Cartoon Network Animation Academy Graduation

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 07 October 2012: Cartoon Network Animation Academy (CNAA) graduates celebrate the completion of their one-year animation course at twofour54’s tadreeb at Vox Cinemas in Marina Mall. The twelve animators from around the Middle East presented their reel of achievements to guests; including twofour54 CEO, Noura Al Kaabi and Cartoon Network Arabia Studios Creative Director, Adam Khwaja.

“I am thrilled to be present at such an important event as the second batch of students completes their training at the Cartoon Network Animation Academy. CNAA brought together these students, connecting them through their passion for bringing their art to life and their ambition to use their creativity to further the animation industry in the Middle East,” said Al Kaabi.

Ahmed Ali Basher, one of the graduates, said; “Studying at the Cartoon Network Animation Academy was such a wonderful and unique opportunity and I feel fortunate to have been trained by the experienced lecturers at such a great facility in the region.”

Afra Khamis, another student added: “Joining the academy was one of the best choices I’ve made. The things I’ve learned, the people I’ve met… the experience was beyond my expectations.”

About twofour54
An Abu Dhabi Government initiative, twofour54 is the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s leading media and entertainment hub. twofour54’s unique campus environment offers media and entertainment businesses the tools they need to succeed. These include 100% company ownership in a stable tax-free environment, facilitated business networking, easy licensing and business set-up services, broadcast and production facilities, and access to professional media talent and industry experts.

twofour54 delivers its advanced cohesive infrastructure through three key pillars: twofour54 tadreeb (the media training academy), twofour54 ibtikar (venture capital investment fund for Arab media and entertainment businesses) and twofour54 intaj (a state-of-the-art production complex including digital and post production facilities, broadcast and distribution facilities and the region’s only 3D Stereoscopic lab). These services are supported by twofour54 tawasol, facilitating easy business set-up and providing ongoing support services.

twofour54 is home to the world’s first Cartoon Network Animation Academy, a dedicated Gaming Academy in partnership with ubisoft and owns the leading global training provider, SAE Institute, in the UAE. The Abu Dhabi Film Festival and the Abu Dhabi Film Commission are also managed by twofour54 under a single vision to position Abu Dhabi as a creative hub for the region.

twofour54 has already attracted over 170 companies, which are now based at the Abu Dhabi campus. These include several of the region’s and world’s largest and most influential content creation companies, including Abu Dhabi Film Commission, Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Ubisoft, Sky News Arabia, Fox Intl Channels, CNN, BBC, Financial Times, C Sky Pictures, Thomson Reuters, Cartoon Network, PyraMedia, Bloomberg, Blink Studios, Charisma, VERITAS Films, Tahadi and Jawaker. Each of these partners has recognised the vast opportunity that the Arab world represents for growth, and has committed significant investment and resources to business initiatives that are led out of twofour54.

The name twofour54 is taken from Abu Dhabi’s geographical coordinates, which are latitude 24 north, longitude 54 east. This name was chosen to symbolise Abu Dhabi’s strategic position within MENA, and its central role in driving the development of the region’s growing media and entertainment industries.