The dates have been announced for the release of the UAE-made first full-length animation feature film.
Industry insiders at Cannes Film Festival were among the first to find out that Bilal: A New Breed of Hero' will be released in cinemas on September 8, 2016.
Ayman Jamal, the producer and director of Bilal, and founder of Barajoun Entertainment, the film's animation studio says: "Releasing the official launch date of Bilal during Cannes Film Festival felt like a natural stage with its cinematic heritage and reputation. We are extremely proud of the quality of animation and story-telling, unheard of being produced in the Middle East."
The story reimagines the life of Bilal Ibn Rabah, a famous hero from the time of the birth of Islam who goes from braving oppression to becoming a noble leader and an inspiration to generations. It is a story of faith, hope and self-discovery that has already been awarded glowing accolades from international industry commentators including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
* aseaman@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
