Imagenation Abu Dhabi, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Media, has signed an agreement with Empire International to distribute the former’s locally produced slate to theatres and on DVD in the Mena region.

The agreement will begin with the distribution of Imagenation Abu Dhabi’s first two local film productions, the coming-of-age story, Sea Shadow, directed by acclaimed Emirati film director Nawaf Al-Janahi (The Circle), and the Arabian horror thriller, Djinn, directed by horror genre master Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Poltergeist).

“Empire is an important player in the regional film market, with excellent reach and a long track-record of launching successful films here,” said Mohammed Al Mubarak, chairman of Imagenation Abu Dhabi.

“Imagenation Abu Dhabi is fully committed to developing a world-class film industry in the UAE, and our slate of local and Arabic language films will set new benchmarks in this region, starting with our two upcoming pictures, Sea Shadow and Djinn.”

“I am confident that this partnership will aid us in developing unique motion pictures that will appeal to local, regional and international audiences alike,” he added.

Michael Garin, CEO of Imagenation Abu Dhabi, continued: “The launch of our first local productions is an important milestone for Imagenation Abu Dhabi.”

“Given Empire’s extensive experience and knowledge of this market, they were an obvious choice to ensure our movies reach the right audiences and we hope this is the beginning of a successful long-term relationship.”

Mario G Haddad, CEO of Empire International, said: 'Indeed we are looking for a long and mutually prosperous collaboration with Imagenation Abu Dhabi. With Empire's extensive experience in the Middle East market, we know very well how to handle each and every special production across various territories of the Arab world.”

“We are also privileged to have been recognized and selected by Imagenation Abu Dhabi, a company we know is capable of delivering world class productions, starting with the distribution and launch of ‘Sea Shadow’ and ‘Djinn’ precursors of the fine slate of films in the pipeline for the coming seasons.”

Both Sea Shadow and Djinn are currently in post-production having completed principal photography in the UAE. Release dates for both films are yet to be announced. – TradeArabia News Service