Middle East filmmakers will get the chance to compete with filmmakers from India and Singapore in a contest to create a documentary drawing on their cultural perspectives. The contest will be a TV series, produced by The United Nations, Hyde Park-Image Nation and Variety, and aims to integrate diverse cultures. The series will focus on […]

Middle East filmmakers will get the chance to compete with filmmakers from India and Singapore in a contest to create a documentary drawing on their cultural perspectives. The contest will be a TV series, produced by The United Nations, Hyde Park-Image Nation and Variety, and aims to integrate diverse cultures.
The series will focus on finding four teams, each including a filmmaker from the GCC, India, and Singapore. The teams will be presented with a series of tasks each week, and reach the target of creating one cinematic vision with the topics and tone of the films reflecting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) established at the United Nations and will include storylines that highlight issues that are central to the Every Woman, Every Child effort. The winning team will have its documentary screened at the United Nations.
Hyde Park-Image Nation will present and finance the series in collaboration with the United Nations and Variety, and the show will be hosted by prolific film producer Ashok Amritraj.
Amritraj said: Bringing the Middle East, India and Asia to a global audience has always been a passion of mine, and Im thrilled to provide this platform for filmmakers of such diverse cultures to have a truly collaborative cinematic experience.
Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, United Nations under-secretary-general for communications and public information, said: This is a wonderful opportunity for the United Nations to harness the power of entertainment and shine a spotlight on some of the worlds most critical issues. We hope this show will encourage many more people across the region to think about these global challenges and to become part of the solution.
In 2009, Amritrajs Hyde Park Entertainment and Abu Dhabi production company Image Nation, joined forces on a USD 250 million financing deal to develop, produce and distribute feature films. Their partnership extended to create a strategic alliance with Singapores Media Development Authority (MDA). Under this deal, Hyde Park-Image Nation Singapore was launched in 2010 to fund multiple films worth an estimated production value of USD 75 million.