The story of 'Mountain Boy' is based on the 2017 children's book 'The Boy Who Knew the Mountains', written by Emirati-Australian author Michele Ziolkowski.
Emirati feature film, Mountain Boy, directed by Zainab Shaheen, is set to release in cinemas across the UAE and GCC on April 17, 2025. The film is a collaboration between Desert Rose Films and Fujairah Films and is supported by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, part of the Creative Media Authority. Distribution is being handled by The Plot Pictures.
Timed to coincide with World Autism Month, Mountain Boy held its exclusive premiere on April 15 at CinemaCity, Al Qana in Abu Dhabi. The event welcomed the full cast and crew, alongside children and staff from the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Special Education, where the film’s casting team discovered Naser Salah—one of the film’s standout young talents.
The film is produced by Desert Rose Films, a female-focused production company in Abu Dhabi.
Zainab Shaheen, making her directorial debut, demonstrates her commitment to empowering Emirati voices by authentically portraying local narratives. With a diverse repertoire of short films, Shaheen showcases her versatility in storytelling, emphasising her international reach and proficiency in game development, social media and digital filmmaking through collaboration with The British Council.
Mountain Boy is an adaptation of the internationally acclaimed Emirati children’s book, The Boy Who Knew the Mountains, by Dr Michele Ziolkowski, shedding light on neurodiversity. The film unfolds the extraordinary tale of Suhail, a young Emirati boy with Autism, challenging societal norms on a transformative journey through the mesmerising mountains of Fujairah, accompanied by his loyal companion, Barakah, the Arabian Saluki dog.
Beyond its narrative, Mountain Boy carries a profound message of inclusion, celebrating the diversity of the human experience and encouraging audiences to embrace the unique strengths of the neurodiverse community. The film’s mostly female production team mentored Emirati and Gulf Women Filmmakers, contributing to the development of the national skilled crew base.
The film is supported by Abu Dhabi Film Commission, part of Creative Media Authority, under its film rebate initiative, which was launched in 2013 and revamped from 1st January this year to offer between 35% and 50% rebate support for projects which meets a clear set of criteria.
Mohamed Dobay, Acting Director-General of Creative Media Authority, said: “As part of our ongoing work to establish a world-class creative ecosystem in Abu Dhabi, identifying and championing projects which involve Emirati narratives, shot in the UAE, using talented Emirati cast and crew – it is a lynchpin of our efforts. We are very proud to be able to support a production like Mountain Boy, which showcases so much rich Emirati culture and heritage whilst shining a light and challenging perceptions around autism – rightfully winning many global accolades in doing so.”
Nancy Paton, CEO and Founder of Desert Rose Films, added: “More than 232 crew were involved with this project, where 70% of the crew were female. It was incredibly important to us to remain true to the premise of Michele Ziolkowski’s poignant original narrative, using as many Emirati actors and crew as possible. We held several castings to find the right actor for Suhail and had nearly given up hope until Naser Salah and his sister Reem auditioned – we knew instantly we had found our leads. For the soundtrack of the film we used the all-female Firdaus Orchestra who all live in the UAE and were founded by Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation.”
Zainab Shaheen, Director of Mountain Boy, and a graduate Higher Colleges of Technology, stated: “As my feature film directorial debut, I am extremely proud to direct a project which showcases so much of our nation – from the locations and talent to the compelling narrative and social commentary. To be able to tell such a powerful and meaningful story in a visually impactful way is what has always spurred on and inspired my passion for film and directing. It is something which will remain close to my heart throughout my career.”
Pratixa Shah, Co-Founder of The Plot Pictures, commented: “As young, next-generation distributors, our mission is to bring regional (GCC) stories to the world. Mountain Boy is a testament to this vision – blending regional essence, rich storytelling, and cultural heritage while shedding light on the deeply important theme of neurodiversity and the unique sensitivities of individuals on the spectrum. We are proud to be the catalyst in connecting this powerful story with its audience.”
