the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination, ZHO, and FilmGate Productions today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch 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 the ZHO to connect with their rich database of people of determination from around the Arab region. Thereafter, the two organisations 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.
Abdullah Abdulalee Al Humaidan, Secretary-General of the ZHO, commented, “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.”
Mansoor AlYabhouni AlDhaheri, Founder and CEO of FilmGate, commented, “On 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.
All shortlisted talents will undergo a professional assessment by experts from the ZHO to determine their intellectual and physical readiness before beginning the project. Besides, FilmGate will provide writing and acting workshops for the selected candidates. Filming is set to begin in the coming months in Abu Dhabi.
