32 Aflamnah, the Arab world’s first crowdfunding website, and YallaTV, a leading video-on-demand website focusing on Arab filmmakers, recently launched a comprehensive joint effort to promote Arab filmmakers and their work. Both Aflamnah and YallaTV are based in Dubai, UAE. Crowdfunding is a way to raise money online in order to back creative projects or start-up businesses. Donations net rewards. The classic dilemma for independent Arab filmmakers after finishing their projects has been finding an audience. But thanks to the new partnershipbetweenAflamnahandYallaTV, Arab filmmakers have more online tools and resources to find financial supporters and reach audiences in a dynamic new media environment. Through this partnership, YallaTV will present Aflamnah-financed films on its website, provide financial and other promotional services to select Aflamnah films, showcase Aflamnah pitching videos, profile Aflamnah producers on its Focus on the Filmmaker and VIP portals, and provide directory services. Aflamnah will provide YallaTV with select content for online exhibition, invite select YallaTV filmmakers to participate in crowdfunding on the Aflamnah website, advertise YallaTV on its website and marketing materials, and cross-promote YallaTV at Aflamnah-sponsored events. “As YallaTV adds to its suite of services for Arab filmmakers, we recognize that the Arab film production community needs more innovative ways to finance films,” saidAaronSpring, director of Marketing for YallaTV. “We’ve been impressed with how fast and how well Aflamnah is meeting this need through Internet-based crowdfunding. We’re looking forward to supporting Aflamnah’s crowdfunding option for YallaTV’s filmmakers and helping more Arab directors, producers and writers get critical-stage financing,” he said. Vida Rizq, principal founder of Aflamnah, said that her company, launched on July 1, 2012 for the Arab world, was built because “we could see how many projects we felt deserved to see the light of day that cannot get made because of the lack of funding. Aflamnah and YallaTV came together to help Arab filmmakers turn their big dreams into reality. Our partnership is a very good fit for us and the filmmakers who choose the Aflamnah platform to pitch their films. We’re going to be able to reach out to more filmmakers, provide more resources and encourage and develop more talent in a region that has so many compelling stories to tell on film.” Crowdfunding has been very successful in North America and Europe with over U.S.$2.8 billion raised in 2012 over 450 crowdfunding sites. Although it has only been active for less than a year, Aflamnah has already raised enoughmoney to back over a dozen Arab-produced film titles. The most successful so far is When I Saw You, a film by Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir that received over U.S.$10,000 from Aflamnah supporters and won the Best Arab Film award at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Film Festival and the NETPAC award at the 2013 Berlinale. YallaTV is owned by TPI Middle East FZ LLC, a production and distribution company based outside of Dubai Media City and it was launched on October2, 2011.YallaTV’s librarycurrently includes 118 films that can be viewed online, all of which are 100 percent Arabic content created by MENA region producers. “Blu-ray and satellite TV have been and will continue to be major players,” said YallaTV’s Spring. “However, high-speed Internet service and smartphones are where the growth is in the MENA marketplace. People enjoy the freedom of VoD to watch video content anytime, anywhere, and YallaTV is well-positioned to serve this mobile, time-shifting audience.” Comparing YallaTV to Netflix, Spring said: “Netflix serves awide, global audiencewithmany choices of streaming video andDVDs, all available through monthly subscription. YallaTV serves the MENA region exclusively with VoD content created by independent Arab filmmakers. We’re meeting the MENA region’s growing appetite for Arab-language films and videos, as well as enabling Arab filmmakers to connect with their audiences and each other.” He continued, “We’re the first platform that focuses on the Arab filmmaker and showcases the work of talented newcomers and industry veterans. Unlike Netflix and other online providers, we don’t charge viewers to watch our content. We also provide our filmmakers with many free services, such as marketing and publicity, directories, socialmedia and filmfestival networking, and other career development tools. In today’s media landscape, VoD should be a part of any filmmaker’s marketing toolbox. Well before a film is launched, VoD is an effective platform for promotional trailers, teaser clips and behindthe-scenes interviews. To maximize the impact of marketing budgets, more producers are releasing their films on VoD concurrent with theatrical releases, or shortly afterwards. VoD also extends the viewing window of a film title and reaches new audiences.” Arab filmmakers have generally been very open to crowdfunding and those who have benefited have become avid supporters and ambassadors. “Some filmmakers feel it is not for them or they are protective of their idea or are too embarrassed to crowdfund,” added Aflamnah’s Rizq, who is working hard to get the message across that this is a huge opportunity for funding ideas in other parts of the world. Rizq said, “The concept of crowdfunding is about inviting people to become involved with you and your idea and a chance for the normal person on the street to get insider access to how an idea becomes a reality. We are for all creative ideas and not just for films. Our criteria is that any project has to be for or from the Arab world. Once an idea is submitted we obviously ensure that people have thought through their project and most importantly their campaign. It is not enough to create your project and a pitch video; the most important aspect is the campaigning that goes with it.” So far, Aflamnah has supported 33 different projects, and not just for production costs. Although When I Saw You got U.S.$10,000 from Aflamnah, the director needed the money for marketinganddistribution; sheoriginallywanted to raise U.S.$5,000, but ended up doubling her target. “We have not put a maximum amount. The highest target is for a film called 51 that is currently crowdfunding and is looking to raise U.S.$170,000,” explained Rizq. She also mentioned that she does not want to expand the service in other countries. “Aflamnah is an online business and like any other e-commerce site, which is essentiallywhat we are, we do not need too many regional offices, but we are very excited about creating partnerships and opportunities with like-minded organizations around the world.” And, sheadded, “Currently theYallaTVplatform is only for Arabic films created by MENA region producers. If a MENA region producer creates an Arabic film about another region of the world we would consider it for distribution.” YallaTV is focused on building up the Arab filmmaking community and showcasing unique talent from the rapidly growing region. “Our new partnership with Aflamnah provides many valuable opportunities for filmmakers,” added YallaTV’s Spring. “We’re offering services to help these filmmakers get their films financed, as well as providing distribution options for trailers and completed films. YallaTV is also exploring co-production opportunities with Aflamnah registered producers. Our goal is to provide Aflamnah filmmakers with more ways to put their films before influential industry leaders and be seen by new and wider audiences.” By Sherif Awad Crowdfunding and Online Distribution for Arab Filmmakers October 2013 Middle East Report Vida Rizq, principal founder of Aflamnah
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI4OTA5