually adopt.
Horror made in the UAE, for the world
Hashmi believes there is already a substantial audience for horror in the Middle East, pointing to the regular presence of genre films in local cinemas.
What has been missing, he says, is a consistent supply of home-grown productions capable of delivering the same experience.
The UAE's locations, cultural traditions and folklore could also give regional horror films a distinctive identity internationally. His experience releasing short films online has shown him that audiences are intrigued by the prospect of horror stories emerging from a country not traditionally associated with the genre.
However, he believes cultural specificity must be balanced with universal themes and accessible storytelling.
He also rejects the idea that audiences should feel obliged to watch his productions simply to support regional cinema. The films need to succeed on their own merits, delivering the suspense and entertainment that horror fans expect.
“You want to watch a scary movie, you're going to get to watch a scary movie,” he says. “It just happens to be from the UAE.”
