Vol. 21 Issue 08 August 2019 PLUS NEWS OPINION INTERVIEWS TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY TRENDS EVENTS PRODUCTS Spot Your Niche FRONT ROW FILMED ENTERTAINMENT ON TRANSFORMING FROM DISTRIBUTION TO CONTENT PRODUCTION G IA N LU C A C H A K R A , M A N A G IN G D IR E C T O R, FRO N T RO W FI LM E D EN T E RT A IN M EN T. LOCAL CONTEXT Exclusive interviews with local content creators and fi lmmakers Download the free DS app and be the fi rst to read the latest issue on your mobile devices. An ITP Media Group Publication CONTENTS AUGUST 2019 5 UPDATE NAT GEO’S NEW DOCUMENTARY SERIES FOCUSES ON ABU DHABI ENVI- RONMENT; BOB THE BUILDER TO MAKE MIDDLE EAST DEBUT ON DKIDS; ARAB EDITION GAME OF THRONES UNNECES- SARY, MAAZ SHEIKH; THERE’S A BURST OF ACTIVITY DESPITE CHALLENGES – AN- DREAS HILMER, IABM; DALET TO ACQUIRE OOYALA FLEX MEDIA PLATFORM BUSINESS; SALMAN KHAN HEAPS PRAISE ON ABU DHABI’S TWO- FOUR54 12 EDITOR’S COLUMN NEW BEGINNINGS 14 IN FOCUS MDX STUDIOS OF MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY DUBAI ON BEING DOL- LAR BABIES 42 5 MINUTES WITH DAVID BEEBE, FOUND- ER & CEO, STORIFIED HOSPITALITY GROUP 20 COVER STORY Gianluca Chakra on carrying on the family legacy of fi lm distribution, and getting into more co-productions for local Arabic content. 24 INTERVIEW Zenofer Fathima, a Dubai-based short fi lmmaker, on her latest venture and what drives her to strive 29 SPECIAL REPORT: LENSES Digital Studio sheds light on the current state of the lens market and the growth being fueled by 4K cameras. 38 IBC2019 In conversation with Mike Crimp, chief executive offi cer, IBC2019 — what’s new at the show and what to look forward to. 14 24 27 42 39 20 www.digitalstudiome.comAUGUST 2019 / 3 SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE WWW.ITP.COM /SUBSCRIPTIONS WWWWWWW W.W.W.W.W..WW ITITII P.COM/SUBSCR IPTIONS DON’T MISS AN ISSUE! CH-1CH-2 Published by and © 2019 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC MEDIA PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Alex Reeve Group Publishing Director Ian Stokes Group Editorial Director Greg Wilson EDITORIAL Editor: Nikhil Pereira Tel: +971 4 444 3419 email: nikhil.pereira@itp.com ADVERTISING Sales Director Andrew Cover Tel: +971 4 444 3502 email: andrew.cover@itp.com ITP LIVE General Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 444 3549 email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com PHOTOGRAPHY Cover Photography: Abdallah Sabry / Black Creative Studios Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Rajesh Raghav, Adel Rashid Staff Photographers Aasiya Jagadeesh, Fritz Asuro, Ajith Narendra, Yuliya Pertrovich, Jessica Samson PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Basel Al Kassem Production Co-ordinator Manoj Mahadevan Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles CIRCULATION Head of Circulation Vanessa D’souza Circulation Executive Loreta Regencia MARKETING Director of Awards & Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Events Manager Teri Dunstan ITP GROUP CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. www.digitalstudiome.com4 / AUGUST 2019NEWS UPDATE National Geographic Abu Dhabi and the Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) has launched a new documentary series that showcases the UAE’s diverse fl ora and fauna and steps that can be taken to preserve this natural heritage in Abu Dhabi. The series will air exclusively on National Geographic Abu Dhabi channel. Entitled “Explore Your Environment,” the fi ve-part documentary series takes viewers on a journey across various protected areas within Abu Dhabi. It refl ects Abu Dhabi’s commitment to protecting the biodiversity of its desert and marine ecosystem. These include over 400 plant species and two to three million migrating birds, which pass through every year. The series is narrated by Emirati explorer and conservationist Fahood Taymour, the series consists of two-minute videos taking the viewer on a journey across the Emirate’s protected areas. Stops include Jebal Hafi t National Park and Al Wathba Wetland Reserve among many. Documentary series exploring the UAE’s protected areas will air exclusively on National Geographic Abu Dhabi channel NAT GEO’S NEW DOCUMENTARY SERIES FOCUSES ON ABU DHABI ENVIRONMENT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT THIS MONTH IN THE TV AND FILM PRODUCTION INDUSTRY 07 UPDATE 12 EDITOR’S LETTER 16 IN FOCUS 20 COVER STORY 27 SPECIAL REPORT The new show by National Geographic Abu Dhabi is in association with the Environ- ment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) www.digitalstudiome.comAUGUST 2019 / 5 NEW ARABIC NETFLIX DRAMA DOLLAR SET FOR AUGUST PREMIER CEDARS ART PRODUCTION - SABBAH BROTHERS PRO- DUCED SHOW WILL STAR ADEL KARAM AND AMAL BOUCHOUCHA Netfl ix’s latest Arabic original is a fast-paced action- packed drama that has all the elements of a Middle Eastern production. Dollar is set in modern day Lebanon and stars Lebanese fi lm veterans Adel Karam and the charming Algerian/Lebanese Amal Bouchoucha. The series has been directed by renowned Syrian director, Samer Berkawi, who has previously pro- duced Al Hayba and Half Day. The show is produced by Cedars Art Production - Sabbah Brothers, and written by Hisham Hilal. Dollar, joins Netfl ix’ diverse and growing slate of Arabic productions, will telecast 15 episodes. The series will also mark the return of the Oscar nominee Adel Karam to Netfl ix. Talking about his second collabora- tion with Netfl ix, Berkawi said: “I’m confi dent that the show will appeal to Netfl ix’s audiences worldwide. This project is an exciting one, bringing together themes of suspense and drama that showcase Amal Bouchou- cha’s onscreen talents, as well as Adel Karam’s versatility beyond the com- edy that he is known and loved for.” Dollar will be streaming on Net- fl ix from August 8, subtitled in 20 languages to 148 million members in over 190 countries. TV’s Bob the Builder will air on Dkids from July 8, with a dedi- cated new season in the region. The show is targets pre-school age viewers, with each episode featuring elements of the STEM curriculum with real and practical learning value, as well as lessons in social and emotional development. Nahla Elmallawany, head of content at Discovery Networks MEA, said: “We’re really excited to bringing a new season of the much-loved Bob the Builder to the Middle East and add another world-class show to our Dkids portfolio, providing new opportunities for our younger audiences and families to engage in valuable edu-tainment.” Available in dual language, Bob the Builder will air from Sunday to Thurs- day at 2:30 (KSA) on DKids, the dedi- BOB THE BUILDER TO MAKE MIDDLE EAST DEBUT ON DKIDS THE KIDS PROGRAMMING WILL BE AVAILABLE IN DUAL LANGUAGE AND WILL AIR FROM SUNDAY TO THURSDAY 11.7M BRITS WATCHED ENGLAND’S LOSS TO USA ENGLAND’S LOSS TO USA IN THE 2019 FIFA WOMEN’S DRAW IS MOST WATCHED TV PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR As many as 11.7m Britons tuned in to watch the England women’s semi-fi nal bout against the USA women’s team in the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. According to the Telegraph the football match between England and USA, which ended in defeat for the lionesses 2-1, was the most-watched British television broadcast of the year. An average of 10.3 million Britons watched the entire match – although the fi gures do not include the many people who watched it via the BBC’s online streaming services or those who watched in public spaces or pubs, the Telegraph reported. cated children’s brand within Discov- ery’s network of factual entertainment channels. NEWS UPDATE www.digitalstudiome.com6 / AUGUST 2019StarzPlay’s fi rst Arabic original production will be based in the UAE but will feature a pan regional storyline. Maaz Sheikh, CEO, StarzPlay has suggested that the Arab world does not need its own Game of Thrones-style show as Western content and language do not refl ect regional cultural values and traditions, Digital Studio ME’s sister-publication Arabian Business reported. Sheikh also said the platform will launch its fi rst Arabic original based in the UAE, but that it will be sensitive to regional cultural values, particularly following the backlash faced by competitor Netfl ix over its controversial series Jinn based in Jordan. Viewers slammed the show for featuring intimate scenes, alcohol consumption and vulgar language, which they argued are against Jordanian culture, values and principles. It led the Jordanian government to launch ARAB EDITION GAME OF THRONES UNNECESSARY, MAAZ SHEIKH STARZPLAY’S FIRST ORIGINAL ARABIC SERIES WILL BE ‘SENSITIVE TO CULTURAL VALUES’ FOLLOWING BACKLASH FACED BY NETFLIX OVER JINN an investigation into the series and the national army’s cybercrime unit to attempt to pull it from Jordanian Netfl ix. “There was a lot of negativity and backlash around Jinn, so we’ve been watching that and trying to fi gure out what works in the region: what it is that people are sensitive about, why consumers accept certain language and scenes in Western language content, but do not accept it for their own Arabic content. “When we look at our original content, we’re going to be sensitive to that. As much as people say, ‘We want to produce the Vikings of the Arab world or the next Game of Thrones of the Arab world,’ I’m not sure that is the right strategy as far as audience preferences are concerned,” Sheikh said. Meanwhile, StarzPlay has been ranked as the region’s leading platform in terms of subscriptions for the second consecutive year by IHS Markit Pay TV & Online Video Report – MENA - 2019. StarzPlay successfully retained its leadership position with 29% market share in terms of subscriptions. On the revenue front as well, StarzPlay is joint market leader with 32% market share, a combination of exclusive content and the company’s ability to secure deals from telecom operators and device manufacturers regionally has enabled it to grow in the region. Sheikh added: “Our performance underlines the success of our strategy which has been threefold with a focus on content, the user experience and range of convenient payment options that are tailored to local market needs. It’s been a remarkable journey since our inception fi ve years ago, and we look forward to continuing to drive value in 2019 and beyond as we link up with regional telecoms operators and brands in the entertainment space to help us remain one step ahead.” NEWS UPDATE www.digitalproductionme.comAUGUST 2019 / 7DALET TO ACQUIRE OOYALA FLEX MEDIA PLATFORM BUSINESS ACQUISITION WIDENS MARKET OFFERING AND ACCELERATES THE MOVE TO RECURRING REVENUE MODELS Dalet, a solutions provider for broadcasters and content professionals, has signed an agreement to acquire the Ooyala Flex Media Platform business. The asset deal includes the Ooyala Flex Media Platform, as well as Ooyala personnel across sales, marketing, engineering, professional services, and support. The Ooyala Flex Media Platform, which is primarily sold as a subscrip- tion/SaaS off ering, is a solution for servicing OTT and digital media distri- bution workfl ows. The acquisition of these assets, per- sonnel, and customers will expand the Dalet solutions off ering to more ver- ticals and tiers beyond its traditional customer base in news and produc- tion workfl ows, and accelerate Dalet’s strategic move to increase recurring revenue models, with a subscription/ SaaS-based services off ering. David Lasry, chief executive offi cer, Dalet said: “By acquiring Ooyala, Dalet signifi cantly widens the markets it can address in terms of verticals and their respective tiers of complexity. A per- fect complement to our existing Dalet Galaxy fi ve off ering in our traditional markets, the Ooyala Flex Media Plat- form also opens opportunities for new customers such as corporate brands, telcos, leagues and sports teams, who are looking to simply manage their media assets. The international broadcast and media technology association (IABM) completed its biennial elections for its board of directors. Lawo’s Andreas Hilmer was elected as the chair of the association. He said: “Our industry is facing challenges from various sides and is encouraged to think outside the box almost daily. Never before in my 16 years working for broadcast manufactur- ers have I seen such a burst of activity and creativity despite the disruptive changes facing manufacturers, service providers and broadcasters. Helping to steer our industry through these turbulent times will be the mission of this newly elected board and IABM’s wonderful in-house team. We will continue to maintain the right balance between vendors’ interests, who founded this organisation, and the broadcast and media industry at large. Sustainable success is based on trusted partnerships; IABM plays a crucial role in this process to ensure that all stakeholders benefi t from the vast opportunities that lie BURST OF ACTIVITY DESPITE CHALLENGES — IABM CHAIR IABM CHAIR ANDREAS HILMER ADDRESSED THE INDUSTRY AFTER BEING ELECTED TO THE POSITION before us. Peter White, IABM CEO added: ‘The Members’ Board is absolutely central to the ongoing success of IABM, and I am delighted that it once again includes a broad cross section of company sizes and sectors, with nominated representatives who are all hugely experienced and widely respected in the industry. “With this great new Board now in place, I’m looking forward to tapping into its knowledge and ideas to help take IABM to the next level and deliver even more value and support to all our members.” DUBAI’S ZEN PRODUCTIONS PREMIERS ‘A DARK TALE’ Following a long break from direc- tion, Zenofer Fathima has taken the off -screen route anew with the domestic thriller ‘A Dark Tale’. The short fi lm, which offi cially premiered at Marriott Hotel in Al Jaddaf, Dubai, this week, aims to raise awareness of the realities of domes- tic partner violence being a leading con- tributor to illness, disability and premature death for women. ‘A Dark Tale’ depicts a day in the life of a young couple who seem to have the perfect marriage. An innocuous conversation at ACTOR-PRODUCER ZENOFER FATHIMA MAKES SECOND FILM FOLLOW- ING ON WITH SOCIAL THEMES home between the two quickly gets conten- tious as it turned out the husband has some serious control and rage issues. The next scenes proved to be tragic, Andreas Hilmer. capturing the horror of domestic partner violence. Fathima uses her own fi lm pro- duction outfi t, Zen Productions, to create short movies with messages meant to push social good forward. Her directorial debut, The Peril, sent an important wake-up call to parents about cyberbullying. (Turn to p24 to read full interview with Fathima) NEWS UPDATE www.digitalstudiome.com8 / AUGUST 2019Abu Dhabi’s Twofour54 has released unseen behind the scenes footage of the second highest-grossing Bol- lywood fi lm in 2019 – Bharat. The behind the scenes video features Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in Abu Dhabi. Director Ali Abbas and Salman Khan discuss Abu Dhabi’s strik- ing and varied fi lm locations, and praises Twofour54’s support during Bharat’s production. “The best part about Twofour54 is that they are open to ideas, they are democratic in the way they function. And as a fi lm- maker you need a felicitator that hears you out and they provides it,” Abbas said. “We have a great relationship with Twofour54 and they have been generous to us, it’s been a great experience. Everyone should come here (Abu Dhabi) and work with Twofour 54,” Salman Khan said. Twofour54 provided full production SALMAN KHAN HEAPS PRAISE ON ABU DHABI’S TWOFOUR54 BOLLYWOOD STAR WAS IN THE UAE CAPITAL ALONG WITH KATRINA KAIF AS PART OF A 15-DAY LONG SHOOT FOR ALI ABBAS DIRECTED BHARAT services for the fi lm, covering key areas such as location assistance, permits and equipment as well as catering, accommoda- tion, travel and transportation. DUBAI FESTIVAL CITY PARTNERS WITH SPOTIFY TO LAUNCH MUSIC LIBRARY Dubai Festival City Mall has launched its own music library which will be available on multiple music platforms. The mall management claims it’s become the only mall globally to off er such a service. The world’s most popular streaming ser- vice, Spotify, will be one of the fi rst platforms to off er music fans access to stream songs and albums from Imagine, the two-time record- breaking visual and sensory show. Imagine, which plays live every night on the Festival Bay and is free for all visitors, com- bines lasers, light, fi re and water to tell emotive stories. The show fuses technology and art and has earned two Guinness World Records for song on Spotify’, and we realised there was an important opportunity to connect with our customers through the music of the Imagine show,” said Steven Cleaver, director of malls Dubai. SOUNDTRACKS FROM IMAGINE THAT PLAY DURING THE SHOWS EVERY NIGHT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD IN SPOTIFY’S LOCAL PLAYLIST Bollywood actor Salman Khan on the sets of Bharat in Abu Dhabi the largest water screen projection and the largest permanent projection mapping. Each Imagine show has an original soundtrack. “Customers were watching our shows and asking, ‘I can’t seem to fi nd this ‘Bharat’ also benefi ted from the 30% rebate on production spend in the emirate from the Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC). NEWS UPDATE www.digitalproductionme.comAUGUST 2019 / 9Next >