Screenlife pioneer launches UAE programme to expand emerging film technique locally

Timur Bekmambetov, producer of Unfriended, aims to further popularise the genre, which tells stories that take place entirely on a computer or phone screen

Set entirely on a computer screen, Unfriended is regarded as one of the first feature-length works of its kind. Photo: Universal Pictures

Timur Bekmambetov, the director behind Wanted and Night Watch, is bringing a new filmmaking initiative to the UAE.

The Screenlife Accelerator Programme will teach UAE creatives how to make films that take place entirely on a computer, tablet or smartphone screen.

Screenlife is an increasingly popular narrative technique, which began with the 2014 film Unfriended, a horror movie that takes place as friends disappear one by one while on a group video call. That film was followed by 2018's Searching, in which a father goes looking for his missing daughter by going through her phone and computer. The films have spawned numerous imitators, which have together formed the basis of a new screen-bound genre.

“Screenlife offers the fastest way to break into the film industry,” said Bekmambetov, whose production company Bazelevs is spearheading the scheme in collaboration with Image Nation Abu Dhabi. “It’s quicker and less expensive to produce than traditional films, but most importantly it captures the new reality of spending much of our lives on digital screens – a transition traditional cinema struggles to reflect. I hope the accelerator programme in Abu Dhabi will popularise screenlife in the growing Mena film market and pave the way for establishing a worldwide community of screenlife filmmakers.”

Bekmambetov helped popularise the emerging genre. The Russian-Kazakh filmmaker has been a pivotal figure in the format after Unfriended, which he produced, grossed more than $65 million on a $1 million budget. That success served as a proof of concept, showing the industry that screenlife could become a suspenseful form of storytelling while being commercially viable.

Bekmambetov also produced the aforementioned 2018 mystery Searching, as well as its spiritual sequel, 2023's hit Missing. The film grossed more than $48 million and became a Netflix chart-topper in the US.

The Screenlife Accelerator Programme aims to keep the genre’s momentum going. Bazelevs previously launched the initiative in South Korea, India and the UK. The UAE programme will culminate with the development of four new feature films in the screenlife format.

It is open to aspiring and experienced filmmakers, provided they have a fundamental grasp of scriptwriting, directing and production. Twenty finalists will be selected for an intensive 12-week course that will tackle technical, narrative and budgeting aspects of making a screenlife film.

“How we create and consume content is changing at an unprecedented rate thanks to technological advances and changing viewing patterns,” Ben Ross, acting chief executive of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, said.

“The Screenlife Accelerator Programme is an opportunity for filmmakers to be at the forefront of this evolution, challenging how we think about moviemaking and pioneering an exciting new format as we continue to build a successful and sustainable film and entertainment industry across the GCC and wider Mena region.”

The programme is accepting applications until August 10. More information is available at abudhabiacceleratorscreenlife.com