Abu Dhabi, Israel sign pact on film and TV production, film festival

Dubai: The Abu Dhabi Film Commission has reached a three-way agreement with Israel Film Fund (IFF) and the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film &Television School to come up with creative and financing possibilities in the fields of film and television.

“This agreement strengthens cultural ties between our creative industries as well as supports the development of Abu Dhabi’s film and TV sector through the creation of new opportunities for collaboration," said Mohammed Al Mubarak, Chairman of twofour54 and Image Nation Abu Dhabi.

The partners have agreed on an agenda consisting of four key initiatives - bilateral workshops, training, education, the International Film Lab and a regional film festival. In partnership with Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film &Television School (JSFS), Emirati students will be selected to study in one of three educational tracks in its acclaimed Jerusalem campus.

The agreement also specified plans for a regional film festival, which will rotate annually between Abu Dhabi and Israel and will showcase Emirati and Israeli productions and co-productions. Emirati filmmakers will have representation at the International Film Lab for the first time ever, with one UAE director invited to participate as a jury at the upcoming 2021 edition of the high-profile annual Film Lab competition.

Hans Fraikin, the Abu Dhabi Film Commissioner, said: “This new partnership between the UAE and Israel will be extremely beneficial for our burgeoning Emirati film and television community by allowing our talented content creators to broaden their landscapes and develop skills from diverse expertise.”

Training programmes will be developed for filmmakers from both countries to participate in intensive script co-development workshops over a period of several months, with the aim of developing and producing Abu Dhabi-Israel film and television co-productions.

Future objectives of the partnership will be announced soon and will include a bilateral film co-production agreement to facilitate and encourage co-productions between the film industries of Abu Dhabi and Israel.