Imagenation Abu Dhabi taps the coming of age story “ Sea Shadow” as First Emirati Film Project

Imagenation Abu Dhabi announced that the drama Sea Shadow will be the first in a series of exciting Emirati film projects to be developed, financed and produced by the company.

Directed by acclaimed Emirati film director Nawaf Al-Janahi, and written by Mohamed Hassan Ahmad, Sea Shadow is an endearing coming of age story which centers on first love, family relationships, and deeply-rooted values. The project is scheduled to begin shooting in the UAE in October/November 2010.

Abu Dhabi based Al-Janahi, 33, has directed and produced several highly acclaimed films, including the short Mirrors of Silence and full-length feature, The Circle, which premiered at the Gulf Film Festival in 2009.

Sea Shadow is set in an Emirati neighborhood (Fireej), where traditions and the local culture make it harder to express love and emotions openly. The story follows 16 year-old teens Mansour and Kaltham, who commence a journey of self discovery that takes them from Ras al Khaimah all the way to Abu Dhabi after life in their little fireej is shaken up by misunderstandings, mix-ups, and wrong decisions. Will Mansoor win Kaltham’s heart?

H.E. Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of Imagenation Abu Dhabi remarked:

“Sea Shadow is a significant milestone in the evolution of the film industry in the UAE. This film signals our determination to help grow a generation of filmmakers whose work is of a quality and standard to appeal both to local and regional audiences, and which is powerful enough to resonate with discerning movie goers internationally.”

Edward Borgerding, CEO of Imagenation Abu Dhabi, said:

“It’s our goal to be the media and entertainment group of choice in the Arab world. Films like Sea Shadow help us advance that ambition and also help us to nurture and attract the home-grown talent which are key to the future of the creative and media industry in the region.”

Director Nawaf Al-Janahi added: “We want the world’s movie industry to sit up and take notice of what we are doing here in the Emirates. Sea Shadow will help us do that. It is a perfect showcase for our local acting and filmmaking talent and offers genuine cultural insights which should be at the heart of all good films.”

Imagenation Abu Dhabi is committed to developing the film industry in the UAE by producing films with Emirati content and talent, encouraging the growth of Emirati filmmakers, and advancing the quality of film production in the region. The company has a number of international partnerships which have allowed it to bring best-in-class experience and expertise back to the UAE to both develop local content and work closely with local talent, sharing the skills of Hollywood and the international production community with the industry in the UAE. Sea Shadows is the first film in a slate of Emirati films that Imagenation Abu Dhabi is committed to producing in the UAE.

Mohammed Hassan Ahmed Biography
Mohammed Hassan Ahmed is a an award-winning author and scriptwriter who is penning Imagenation Abu Dhabi’s upcoming feature, Sea Shadow, which is the first Emirati project to be developed, financed and produced by the company. Directed by Nawaf Al Janahi, Sea Shadow is an endearing coming of age story which centers on first love, family relationships, and deeply-rooted values. The project is scheduled to begin shooting in the UAE in October/November 2010.

Mohammed recently completed short film scripts Aswad fateh and Sabeel. His previous cinematic credits include acclaimed short films such as Mariamy, Bent Mariam, Tanbak, Small Sky, and Ameen.

Mohammed Hassan Ahmed’s television works includes thirty episodes of the television series Etr Aldar. In addition, he penned the novel Lel Hozn Khamsat Asabea and a collection of poetry & prose entitled Zeham la Ahad Feh.

Mohammed also founded Faradees Cinematic Group and Faradees newspaper which make a significant contribution to the movie industry in the UAE and the region.
Mohammed received 21 awards and certificates from numerous film festivals around the world: Morocco, Rotterdam, San Francisco, Muscat, Moscow, Iraq, Italy and Al Quds. Among his most recent accolades, are: Best Scenarist award in the Emirati Talent Competition at the Dubai Film Festival, December 2009; Best Short Film award for “Bent Mariam” in Al Quds film festival, 2009; Best Gulf Script Writer award for the movie “Mariamy” at the Gulf Film Festival, 2009.

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Nawaf Al-Janahi Biography
Nawaf Al-Janahi is an Abu Dhabi-based actor and award-winning director who is associated with a number of acclaimed short and feature length films.

Al-Janahi will direct Imagenation Abu Dhabi’s upcoming feature, Sea Shadow, which is the first in a series of Emirati projects to be developed, financed and produced by the company. Written by Mohamed Hassan Ahmad, Sea Shadow is an endearing coming of age story which centers on first love, family relationships, and deeply-rooted values. The project is scheduled to begin shooting in the UAE in October/November 2010.
Al-Janahi’s short film, Mirrors of Silence, is celebrated among film critics and audiences alike. The film has been selected in over 22 international film festivals around the world, frequently the only film from the United Arab Emirates represented. “Mirrors of Silence” is set in a modern city, where a young man is confronted by a distressing loneliness.

Al-Janahi’s first feature, The Circle, premiered at the Gulf Film Festival in 2009 and was described as “a major turning point in Emirati and Gulf cinema.” The Circle was the first feature narrative production by MBC group and was shot in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The film centers on Ibrahim, a poet and a journalist, who discovers that he is dying from a fatal disease, and Shihab who is a professional thief. They meet accidentally just to begin seeing the world with different perspectives.

Al-Janahi is an active member of the Emirati film community. In 2001 Al-Janahi founded Emarat Films, the first website serving the local film movement.

He was born in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in 1977 and studied cinema arts in the USA.