< Previous20 / AUGUST 2019www.digitalstudiome.com COVER STORY Front Row partnered with Cinema Akil to exclusively release the controversial Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland at their location in Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai. AUGUST 2019 / 21 www.digitalstudiome.com COVER STORY that later. In terms of recent acquisitions, Front Row won distribution rights to ‘Leaving Neverland’ — a documentary that explored the lives of two fans that Michael Jackson had close relationships with. LOCAL CONTENT Chakra is a fi rm believer of developing local content along with distributing local content. The Kuwait National Cinema Company, one of Front Row’s business partners, is one of the biggest acquirers of Egyptian content. “But things are now changing with the introduction of global platforms, the way they want to increase their subscribers is through local content — Arabic speaking content,” he says. Generalising the Arab world’s need for local content is a huge mistake and Chakra says the Middle East is comprised of 350 million people with different cultures and dialects. “There is a definite need [for Arabic content] and I feel there is going to be a surge in content from the Gulf. Films being made locally have been few in the past. In terms of formats we are beginning to see a lot of what is made in Europe, the US and Asia being acquired for adoption in the Middle East — Arab X-Factor, Arab’s Got Talent to name a few.” Chakra says the Arab audiences are accepting of international remakes, which means an Arab version of Game of Thrones might do well in this market. “It’s about pushing the envelope, a ‘sword-and-sandals’ series could work well because you want the controversy and physical dilemmas [in Arab productions]. [Audience acceptance] is going to take some time because we are going to have to fight the culture. But it doesn’t need to be a fight, it’s about changing mind sets,” says Chakra, who is half Lebanese and Italian. Recently, Netflix Arabic original Jinn came under heavy criticism mainly for the language used and physically intimate scenes. “In this case you had people in Jordan, where the show is based, offended. There is a level of cultural hypocrisy, which will fade away. Eventually, it [audiences accepting cultural truths] will happen. The more controversy you have, the more viewers you will have because of the curiosity factor,” Chakra says. In terms of its own productions, Front Row is working on quite a few co-productions but Chakra wants to keep his cards close to his chest. “One of the things we are working on is [a remake of ] Perfect Strangers, the Italian film that was released in 2016,” he reveals. The story revolves around married couples who are friends and meet over dinner. They criticise a common friend because he left his wife for finding a message on her phone. “The movie explores the fact that people have something to hide on their phones. The premise revolves around the four couples putting 100+ TITLES ACCQUIRED BY FRONT ROW FILMED ENTERTAINMENT ANNUALLY FOR ME DISTRIBUTION “IN THIS CASE (FOR JINN) YOU HAD PEOPLE IN JORDAN, WHERE THE SHOW IS BASED, OFFENDED. THERE IS, HENCE, A LEVEL OF CULTURAL HYPOCRISY WHICH WILL FADE AWAY. EVENTUALLY, IT (AUDIENCES ACCEPTING CULTURAL TRUTHS) WILL HAPPEN. THE MORE CONTROVERSY YOU HAVE, THE MORE VIEWERS YOU WILL HAVE, IT’S THE CURIOSITY FACTOR” GIANLUCA CHAKRA22 / AUGUST 2019www.digitalstudiome.com COVER STORY definitely applies in the Middle East,” he says. Chakra says Front Row looked at filming the remake in the UAE, but “high costs” forced them to look to the Lebanon and Egypt. “High costs are deterring productions to take place in the UAE, hiring cameras and permits is expensive. I wish they would incentivise filmmakers to shoot independent productions because you cannot have a Mission Impossible every day. It’s quite expensive to shoot here and that is what has driven us to focus on Egypt and Lebanon. Shooting a low budget film here is nearly impossible,” Chakra tells Digital Studio ME. In addition, Middle East audiences tend to be star driven. And Chakra says this translates to audiences not giving as much importance to the script. “All too often, the region has relied on Egypt to churn out content. It’s changing, however, with Saudi Arabia working on producing its own content, and while that’s great for the industry that content will not work in Kuwait. That’s because the Middle East has a diverse audience. You cannot have a pan-Arab approach to producing Arabic content in the Middle East,” Chakra reveals. He also predicts that the Saudi market is going to be the second, if not the leading creative powerhouse “depending on the expansion, and things moving in the direction that authorities have planned”. Saudi could leapfrog Lebanon and Egypt, two markets which are considered creative pioneers in the Middle East. Earlier this year, Front Row formed a development and production company called Yalla Yalla in collaboration with an international sales company called Rocket Science. “HIGH COSTS ARE DETERRING PRODUCTIONS TO TAKE PLACE IN THE UAE, HIRING CAMERAS AND PERMITS IS EXPENSIVE. I WISH THEY WOULD INCENTIVISE FILMMAKERS TO SHOOT INDEPENDENT PRODUCTIONS BECAUSE YOU CANNOT HAVE A MISSION IMPOSSIBLE EVERY DAY. IT’S QUITE EXPENSIVE TO SHOOT HERE AND THAT IS WHAT HAS DRIVEN US TO FOCUS ON EGYPT AND LEBANON...” GIANLUCA CHAKRA their phones on the dinner table, every time a message is received it needs to be read out loud. This leads to an interesting turn of events and explores a universal subject which A still from the 2016 Italian comedy-drama fi lm Perfect Strangers that Front Row has won the rights for an Arabic remake. Pic: IMDBAUGUST 2019 / 23 www.digitalstudiome.com COVER STORY piracy. It’s not different for audiences in the west either.” Closer to home, Chakra talks about the existence of a pirate pay TV network that is currently “not being fought by anybody because it’s tied to a whole political situation”. He adds: “That is killing pay TV networks in the region, and the entire eco-system. Especially for a region that’s trying to come up with an industry. I’m sure, however, that will be solved sometime soon,” Chakra says. BIG AMBITIONS Beginning life as a film distributor Front Row has taken on several other functions in its 16-year existence. Chakra denies the suggestion that Front Row is a full-fledged production house today. He prefers to take it “step by step”. “It’s a learning curve,” he says, “we have collaborated with producer Rita Dagher. She was one of the associate producers on Fahrenheit 9/11, and her latest film ‘A Prayer before Dawn’ was premiered at Cannes. “She’s worked with a huge indie label called Wild Bunch, she’s widely experienced and talented. We are also hiring a few producers with us that are going to be working full-time.” In the meantime, Front Row’s acquisitions are becoming more aggressive and targeted. Chakra says the company is buying “a lot bigger stuff ” with a firm focus on the independent market. “We began with indie films and it remains our passion,” Chakra concludes. “YOU CAN’T WIN THE BATTLE, YOU CAN NEVER FIGHT PIRACY UNLESS THE TELCOS COULD COMPLETELY CLAMP DOWN ON PIRATE SITES. WE COLLABORATE WITH ANTI-PIRACY ASSOCIATIONS LOCALLY BUT NOT MUCH IS BEING DONE. THE PROBLEM EXISTS BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE TO WATCH STUFF FOR FREE. IT’S JUST AS SIMPLE AS THAT.” GIANLUCA CHAKRA “We are developing a few international projects with them but at the same time they are cognizant of the demand of local content. The JV will help us find the right content / product that could work here. We are getting into local content and buying IPs and remake rights (such as Perfect Strangers). We are buying book adaptations from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt and quite a few properties. We are working on original stuff too, but that’s going to take time for sure,” Chakra tells Digital Studio ME. PIRACY The burning issue for any stakeholder in the content / media production space is piracy and battling its negative impacts. Front Row’s acquisitions business is not affected as the firm continues to buy more than a 100 films a year. But Chakra fears the fight against piracy might not be one that can be won as easily. “You can’t win the battle, you can never fight piracy unless the telcos completely clamp down on pirate sites. We collaborate with anti-piracy associations, locally but not much is being done. The problem exists because people like to watch stuff for free. It’s just as simple as that. “Today, theatrical releases are done on the same day with the US or the first territory the film is released in. It has to be released as close as possible just to avoid piracy. In the past, you used to have a gap of four months between a theatrical release and VOD / DVD availability. Now it’s shortened to a matter of weeks all to counter piracy.” Chakra cites the Bollywood industry’s practice of theatrically releasing movies a day earlier in the Middle East than in India. “It’s done because they know after three days after releasing any Bollywood title you are going to have it available for download. We also know this for a fact that the Filipino audience relies on Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx Luxor, a fi lm by Zeina Durra, is a partnership between Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Cairo’s Film Clinic. Filming has just completed in Egypt. Pic: Getty ImagesA BRIGHT FUTURE Dubai-based fi lmmaker Zenofer Fathima released her second short fi lm ‘A Dark Tale’ last month and has several more productions in the pipeline Z enofer Fathima returned to the director’s chair following a hiatus as she released ‘A Dark Tale’ in July. 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 domestic partner violence being a leading contributor to illness, disability and premature death of women. Fathima uses her own fi lm production outfi t, Zen Productions, to bring her concepts to life. Digital Studio Middle East caught up with the independent fi lm maker. DS: Tell us about your new short fi lm ‘A Dark Tale’ ZF: A Dark Tale’ depicts a day in the life of a young couple who seem to have the perfect marriage. An ordinary, innocuous conversation at home between the two quickly gets contentious as it turned out the husband has some serious control and rage issues. Domestic violence is an ugly truth that is not being taken seriously even now. Some still have the mindset that family violence is a mere relationship problem that should be kept private. When in fact it’s a twisted reality, where women especially are made to believe that love and pain go hand in hand. It is rarely discussed in polite company but is prevalent everywhere. Domestic violence and abuse across all age, race and economic boundaries is a concern and ‘A Dark Tale’ aims to expose and examine this crucial issue. DS: How did you get into fi lm making, what’s your mid-term plan? ZF: Growing up, movies and entertainment were my passion, but as with most matters priorities got in the way. As a mother my fi rst priority was towards my children and family. Now I have fi nally taken steps to fuel my passion and its been a fantastic few years. My short fi lms, with its social awareness agenda, is a way for me to contribute towards the society I live in. As for my midterm plans, they involve a musical album and a full-length commercial production. I am also looking at off ers to star in other movies, so its pretty much what fi ts my schedule, but my short fi lms and awareness will continue. DS: Tell us a bit about the fi lm making process you followed for ‘The Dark Tale’ ZF All of my movies start with me. I pick topics that resonate with me or I might pick up on something I have seen or heard. I work with people in India and the US who contribute towards the script, but the fi nal approval of sorts is always me. Then comes the visualisation and planning which I take upon myself, as a producer, actor and director. I have a team who handles post production, but again I am heavily involved on every aspect of my movies and projects. Budgeting and fi nance are also another crucial component as its the bedrock of fi lm making. I secure my funds through well-wishers and patrons who have been kind enough to help me along the way. DS: What drives you towards producing cinema on social issues? ZF: Movies are a medium for spreading awareness about social issues, and its more engaging than any other format. It allows me to reach the audience at a higher level and stimulate responses that drive conversation about the social issues. Cinema is my life and if I have a chance to use the medium to give back to society, then why not? DS: What are your views on empowerment and social responsibility as a fi lmmaker? ZF: I believe as part of an industry that has a signifi cant infl uence over the society, it is very important for us to spread the right messages and to use our platform INTERVIEW 24 / AUGUST 2019www.digitalstudiome.comINTERVIEW AUGUST 2019 / 25 www.digitalstudiome.comresponsibly. Personally, I am very spiritual — not just in a religious way, but also in the way I conduct my life every day. I want to see society progress, especially as a mother I see the horrors out there that can aff ect our children. This is proven when I get feedback from scholars and healers about my short fi lms — they have told me how movies like these really help people feel included. They also help raise awareness about diff erent problems in the society and encourage conversation around the same. DS: What are the challenges you’ve encountered as a woman fi lmmaker and an actor? ZF: As an actor I would have say it is the roles, fi nding one that draws you in and makes you believe in the character can be hard. As a producer it has to be funding and getting people to back you up. However, I believe in gender roles as I feel this is the best way to express what needs to be said so that people and society listens. DS: Tell us about UAE’s appeal for fi lmmakers? ZF: The UAE has become immensely popular in the last decade as a prime location for fi lming, with many big budget projects using locations across the country. What makes UAE stand out is the variety of landscapes available and their welcoming people. DS: What’s next for Zen Productions, what are your aspirations? ZF: I have a few movies and even a new directorial pursuit titled ‘The Bad Touch’ that are lined up. We even have a workshop / casting call set in the start of August, for which we will be bringing some well-known names from the industry. The aim is to encourage the acting talent within the country and provide them with the opportunity to learn from some of the best. “I WANT TO SEE SOCIETY PROGRESS, ESPECIALLY AS A MOTHER I SEE THE HORRORS OUT THERE THAT CAN AFFECT OUR CHILDREN... MOVIES LIKE THESE REALLY HELP PEOPLE FEEL INCLUDED.” INTERVIEW 26 / AUGUST 2019www.digitalstudiome.comA SPECIAL REPORT FROM DIGITAL STUDIO ADVANCEMENT IN INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES HAS PUSHED THE ENVELOPE OF CONTENT QUALITY, DIGITAL STUDIO SHEDS LIGHT ON THE TRENDS AND GROWTH OF GLASS LENSES Insights: Market update on lenses. Thought Leader: Industry veteran Jordan Levy on using Cooke’s new lenses.SPECIAL REPORT / EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION AUGUST 2019 / 29 www.digitalstudiome.com The market for lenses has dramatically changed over the last few years with the biggest improvement, by far, being advancements in optical image stabilisation (OIS). I was part of a production during my time in India, approximately 12 years ago. Back then the crew was producing a docu-drama on folk culture that would mostly use the handheld technique of filming (read The Office). The producer wanted to capture everything without a tripod and gimbal / stabilisers weren’t as commercially available, at least then. But achieving some level of professional quality footage with the Sony cinema camera was quite the challenge. Hiring out the camera system came at a reasonably high cost and scenes on the production set were getting tense. In-camera stabilisation wasn’t as advanced and lens OIS wasn’t even heard off. At one of the crew meetings I recall the director telling the DOP, “why can’t cameras have advanced OIS? Is it so difficult to perfect?” The DOP responded: “OIS in the lens will be even better.” Since we were capturing moving objects in outdoor settings, along with indoor staged shots with a controlled environment, the range of application was relatively vast. The end result was a quite disappointing and post production wasn’t giving the green signal. Not all stories have happy endings, the docu-drama was never finished and the project stalled to a point where most of the crew received half their payment. OIS is a nifty technology and the manner in which it is achieved is even more commendable. If only the project could be resurrected, we would have the vision come to fruition. GLASSY ADVANCEMENTS DIGITAL STUDIO’S AUGUST 2019 SPECIAL REPORT ON LENSES EXPLORES THE GROWING MARKET OF PROFESSIONAL GLASS THANKS TO ADVANCEMENTS IN CONTENT DELIVERY Reach out to your target audience daily – advertise on digital studio eNewsletter – for more information contact us today!Next >