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Thursday, October 9, 2008

MEIFF opens with news of deals

As the Middle East Film Festival opens in Abu Dhabi today, Ali Jaafar has news that the Mouse has joined the fun.

Disney is in advanced negotiations with Lebanese helmer Chadi Zeneddine to finance and produce "The Last of the Storytellers."

The Mouse House’s first feature in Arabic will mark the start of an expansion drive by Disney execs into the region.

Jaafar also reports that money out of Abu Dhabi is starting to free up:
Abu Dhabi execs launched $1 billion production company Imagenation on the eve of the Toronto film fest and unveiled a $250 million production pact with Jeff Skoll’s Participant Media days later. Skoll will be flying into Abu Dhabi this weekend to announce further details of the Imagenation-Participant deal.

Posted at 5:02PM in Middle East International Film Festival|

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Mike Jones Michael Jones is the film festival editor at Variety.com.

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