Abu Dhabi's burgeoning film scene appears to be growing rapidly with a record number of submissions seeking funding from twofour54 media and entertainment hub .
In total, 178 applications seeking funding were submitted for the 2015 session of Sanad, an Abu Dhabi initiative offering film grants to Arab filmmakers.
Filmmakers seeking funding through the initiative can either submit their application in the development phase or the post-production phase. Development can be as simple as an idea for a project with a set plan where as post-production projects have already been largely filmed and are just awaiting editing.
This year's submissions included 101 in the development category and 77 in the post-production phase. Eighty-seven of these submissions are the first feature film projects of the applicants. The projects selected to receive funding will be announced in September.
"Our support for Arab film production and Arab filmmakers through the Sanad fund provides new and established filmmakers with capital to develop or complete their feature-length narrative and documentary projects," Ali Al Jabri, director of Sanad, said, according to Khaleej Times.
"We have received a remarkable collection of submissions and we look forward to the new influx of quality Arabic cinema from the next group of grantees."
Previously projects funded by Sanad have gone on to find international success. Last year Samir's "Iraqi Odyssey," Naji Abu Nowar's "Theeb" and Ghassan Salhab's "The Valley" screened at international film festivals in Venice, Toronto and Berlin.