Media Group production in Arabic shot entirely in UAE at a cost of AED 3.7 million
July 12, 2006
'Tarab Fashion', the UAE's maiden feature film in Arabic produced by Dubai-based Media Group, premiered at Dubai's Grand Cineplex yesterday evening (Tuesday, July 11, 2006). Starring Emirati singer Saoud Abu Sultan and Mayssa Maghrebi in the lead roles, the AED 3.7 million-budget romantic comedy juxtaposes modern concerns of fame, money and beauty with traditional values and proved to be a big hit with the select audience invited to its inaugural screening.
The film is shot entirely on location in the UAE and is made to international quality standards. Ably directed by Mohamed Daham from Kuwait, 'Tarab Fashion' features great humorous acts by the Arab world's well-known comedians, Hassan Ballam and Abdul Naser Darwish. The cast also includes popular film artists Mona Shadad, Shahed, Ahmed Jesmi and Mohamed Serafi.
Mayssa Maghrebi, CEO of Media Group said: "It is a matter of great national pride and prestige for us to have successfully produced the UAE's first full-length feature film. 'Tarab Fashion' specifically targets local Emirati and Arab movie-goers, depicting a social dilemma in a light-hearted way that will find an audience among music-loving, fashion-conscious youth as well as mature viewers."
'Tarab Fashion' revolves around the commonly-held notion that the easiest road to fame is to capitalize on one's good looks and launch out as a pop singer, irrespective of whether one has the talent for music or not. The story is about Sarah, a singer's jealous wife, who aspires to become as successful and popular as her talented husband.
Sarah starts an all girls band but doesn't have a musical bone in her beautiful body. Unfazed by her utter lack of talent, Sarah draws on her wealth and looks, to challenge chauvinistic social norms and chart out her singing career, but flops miserably. The unorthodox manner in which she goes about trying to prove her point, is what makes 'Tarab Fashion' a truly hilarious and entertaining comedy.
Suitable for general viewing, the two-hour long film is slated for nationwide release on July 12. It premiered earlier in Lebanon on July 6. Further, it is scheduled to hit cinema screens in Kuwait and Qatar by the end of August and will be premiering to audiences in Egypt as well. Media Group has also developed a website where full details of the film including a summary of the plot, songs, the cast and crew behind the production are posted.
Ziad Batal, the executive producer of Media Group added: "The state-of-the-art video and audio production facilities that are now available in the UAE, can contribute to Dubai's emerging as a centre for movie production. Our pioneering initiative, 'Tarab Fashion' demonstrates the huge potential the UAE holds and will give a much-needed boost to the growth of the domestic and regional film-making industry."
With a full component of creative and technical staff including writers, professionals and freelancers, Media Group Productions is the region's leading producer of feature films and television programs, handling every phase of production from conceptualizing to script-writing to post production activity.
The group has recently wrapped up 33 episodes of the reality TV program, 'Street Smarts' for Infinity TV. In addition, it has also scripted several feature films and has three television production formats in place.
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For more information, please contact:
CommuniGate Middle East
PO Box 65922,
Dubai,
UAE
Tel: +971 4 3988134
Fax: +971 4 3988137
Email: info@communigateme.com
Website: www.communigateme.com
© Press Release 2006
