ABU DHABI // Support for Arab filmmakers and locally produced cinema is growing as the country's movie industry expands.
According to Image Nation, an Abu Dhabi company that commissions and produces original films, a support network is now in place to cultivate Arab talent in the industry.
Rami Yasin produced the Emirati-made film Sea Shadow, released in 2011. He spoke at Bopcorn and Sawaleef, a monthly event hosted by Image Nation, designed to help local producers and industry figures network and share ideas.
"During the 80s and 90s, the journey to becoming a filmmaker was lonely and you had to travel abroad to learn about it and access information," he said. "The industry is constantly developing and growing in our region and this means emerging filmmakers have a lot more support in today's world."
Mr Yasin hopes that by continuing to involve as many people as possible, a strong UAE-based movie community can continue to flourish.
"Networking is the ultimate skill a filmmaker can have when looking to fund their films," he said. "Filmmaking is a very hands-on job, and it's crucial to get to know other industry professionals and learn from their experience.
"Events like Bopcorn are a great way to meet and link with other filmmakers, form beneficial alliances and learn various aspects of the industry that you can't read about in a book."
Bopcorn and Sawaleef is open to anyone who has an interest in the film industry, and gives people the chance to speak to experts in the field.
The potential of "crowd-funding" was highlighted at the event, as a way to raise enough money to produce original, local films, without large commercial backers.
Image Nation, an Abu Dhabi Media subsidiary, is now in its second year of operation.
"With access to so many fantastic filmmakers in the UAE, events like Bopcorn and Sawaleef can really make a difference," explained Mohammed Al Otaiba, the head of Image Nation who moderated Monday's events.
"We're so proud to have reached our first year anniversary and we're really looking forward to seeing fresh ideas for the upcoming year."
The next feature film from Image Nation, the horror flick Djinn, is due for release later this year.
ksinclair@thenational.ae
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
LIVERPOOL SQUAD
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams
Blonde
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
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The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
