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Emirati filmmaker Ali F. Mostafa, famed for the award winning 2009 film, ‘City of Life’, today announced his new feature film, ‘A to B’, a heart-wrenching, yet humorous road-movie, which will begin production in the UAE in October and is supported by twofour54 Abu Dhabi.

What makes this movie so exciting is the team collaborating on the project. Joining UAE National Mostafa, who directs, are Egyptian writer and producer Mohamed Hefzy, Lebanese producer Paul Baboudjian and Saudi film producer Mohammed Al Turki.

‘A to B’ Writer/Producer Mohamed Hefzy started out as a screenwriter in Egypt with several hits under his belt before going on to produce major films such as Microphone, Tahrir 2011, and My Brother The Devil”.

Producer Paul Baboudjian has been a successful producer in the film industry for over 10 years, innovating and contributing to the media and film industry in the Arab world. His projects span from documentaries to features, always scoring awards in the international film industry: from the featurefilm ‘Here Comes the Rain’, winner of – among others – the Black Pearl Award at 2010 Abu Dhabi Film Festival, to documentaries like “A world not ours” which won many regional and international awards.

Mohammed Al Turki has successfully bridged the entertainment gap between ‘East and West’ and has built a reputation in Hollywood that shifted on to the Arab world. At only 26, Al Turki produced the recent international hit, ‘Arbitrage’, which landed Richard Gere a Golden Globe nomination, it also stars Susan Sarandon, Nate Parker and Tim Roth as well as other projects featuring some of the biggest names in movies including John Cusack, Dennis Quaid, ZacEfron, Julianne Moore, Brit Marlling and Freida Pinto.

Production on the movie will begin at the end of October, with a six-week shoot planned across the region including Abu Dhabi (UAE), Oman, Jordan and Lebanon. The movie will feature cameo appearances by leading stars from the Arab world.

Set to entertain audiences in the Arab world and beyond, ‘A to B’ presents three young Arab expats who undertake a road trip from their home-city, Abu Dhabi, to Beirut in memory of their best friend. Their plan to cover 2,500 kilometres over three days is beset with obstacles, with their adventure at times hilarious as they face the challenges of travelling across the region.

The movie will also feature the Range Rover Evoque as part of an existing collaboration between luxury automotive brand Land Rover and Ali F. Mostafa, who helped launch the car in the MENA region.  Globally, Land Rover vehicles have featured in many iconic international films including Skyfall, and ‘A to B’ is the first time product placement has played such a major role in a UAE film.

Commenting on the new movie, Ali F. Mostafa, said, “I’ve been looking for the right follow up project to ‘City of Life’ and think ‘A to B’ will appeal to audiences internationally as well as across the Arab region. It’s very exciting to be working with Mohamed Hefzy, who also wrote the script and Paul Baboudjian. The support of Mohammed Al Turki as well is a great added value. What is amazing about this film is also the production experience that we are sharing: me, Paul and Hefzy decided to undertake this adventure just like the protagonists who travel together from Abu Dhabi to Beirut.”

Speaking about their contribution to the movie, Noura Al Kaabi, Chief Executive, twofour54 Abu Dhabi, said, “We are proud to support Ali in his latest project. ‘A to B’ is an engaging and entertaining story which will connect with audiences across the region. We are especially excited to be able to support such a talented assembly of Arab talent highlighting the growth of the film industry from the Gulf centred in Abu Dhabi. This continues twofour54’s commitment to support and showcase UAE National creative talent as we establish Abu Dhabi as the region’s leading media hub.”

Mohamed Hefzycommented, “This is a story so Universal yet so Arab, and I’m proud to be working with such a diverse group of talent”.

Paul Baboudjian said, “When Ali first pitched me the project I immediately felt a strong bond to it. The story is compelling, full of adventure, laughs but also with a lot of meaning. I am excited to bring all my production experience to this project: working with Ali’s powerful cinematic language and Mohamed’s experience and creative input will be an amazing journey. And Mohammed Al Turki’s presence with us it’s the cherry on top of the cake!”

Mohammed Al Turki, added, “I really enjoyed Ali’s first film, ‘City of Life’ and was very impressed by this script which drove my determination to get onboard. As an Arab, I am very excited about the prospect of working on a project from one of the rising stars of our region’s film industry. We have assembled a great team and I believe ‘A to B’ will have international audience appeal.

Commented Robin Colgan, Managing Director for Jaguar Land Rover Middle East &North Africa: “I’m thrilled to be here in Cannes alongside Ali to announce Land Rover’s involvement in ‘A to B’.  We have had a successful partnership with Ali since 2011, resulting in one of our most successful vehicle launches ever, so being involved in A to B was a natural extension of this.  I’ve no doubt that starring in Ali F. Mostafa’s latest film will take the Range Rover Evoque’s fame to even greater heights.”

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