Dubai Studio City (DSC), a member of Tecom Investments, on Wednesday unveiled its Dh1.5 billion ($420 million) multi-functional entertainment attraction for industry professionals at the 61st Cannes Film Festival.

Dubai’s dedicated free zone for media production and broadcasting industries also showcased its excellent overall infrastructure facilities at the much acclaimed global event for the motion picture industry, which opened today.

Developed over two million square feet of land in a park-like setting, the Village Centre will be located within the heart of Dubai Studio City, and provide an avenue for visiting film makers and their crew to network and unwind in an informal milieu, said a DSC official.

The venue will include restaurants, festival retailing, cinemas, two outdoor amphitheatres encompassing a central water feature, a 7,500-seating enclosed amphitheatre, and two five–star hotels.

Jamal Al Sharif, DSC executive director, said: “The Village Centre will be a vibrant component of Dubai Studio City, offering unrivalled experiences for visiting regional and international film makers. As a leisure and entertainment district, it will further contribute to placing Dubai on the global entertainment map as a much sought after destination.

“The entire facility’s architecture and facilities will reflect world class standards, in line with our mission to establish DSC as an ideal location for the audio-visual industry. We are also delighted to announce the Village Centre will house the headquarters of the Dubai International Film Festival, and will be designed according to its requirements.”

In 2006, DSC’s Location Approval Services (LAS) department was mandated as the sole authority that expedites and facilitates all aspects of production and filming in Dubai and the UAE.

The services being provided by LAS includes arrangement of all required approvals for production and filming, arrangement of visas, airline bookings and affordable accommodation for the crews, location scouting and access to a talent pool that suits the needs of local and visiting film producers. 

DSC announced the official opening of its Boutique Studios in December 2007, offering an ideal environment for independent production and broadcast companies. All the Boutique Studios have been booked by regional and international broadcasters.

Spread over an area of 22 million sq. ft., DSC was established to provide world class infrastructure and services to boost the growth of the film, TV, radio production, post-production and broadcast industries in the region.

With over 70 broadcasters, it hosts more than 160 TV channels that operate from Dubai Media City (DMC), another Tecom Investments subsidiary.-TradeArabia News Service