Auditions for the UAE Entertainment Experience, a first of its kind film production initiative was recently launched by the Sharjah Media City (Shams). The announcement was made at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The auditions witnessed performances from children between 7-12 years of age as well as by individuals in the age group of 13-65 years.
Through the UAE Entertainment Experience, Shams is developing a film industry infrastructure that will encompass all creative and technical areas of film production. The vision here is to create a favorable environment fueled by creativity whilst enhancing the Emirate’s reputation in the media and creative fields by highlighting local content regionally and globally.
H.E. Dr. Khalid Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Media City, shared his excitement of beginning this phase of the UAE Entertainment Experience’s audition in Sharjah.
Through the effort Shams aims to attract talents to this endeavor’s first phase of audition, which will be followed by other phases in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to be announced in the upcoming days.
Chairman of Sharjah Media City stressed that the UAE Entertainment Experience is an interactive, multi-platform production project based on engaging and attracting talents from all age groups and professional backgrounds to a project where the viewer is a part and parcel of the idea. He added that registration for audition is open at the Entertainment Experience’s e-platform, which is an advanced platform to engage audience in the film production process.
Sharjah Media City (Shams) has revealed the names of the dream team that will be a part of the UAE Entertainment Experience. Director Nahla Al Fahad (UAE), actors Habib Ghuloom and Abdullah Haider, writer Mohammed Hassan Ahmed will form this team. UAE-based talents including scriptwriters, actors, directors and people with cinematographic, lighting, music composition, graphics and interior design skills, will collaborate to bring together an Emirati film as per the competition’s requirements.
Khulud Abu Homos, CEO of Arab Format Lab, expressed her happiness about launching the audition process. She said that Arab Format Lab is committed to the success of this pioneering film project which “serves as an added value to the Arab filmmaking industry and to the Emirate of Sharjah’s diverse offering in terms of media, knowledge, thought and culture.”
Homos praised the efforts made by Shams to make this project a success. “A unique project, the UAE Entertainment Experience involves a team of filmmaking professionals who will inspire talented young creatives looking to pursue a career in filmmaking. It was a special day to see new talents turning up for the audition and casting call. At the audition a mentor assigned to each team will evaluate the candidates’ performance and characterization”, she said.
The entire experience of this initiative is based on the collaboration with the international award winning Entertainment Experience, which was implemented in many countries around the world, including Netherlands, China, South Korea, South Africa and Turkey and received global acclaim, in an attempt to identify talent to participate in the development of the motion picture industry in these countries.
