(MENAFN Press) Dubai, United Arab Emirates “ 17 September 2012-
Emirati Mohammed Al Otaiba has been announced as the winner of the British Council's International Young Creative Media Entrepreneur (IYCME) Award in the UAE.
Al Otaiba is the Head of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, which oversees the company's strategy of local film development. In this role, he is responsible for Image Nation's local development and production activities for the UAE.
Al Otaiba competed with four other exceptional short-listed candidates, winning for his passion, experience and knowledge of the media sector in the UAE through his work with Image Nation Abu Dhabi, and his willingness to face challenges and take risks. Prior to his involvement with Image Nation, Al Otaiba spent 10 years working as a diplomat within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he represented the UAE at the United Nations in New York, Beijing and London.
Al Otaiba received a Bronze medal from the New York Festival in 2005 for his documentary 'Afghan Days'. In the same year, his film was screened at SEE Film Festival in Brighton. In 2009, he was one of six winners of the Abu Dhabi Film Commission's short film contest for his horror film 'The Orphanage'. Last year, he shadowed director Tobe Hooper on Image Nation Abu Dhabi's latest local film production, 'Djinn', and acted as the film's cultural consultant. Al Otaiba is currently working on his next project due to be released in 2013.
"I am grateful and proud that I have been chosen as the first-ever UAE winner of the British Council Young Creative Media Entrepreneur award. I believe there is wisdom to be gleaned from the UK, and I will be able to draw lessons from the UK's media sector and share them with my peers in the UAE," said Al Otaiba.
"I realise the value and opportunities that this award can offer, and how well it fits within what I am trying to achieve today both at Image Nation and as a creative professional working on my own projects. I look forward to the opportunity to meet industry professionals and leaders and learn from their experience," he added.
The British Council's YCE programme connects a global network of innovative emerging entrepreneurs in the creative sector, finds new ways to take creative work to audiences and communities, and highlights the wider social, economic, and cultural benefits in doing so.
"Mohammed Al Otaiba is an excellent example of the huge pool of talent that the UAE has across creative sectors that remain relatively untapped. The quality of his work and the extent of his industry insights are phenomenal, and we believe he is an ideal ambassador for the UAE's media scene to the UK," said Michel Bechara, Head of Projects, British Council UAE.
The jury panel for the award consisted of media heavyweights Juma Al Houti, HR Director for TwoFour54, Jamal Al Sharif, Managing Director of Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City, and Nezar Ajaj Andary, Assistant Professor of Film and Literature at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi.
Jamal Al Sharif Managing Director of Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City said: "I am honoured to be part of The Young Creative Entrepreneur Media award. TECOM Investments Media Cluster considers talent as a crucial element to develop the regional media industry and to complement the current developed infrastructure in the region. We believe initiatives such as this provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the UAE promising talent on the world stage."
"Mohammad Al-Otaiba represents the quintessential creative entrepreneur as he is managing an important enterprise developing a film industry in the UAE, but he also continues to push forward with his own efforts as a filmmaker and storyteller. Even in his executive role at Image Nation Abu Dhabi, he endeavoured to create humble, but promising programs that have the potential to inspire many others to tap into their creativity. I know his time in the UK will resonate for all us here in the UAE, but also for many in the UK," said Nezar Andary Assistant Professor of Film and Literature at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi.
YCE Media candidates were drawn from a myriad of media sections, including interactive software, social media developers, media distribution and sales, festival/event programming and management, and specialists and agencies supporting the development of these industries.
Al Otaiba will join 16 international YCE Media winners for a one to two week tour of the UK that will provide opportunities to develop further contacts for initiating commercial and collaborative work in the future. The tour will include attendance at key UK industry events like the London Film Festival (10 “ 25 October) and Power to the Pixel (16 “ 19 October).
Programme participants will have the opportunity to partake in arranged meetings and events, including panel discussions alongside UK and international industry speakers and continue to contribute ideas and feedback to the international YCE network.
