DOHA // The idea first came to Raja Sharif last fall, as the Gulf seemed overrun with cinematic glitz and glamour.
"I saw that they were doing a lot of film festivals around the region," said the director of international affairs at the Doha-based media firm Alnoor Holdings, citing events in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai. He envisioned a new local event, but not another festival.
"I rang up the guys at the Financial Times I'd dealt with in past," he recalled. "I managed to convince them there was a big part of the movie industry that people didn't focus on."
They may not offer the tabloid appeal of Brangelina or the next James Cameron blockbuster, but the legal, financial and business aspects of the film industry are set to have their day in the sun later this month, at the inaugural Business of Film Summit, organised jointly by the Financial Times and Alnoor.
The event will be held March 22-23 in Doha and address the industry's changing international landscape. As the financial downturn has slowed funding from western banks, producers have ventured far and wide for new audiences and funding sources.
Hollywood players such as Warner Brothers and Sony have moved into the Indian market. Last year, Disney made The Book of Masters, its first film for a Russian-speaking audience. Last month, Fox Corp snapped up a piece of the Saudi-based Rotana media conglomerate. Here in Doha, Alnoor launched a US$200 million (734.6m) fund to finance and produce Islamic- and family-friendly films.
"This industry is in a state of flux," Mr Sharif said. "Film has had to shift in so many ways to increase capital and liquidity, in part by attracting people from the East and Middle East and allowing those who had ambitions to move into the film world, to do so."
The Financial Times Group had similar ambitions. FT has organised business and luxury events for 30 years, but none centred on film. "We're essentially getting our foothold into an industry which we haven't really engaged in the past," said Toufique Khan, FT's Business Development Manager. He had been looking to do events in the Middle East, and the time for a film business conference seemed ripe. "It looked as if there had been a shift in the industry," he said.
Partnering with Alnoor, FT developed the idea and put together the event's programming. Panel discussions will address the globalisation of film, the impact of technology, the role of governments and the budding film business in the Middle East region. Several events will address the changing landscape of the industry in the wake of the financial crisis.
Matthew Garrahan, FT's Los Angeles correspondent, will serve as chairman and present opening and closing remarks. The event is open to the public, for just under US$1,000.
Senior executives from Hollywood, Bollywood and Arab production firms are set to speak, including Greg Coote, the CEO and chairman of Dune Entertainment, which helped finance the most financially successful movie of all time, Avatar. Mr Sharif and Alnoor Holdings' CEO Ahmed al Hashemi told him about the summit during a meeting in Los Angeles late last year.
"I was immediately taken with the idea and moved my calendar around to accommodate the dates," Mr Coote said via e-mail from a Utah ski resort. Networking at this sort of event is a key part of the business, he explained, but even more important is branching out into new regions.
"Holding it in Qatar is really inspired," Mr Coote added. "The actual box office business in the US is mature, while the world outside of the US is a massive growth area for filmed entertainment, and this applies to the Middle East. By hosting the event in Doha, Alnoor and FT have thrown a spotlight on the region."
The Gulf has been polishing its film industry bona fides of late, with major festivals blooming across the region and new film funds such as that of Alnoor. The first big budget Qatari film will hit theatres in May, following the release of several Emirati films.
Still, Mr Sharif believes the global spotlight represents progress only if it leads to profit. Despite all the show, the film industry is a business, just like any other. Before investors can make money they must first stir up interest, get people talking. That, according to its prime mover, is one of the main goals of the summit.
"It's a nice way for people to understand the legal, financial, and business issues involved in filmmaking," said Mr Sharif. "We know all about the glitz and glamour, the movie stars, but this will focus on the inner workings of the film world people mostly don't see, maybe create a buzz about the business side of the industry."
@Email:dlepeska@thenational.ae
Business Insights
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Stage result
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 4:42:34
2. Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
3. Elia Viviani (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
5. Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
6. Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
7. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar Team
8. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9. Tom Devriendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
10. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirate
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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The view from The National
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
START-UPS%20IN%20BATCH%204%20OF%20SANABIL%20500'S%20ACCELERATOR%20PROGRAMME
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
More Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions:
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.
Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded