Horror fans everywhere have begun to rejoice with Paranormal Activity 2 set to bring sleepless nights when it hits theatres.
tabloid! spoke to producer Jason Blum, who is in the capital for both The Circle Conference and the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, about travelling to Abu Dhabi and possible collaborations with Emirati filmmakers.
What are you impressions of Abu Dhabi?
It's my first time here and I'm blown away by what I've seen so far. It's nothing like I imagined it to be. A lot of people in the US have described this part of the world as though it's Las Vegas but it's a disservice to do so.
Would you consider filming here?
Definitely! I'd love to work on a film here — it seems that everything in the city runs so smoothly that it would be a great experience.
I've talked to several Emirati filmmakers about different ideas. There are some that have potential to be turned into a co-partnership in the future.
What do you think about the industry?
I think the time is ripe for more investments in the local film industry, because of all this focus on culture and art. It would be great if the industry here reaches a point where instead of international production houses coming to film here, they are able to go to international locations instead.
Also, it seems that there are a lot of grants and competitions that help support those who are just starting out. In Europe, the government and private studios come together to finance films. That might be a good model to use here.
What do you think of the film festival?
The festival is amazing. All film festivals are great, because they give independent films a chance to be screened for members of the public. There are a lot of voices in the industry and it's more challenging to distribute than produce it because often studios try to finance films that have a broader appeal.
But I don't think that's a good goal for the UAE's film industry. Instead, they should focus on creating appealing films about the country and region that can be shown in international theatres.
