Cannes Film Festival: Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s upcoming RASHID & RAJAB has been acquired by international sales agent AGC International, in a deal signed at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. The Emirati comedy will now become available to markets and potential audiences world-wide, following the release of the film across the GCC this Eid Al Fitr.
AGC International, the international sales and distribution division of AGC Studios in Hollywood, will provide RASHID & RAJAB with a platform to be distributed to exhibitors, broadcasters and streaming platforms globally. The comedy already has distribution within the MENA region by Tanweer Films, with a high-profile Eid release date throughout the GCC and an Egyptian release scheduled for later in the summer.
Shot on location in Dubai, the UAE production is the first live-action feature film from Emirati director Mohammed Saeed Harib, best known as the creator of the iconic animated TV series FREEJ. The film was produced by Emirati filmmakers Ali Mostafa (THE WORTHY, FROM A TO B) and Majid Alansari (ZINZANA), alongside Breakout Film’s Rami Yasin (SHABAB SHEYAB).
The family-friendly comedy follows wealthy Emirati executive ‘Rashid’ (Marwan Abdullah Saleh) and carefree Egyptian fast-food deliveryman ‘Rajab’ (Shadi Alfons), who switch bodies after a freak accident on their way to work. As they desperately look for a way to revert to their former selves, the unlikely pair gain a different perspective into each other’s lives.
“Once again, we are honored to partner with AGC Studios on the international sales for our upcoming release, Rashid & Rajab. ” says Ben Ross, Chief Content Officer at Image Nation Abu Dhabi. “Having Stuart and AGC Studios supporting Rashid & Rajab on an international level is testament to the film’s universal charm and appeal. We can’t wait for audiences in the UAE and around the world to see the film.”
The deal follows other recent successes from Image Nation Abu Dhabi, with its local series (Legal drama JUSTICE) picked up by global streaming platform as a Netflix Original, and an Academy Award win for Best Documentary for its international co-production FREE SOLO.
“We are delighted to be working with our partners at Image Nation Abu Dhabi to bring this delightful comedy to worldwide audiences, and this helps confirm AGC’s support for growing Arabic cinema worldwide,” says Stuart Ford, Chairman and CEO of AGC Studios.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbj-rs6kV_4
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About Image Nation Abu Dhabi: Image Nation Abu Dhabi is an award-winning film and entertainment company which has built its reputation on breaking boundaries and unleashing imagination. It creates films, TV series, documentaries and entertainment for consumers throughout the world and is the first UAE company to have multiple productions stream globally on Netflix. Its success spans the globe - screening content at over 400 international film festivals and receiving the industry’s highest honors, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA and an Emmy.
Image Nation, along with its factual entertainment TV channel Quest Arabiya, has a strong track record of producing high-quality productions through a combination of local talent and international expertise. The company encourages original thought and curiosity while providing a platform for inspiration and practical training through its robust development program, Arab Film Studio.
Its mission is to help build the film and entertainment industry across the GCC and MENA - a pioneering ambition in line with Abu Dhabi’s vision to shape a competitive, sustainable and globally open economy. Image Nation enables all those who engage with it to become guardians of culture and ambassadors of change.
About AGC STUDIOS: AGC Studios was founded and launched by Chairman and CEO Stuart Ford in February 2018 as a platform to develop, produce, finance and globally license a diverse portfolio of feature films, scripted, unscripted and factual television, digital and musical content from its dual headquarters in Los Angeles and London. The new studio’s Hollywood output has a wide-ranging multicultural focus, designed for exploitation across an array of global platforms including major studio partnerships, streaming platforms, traditional broadcast and cable television networks and independent distributors, both in the US and internationally.
AGC Studios has three principal operating subsidiaries covering production, distribution and finance. AGC Productions develops and produces a diverse multicultural slate of mainstream English language feature film and TV projects. Aside from traditional Hollywood output, dedicated sub-divisions within AGC Productions is focused on generating material for Latino and Urban audiences as well as music-driven IP. The television output will include scripted series, unscripted and reality projects, factual content and content specifically created for digital platforms. AGC International operates a substantial international film and television licensing and distribution platform, building on Ford and his management team’s lengthy track record at the forefront of licensing content to major studios, independent studios, broadcasters and streaming platforms globally. Finally, AGC Capital provides development, production and post-production financing to both AGC Productions’ output as well as to select third-party produced film and TV productions via a portfolio of equity, senior and mezzanine debt, soft money and bridge-capital financial products.
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