Global film industry to get glimpse of Dubai Studio City at Cannes

The festival is an important showcase for the global film industry. It is attended by leading movie stars, directors and producers, and is a popular venue for the motion picture industry, which converges for two weeks of deal-making, screenings, seminars, red carpet premieres and networking.

Jamal Al Sharif, Director of Dubai Studio City, leading a five-member delegation to the Cannes Film Festival, said: "This festival celebrates the best the film industry has to offer. Dubai Studio City is keen on participating in such high profile global events that facilitate interaction with key players in the entertainment industry. Cannes Film Festival is an important event that serves our outreach objectives and opens new communication channels with the international film makers and major studio executives.

"The event will help us develop new avenues for cooperation with leading filmmakers from around the globe. The festival is an excellent platform for exchanging expertise and monitoring the development of the industry. It enhances our capabilities to ensure that Dubai Studio City will not only cater to these requirements, but exceed the filmmakers' expectations."

Dubai Studio City recently announced the completion of 78 per cent of its infrastructure work with the rest scheduled to be completed by year end. Phase one of Dubai Studio City will feature 18 boutique studios, three mega sound stages, four six-level office buildings, a 15-storey tower, retail area, a warehouse and a workshop.

At the Cannes Film Festival, Dubai Studio City is seeking to raise awareness about the UAE's variety of attractive locations besides its own facilities which can stimulate a filmmaker's creativity.

DSC's Location Approval Services (LAS) department is the dedicated operational arm of Dubai Studio City, mandated with facilitating government permits for all photography and filming activities in Dubai. It also offers a full range of enabling services including location scouting, access to talent and weather forecasts, as well as arranging visas, travel and accommodation. LAS has so far supported around 500 production projects since its inception in 2005.

Dubai Studio City aims to build a huge cluster of companies from across the film, broadcast and music production value-chain. These include production companies, support service providers offering production and post-production facilities, animation studios and services like dubbing, makeup, costume designing, stage designing and building, casting, telnet agencies as well as telecine and lab facilities.