Yahoo News Saudi Arabia Officially Launches First Full Service Film & TV Production Studio Nebras Films
The roll-out of Saudi Arabia’s nascent film industry continue apace. Today sees the official launch of the kingdom’s first full-service production studio Nebras Films which hopes to be a home to features, TV, documentaries and advertising content. The 42,000 square-foot production facility will be offering post-production services, art workshops, 3D animation, audio, casting, crew, equipment, props and sets.
Among the studio’s ‘state of the art equipment’ will be Arri cameras, Master Prime, anamorphic lenses, lighting and grips, vehicles, aerial drones, 3D scanners and surveying and camera stabilizers and cranes. Production recently wrapped on the facility’s first international co-production, Born A King, produced by Andres Gomez, directed by Agustí Villaronga and starring Deadpool‘s Ed Skrein.
Studio principals include Chairman Abdullah Al Nafisah, General Manager Niko Ruokosuo, Head of Production Matty Beckerman, Deputy General Manager Abdulrahman Al Nafisah, Assistant Producer Fouad Al Khateeb and Project Manager Saad Abutaily.
The studio venture is backed by Alnafees Holding Company, a parent of similar Saudi growth projects such as construction initiative Diyar Najd; Nafees World, specializing in interior design; and Madaen, specializing in real estate development.
“Amidst unprecedented levels of development and reform in Saudi Arabia, Nebras Films’ passion, world-class equipment and capabilities are unparalleled in the Middle East,” said Ruokosuo. “We’re seeing unprecedented levels of interest in the Kingdom, with the studio rapidly becoming the epicenter for production, and we look forward to welcoming filmmakers looking to maximize the region’s mass-market opportunity.”
Ruokosuo, who has a background in startups, has worked at Nebras since late 2016. He and writer, producer and director Beckerman (Alien Abduction) will be at the Saudi pavilion in Cannes to discuss the Riyadh-based studio, which was initially founded by Al Nafisah.
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