Region's movie makers under spotlight at MEIFF

This year's edition is focusing on gaining sustainability and larger investment for independent filmmakers, and organisers say the push for funding is proving a success.

"I think independent filmmakers throughout the Middle East have always struggled to get funding," said Kellen Quinn, executive coordinator of MEIFF.

The festival has had a fledgling role in the past when it came to gathering finance for projects. This year however, they have gathered funding to finish local independent movies.

"What we did this year was pool money through a production grant," said Quinn. "We were really happy to choose three excellent films. In this case we found three that were exceptional, but did not have the funds to finish the project."

Those were Son of Babylon, Port of Memory and We Were Communists. Quinn would not disclose the value of the funding made available, but said that two of the films had been completed since receiving the funding and one would be finished soon. "Son of Babylon has gained a lot of interest from buyers," he added.

Beyond funding the completion of the best quality movies from local producers, the festival's organisers are increasingly focusing on bringing in buyers from around the world to purchase the final product for global output.

Creating a marketplace for finished films imitates the world's most famous film festivals, such as Cannes, where movie-makers screen their work in the hope of high profile international releases.

"One of the things we did this year was invite as many buyers and sellers as possible," said Quinn. Part of this was hosting special screenings for movies in need of buyers, as possible purchasers were able to watch more closely what was on offer from the region.

Double feature

The Circle Conference, held annually by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, coincided with the festival this year. The conference is focussed on the money side of the region's movie business and has brought together over 250 people from 30 countries to make investment connections.

From local film school graduates to big names such as film executive Hutch Parker and CBS TV network president Nancy Tellem, the event was much larger than previous years and provided an opportunity for deals to be made between the two.

"This is the third year and we have more than doubled the number of delegates that have come," said David Shepherd, director of the Abu Dhabi Film Commission.

Holding the festival and conference at the same time of course brings more people to the table at once, and adds to the investment dynamic of the event.

"Filmmakers that are here as part of the film festival attended the conference as well," said Shepherd.

He is optimistic about the future of the region's movie-makers, pointing out that changes in the industry around the world as a result of the economic crisis are providing Arab professionals new opportunities.

Growth curve

"Hollywood is changing its business model, banks are pulling out of funding films all over the world — but we're pretty much at the start of a growth curve," he said.

In the region, he said, there are still cash-rich investors. Moreover, the slump in real estate and shares means those with money to invest are becoming more open to pooling it into new industries as traditional targets suffer.

Indeed, despite the problems faced by giants in Hollywood as a result of the recession, Shepherd pointed out that the media industry has always bounced back for investors. "The media industry all around the world has always gone ahead of econ-omic growth in each country," he said.

Investing in the movie business is new ground for many in the Middle East, so the Film Commission held workshops two weeks ago ahead of the conference to coach potential investors and sellers on how to structure deals and write up contracts.

The key to success with the region's movie business, he stressed, was to secure longer-term investments in companies rather than single projects and films, which will in turn increase employment opportunities for local talent.

"It's more about trying to introduce more production companies," said Shepherd. "Trying to establish more sustainable projects. There is a success story to be had here."