Five creative lab videos make on-air debut with Etihad
The region’s next generation of film makers are taking UAE National Day to the skies, through a partnership between twofour54’s creative lab and Etihad, the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates. Today, five music videos produced by creative lab members to honour National Day will make their on-air debut aboard Etihad’s fleet.
Announced in December 2013, the partnership enables twofour54 creative lab to showcase the talents of its members to Etihad’s guests via the in-flight entertainment system. Seen as a key commercial step for emerging filmmaking talent in the UAE, the partnership brings locally produced films to a wider audience, generating international exposure for their work.
To celebrate the 43rd UAE National Day, Etihad will feature five videos produced by creative lab members, including “Ishy Bilady”, a collaboration between acclaimed Emirati film maker Ali Mostafa and composer Taha Al Ajami; ‘Ya Khalifatna’, a collaboration between renowned Emirati poet, Arif Al Khaja, and talented singer/composer, Fayez Al Saeed; and “Making History”, which was selected to be performed in front of the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at the official 40th UAE National Day celebrations.
This follows an earlier cycle of productions screened on-board Etihad’s fleet in September, which included “Feeding Five Hundred”, a winner in the documentary competition in the 2013 Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF); “Murk Light” which won first prize in the short film narrative competition in ADFF 2012 and selection to the Tribeca Film Festival 2013 New York; and “Qasr Al Hosn,” a project by a team of creative lab community members celebrating the unique history and culture of the UAE.
Commenting on the partnership, Maryam al Mheiri, Chief Operating Officer of twofour54, said: “Creative lab and Etihad’s partnership embodies the mission of twofour54 to develop the quality and accessibility of Arabic content. This suite of UAE National Day videos celebrates the rich culture of our nation and showcases the immense talent of our creative lab members.
“We look forward to continuing our relationship with Etihad to bring high-quality home-grown content to passengers travelling on the airline’s extensive network,” she added.
Etihad Airways flies to 108 existing or announced passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas.
twofour54 creative lab is a community of more than 10,000 creative thinkers with ambitions to pursue careers in the media and entertainment industry. It provides funding and support for projects across all media platforms including film, music, games and apps, TV, publishing, web series, infographics and theatre.
creative lab also offers a bi-lingual online platform, the first of its kind in the Arab world, which enables the region’s creative community to collaborate and explore creative opportunities.