Imagenation Abu Dhabi, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Media, has started work on its second local production, the supernatural horror thriller Djinn, complete with a cast of fresh faces, Emirati talent and international and Arab actors.

Directed by horror master', Tobe Hooper and written by US writer David Tully, Djinn tells the nightmarish story of a young Emirati couple who return home from the US and discover that their new apartment in a luxury high-rise built on the site of an abandoned fishing village is also home to the malevolent beings known as djinn.

Principle photography for the film begun in the UAE last week, said Imagenation Abu Dhabi, which has rapidly become a leading feature film producer, playing an instrumental role in the development of a film industry in the UAE.

Shooting begins this month at various locations in Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai. Global talent, Khaled Laith (Khaled) and up-and-coming Arab actress Razane Jammal (Salama) play lead roles, alongside an outstanding cast from the UAE, Arab region and Europe.

Supporting roles include Aiysha Hart (Sarah), Carole Abboud (Zaynab), Paul Luebke (Bobby) and May El Calamawy (Aisha). Emirati actors Ahmed Abdullah (Saeed) and ‘City of Life’ star Saood Al Kaabi (Mubarak) will also appear in the thriller alongside local acting veteran, Abdullah Al Junaibi (Nasser).

Many of the local talent in the film were discovered via  www.emiratifilmstar.com portal, which Imagenation launched last year to uncover the region’s untapped acting talent.

Mohammed Al Mubarak, chairman of Imagenation Abu Dhabi, said, "We are fully committed to developing a world-class film industry in the UAE, and it is with great pride that we begin principle photography on our second local project here in the Emirates."

"Through the production of quality Arab movies such as Djinn, we will continue to contribute the expertise and infrastructure needed to lay the foundations for a flourishing Arabic film sector," Al Mubarak said.

Michael Garin, CEO of Imagenation Abu Dhabi, said, "Our cast and crew for the production of Djinn is comprised of top talent from the global industry teamed with a wealth of outstanding local talent, who together are working to create something truly spectacular."

"With this unique pool of knowledge and skills, Djinn is certain to set new benchmarks for the Horror genre in this region," he added.

Djinn was announced during 2010 Cannes Festival, and is produced by Daniela Tully and Tim Smythe, with Filmworks, Jaye Gazeley and Robert Crippen co-producing. Emmy nominated Joel Ransom (Steven Spielberg’s “Taken”, “Band of Brothers”, “The X-Files”) is the director of photography.

"Emirati dialogue coach, Nada Shouma, is also consulting on the project. Shouma trained on Imagenation’s first local production, Sea Shadow, and has now established herself as a leading dialogue coach in the UAE," Garin noted.

"Rising Emirati writer and director Mohammed Al-Otaiba will also be shadowing Tobe Hooper on the set of Djinn, in order to gain valuable industry experience," he added.

Imagenation Abu Dhabi’s feature films include the Bollywood hit My Name is Khan, The Crazies, Shorts, and Furry Vengeance, as well as an upcoming slate including Peter Weir’s The Way Back, Doug Liman’s Fair Game, and Jodie Foster’s The Beaver.-TradeArabia News Service