Majid Al Ansari 's feature film "Zinzana" will hit cinemas across the Middle East on Dec. 10.
Produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi and directed by Emirati filmmaker Ansari, the film will have its UAE premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival on the same day it is released to the public.
Ansari, who started at Image Nation as an intern more than six years ago, said: “This is the moment I’ve been waiting for – I’ve wanted to be a filmmaker my whole life, and to have my first ever feature released in theatres is incredible. I can’t wait to see how audiences react."
The film stars award-winning Arab actors Ali Suliman and Saleh Bakri and is a neo-noir thriller set in a small town police station.
Talal (Saleh Bakri) is held for an unknown crime and a visiting policeman from a nearby station, Dabaan (Ali Suliman), sets in motion a series of events that result in a cat-and-mouse game with life and death stakes.
Mohammed Al Mubarak, chairman of Image Nation, said: “To have one of our own team members have their film released theatrically is an overwhelmingly proud moment for us."
“Majid is set for a bright career as a director and is a shining example of how Image Nation can help UAE filmmakers achieve their dreams.”
The film had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Texas and screened at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival earlier this year.
Critics have called the film a ‘world-class’ production and called Ansari the "Tarantino of the Middle East."
It was announced earlier this year that Ansari would be represented by United Talent Agency. VOX is handling distribution in the Middle East, while Cinetic is handling U.S. distribution and IM Global handling international.
Jacques Kruger, general manager of Vox, said: “'Zinzana' marks a number of firsts for all involved. It is VOX’s first collaboration with Image Nation, the first Emirati film that we will distribute in the Middle East and the first feature film [of] Majid Al Ansari."
"Zinzana" will be released across the Middle East on Dec. 10 , with the exception of Egypt (Dec. 17 ) and Lebanon (January 2016).