FilmGate Productions and Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO) today signed an MoU to work together towards launching a drama series made entirely by People of Determination.
FilmGate, an independent productions company based in Abu Dhabi, founded the idea in line with its commitment to provide opportunities for people of all ages, genders, nationalities and abilities to showcase their creative talents. Upon forming the creative idea, the company reached out to ZHO in order to learn from their expertise and connect with their rich database of people of determination from around the Arab region. ZHO immediately welcomed the idea, and together the two organizations formed a committee of experts to drive the project forward.
The drama series, which will be funded and produced by FilmGate, is set to be undertaken entirely by People of Determination- including writing, acting, filming and production. FilmGate and ZHO began the awareness campaign by launching a joint invitation on social media for people of determination writers. Within five days, the invitation had received more than 300 submissions from around the world, including people from nearly every Arab nation, as well as India, Indonesia, and Brazil.
Through careful filtering and verification, the committee narrowed the list down to 35 submissions, of which a further shortlist will be created and selected writers contacted. The writers, who will be based both inside and outside of the UAE, will work together using virtual meeting systems to take part in writing workshops, with close supervision from the writing professionals on the FilmGate team.
Mansoor AlYabhouni AlDhaheri, Founder and CEO of FilmGate, commented:
“We are proud to join hands with an esteemed government organization like ZHO, to bring forth a brand-new idea which has never been undertaken in the history of the industry. We are aiming for this series to be done entirely by people of determination from start to finish, as we are confident that we will find top-quality professional talents around the Arab world”.
Al Dhaheri continued: “Upon looking at the writing samples that we have received, we are more certain than ever that this project will be a great reminder to everyone working in the industry of the importance of being inclusive and recognizing the talent of everyone in our society.”
The next step will include a casting call for actors, musicians, artists, cameramen, and those with experience in production and editing. The announcement will take place on the official ZHO and FilmGate Instagram channels. Successful candidates located outside the UAE will be flown to the UAE by FilmGate to take part in the filming of the project.
His Excellency Abdullah Abdulalee Al Humaidan, Secretary-General of ZHO, commented:
“FilmGate is a national-born company that is taking great strides towards supporting people of determination in creative arts. We are proud to support such a unique project, which will shed the light on the important role and incredible talents of people of determination, both locally and globally. The benefits to people of determination of active involvement and participation in the creative arts are extensive. Research has shown that people of determination involved in artistic endeavours including acting and writing can have improved social skills, communication skills and overall development, meaning that this project serves to further the central goal of the organization and the Abu Dhabi government; the empowerment and social inclusion of people of determination. The involvement of renowned experts such as FilmGate is of the utmost importance to the success of this unique project and we are looking forward to seeing the success and positive outcomes of this project in the coming months.”
All shortlisted talents will undergo a professional assessment by experts from ZHO to determine their intellectual and physical readiness prior to beginning the project. In addition, FilmGate will provide writing and acting workshops to the selected candidates, as well as hands-on supervision and training for the duration of the project, with an aim of creating a top-quality professional production of the highest standards. FilmGate will also hire a professional sign language interpreter as part of the crew to ensure ease of communication for everyone involved.
Work on the series has already started, with filming set to begin in the coming months in Abu Dhabi.
