twofour54 has received the prestigious ‘Studio of the Year’ award at Digital Studio’s annual awards ceremony, held yesterday at the Ritz Carlton in Dubai.
The Digital Studio Awards are a showcase of industry excellence for the TV, film and broadcast production sectors in the Middle East. In awarding twofour54 one of the most coveted gongs, the judges recognised the content creation hub and production services provider for its breadth of studio work covering both regional and international television and feature films.
In the last twelve months, twofour54 and O3 Productions – part of MBC Group – inaugurated the first ever backlot in Abu Dhabi for Haret El Shiekh as well as a second backlot for upcoming drama series Al Asouf, adding important new elements to twofour54’s production facilities. The 5,400 and 6,500 square-metre outdoor sets are located at Khalifa Industrial Zone-Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) and take the shape of a Saudi Arabian neighbourhood piazza with shops, a mosque and houses, and a small Saudi village in the 1970s, respectively. Facilities within the backlots include costume, make up and dressing rooms, as well as a canteen and production offices.
twofour54 also hosted Bollywood film Dishoom during 2016 and, with 40 filming days completed, is Abu Dhabi’s longest feature film project to date. Showcasing Abu Dhabi’s unique and varied locations as well as the ease of accessibility from India, the majority of filming for Dishoom will took place in the Capital. In excess of 90 cast and crew were involved in the shoot, as well as a number of Emiratis who took up opportunities to intern on the production. The Abu Dhabi locations serving the film’s storyline include Nurai, Saadiyat and Yas Islands, as well as Emirates Palace, Sheikh Zayed Stadium and Liwa Desert.
Maryam Al Mheiri, Acting CEO of twofour54 said: “We are very proud to be named ‘Studio of the Year’ at these prestigious awards. The world-class infrastructure that twofour54 has built to serve the film and television industry has helped us to attract all types of productions to Abu Dhabi, from Arabic dramas to Bollywood to international blockbuster movies. Our aim is to be the content creation capital of the region and this award not only recognises our efforts but motivates us to continue to enhance and support the growing industry.”
The Digital Studio Awards recognise individuals, organisations, and companies that have contributed to the broadcast and production industry. twofour54 has previously won Digital Studio’s ‘Post Production House of the Year’ in 2011 and 2012, ‘Studio of the Year’ in 2010 and 2014, and was named the winner of ‘Best Edit’ in 2015.