Imagenation Abu Dhabi said it will set up a new department aimed at providing a platform for the development, production and distribution of feature films and digital content based on stories from the region.

The company's new unit will be dedicated to the creation of content based on materials from the Middle East.

The company hopes to develop relationships with the most talented and successful creative talent in the region and to collaborate with them to produce films that have both regional and global appeal.

Imagenation Abu Dhabi has allocated substantial funding toward the financing of projects across all genres and aims at setting up an initial development slate of five to seven projects in 2009, said a top official.

Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, chairman of Imagenation Abu Dhabi, said, "We are very proud to be able to reinforce Abu Dhabi’s position as an emerging media hub in the Middle East and to underscore our strong commitment to the film industry throughout the region."

"Through this initiative, we are looking to tap into the vast pool of creative talent in the region and creating content that will be both meaningful and entertaining to audiences in the Arab world and beyond,” he noted.

Edward Borgerding, CEO of Imagenation Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Media Company said there were so many untold stories in the Middle East that had the potential to transcend borders and cross over to the global market, thus to educate and entertain audiences throughout the world.

"It is our mission to help that potential unfold," he added.

Stefan Brunner, CFO of Imagenation Abu Dhabi, said the company will strive to identify and work with the most talented and creative filmmakers in the Middle East.

"We will provide a platform from which to develop, produce and distribute this content. We feel that there is substantial commercial potential for stories told from an Arab perspective, not only in the Middle East, but to a certain degree throughout the world."

"We hope that content from the Arab region will soon become an integral part of global programming schedules," he added.

Imagenation Abu Dhabi has called upon creative talents throughout the region to get in touch at imagenation@admedia.ae and share their stories.-TradeArabia News Service