Movie makers Imagenation Abu Dhabi on Sunday launched an internship programme focused on developing local film talent in the UAE.
Mawaheb (which means talents in English), which will offer Emirati students the opportunity to gain hands-on film making experience abroad, was launched in association with the Abu Dhabi Film Commission.
Support for the scheme will be provided by Imagenation Abu Dhabi’s international partners, including Participant Media, National Geographic Films and Hyde Park Entertainment, news agency WAM reported.
The company said there would be a mix of internships on offer, including roles at joint venture offices in Los Angeles and New York, and placements on the films sets of productions across the US and India.
Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, chairman of Imagenation Abu Dhabi, said: “The key to developing a sustainable film industry in the UAE is to nurture our homegrown talent. We have a generation of creative and gifted young Emiratis whose careers can only benefit from exposure to the best in the international film business.
“Our hope is that through our internship programme, we can identify high-potential talent that can play a role in the future of film in this region.”
Appointments at joint venture offices in Los Angeles and New York City are aimed at Emiratis who are interested in the business of filmmaking.
These internships will last between one and three months, and will provide practical insight into the day-to-day business of movie making.
The introduction of the initiative follows the announcement of the company’s first slate of Emirati films.
The movie-making firm’s schedule includes six films covering a range of genres – including the drama Million’s Poet, the horror thriller Djinn, the adventure comedy Alaska, the romantic comedy Monsoon and the romance Alis and Aishas.
The first film to be developed – a coming of age movie, Sea Shadow – was announced last month at the Cannes Film Festival and will begin shooting in the UAE in winter 2010/2011.
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