Imagenation Abu Dhabi and Hyde Park align with Singapore’s MDA on US$75million financing partnership

Dated: 10 October 2009

Imagenation Abu Dhabi, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Media Company, and Ashok Amritraj's Hyde Park Entertainment Group jointly announced an extension of their partnership to create a strategic alliance with Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA). Under the deal, Imagenation Abu Dhabi and Hyde Park will fund three to four films a year –worth an estimated production value of 75 million USD over the next five years. The multi-party venture will commence with an English language cross-cultural production to be named in the coming weeks.

In addition, the new venture will soon open an office in Singapore, which will serve as the Asian headquarters and will hire a management team. Hyde Park International Presi​​​dent, Mimi Steinbauer is handling foreign sales for films produced by the company, Hyde Park Executive Vice President Patrick Aiello will be supervising creative affairs and Imagenation Abu Dhabi Chief Operating Officer Stefan Brunner will oversee business affairs.

“Abu Dhabi and Singapore are collaborating on multiple levels –both political and economic,” remarked His Excellency Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of Imagenation Abu Dh​abi. “This new venture solidifies our ties and commitment to the region.”

Hyde Park’s Ashok Amritraj said: "Hyde Park and Imagenation’s activities in Hollywood and throughout Asia are further strengthened by this new relationship with Singapore. We look forward to working closely with the MDA and being a leading force in the global media growth in Asia.”

Imagenation Abu Dhabi Chief Executive Officer Edward Borgerding added: “Our continued relationship with Hyde Park and new partnership with Singapore’s MDA truly embodies our ethos of focusing on global cinema and establishing strong alliances to create quality commercial feature films. This deal brings us one step closer to achieving that goal.”

Dr. Christopher Chia, Chief Executive Officer of MDA, said: “Connecting partners from three different continents to produce international films through an Asian headquarters in Singapore, the Hyde Park-Imagenation-MDA alliance is the latest transnational industry collaboration that fulfills Singapore's promise as a trusted global capital for media businesses. Through this new venture, we hope to see stronger ties between media companies and professionals from the Middle East, United States and Singapore as they collaborate to create compelling content for audiences worldwide."

Imagenation Abu Dhabi and Hyde Park Entertainment first partnered in November 2008 on a US$250 million financing deal to develop, produce and distribute up to 20 feature films over seven years –with additional financing for the production of local language and cross-cultural films. Their partnership with MDA follows Hyde Park’s 2008 announcement of its plans to set up a multi-million dollar fund based in Singapore. 

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About Imagena​​tion ​Abu Dhabi
Imagenation Abu Dhabi was launched in September 2008 to develop, finance and produce full-length feature films and digital content for Arabic and global markets. From its base in Abu Dhabi, the company has established partnerships with high-profile, internationally-based producers such as National Geographic and Participant Media to develop and create content for distribution internationally, in addition to supporting Middle East film​​makers and Arabian film production. H.E. Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei is the Chairman, Edward Borgerding is the Chief Executive Officer and Stefan Brunner is the Chief Operating Officer. Imagenation Abu Dhabi’s feature films include Robert Rodriguez’s Shorts, Peter Weir’s The Way Back, Doug Liman’s Fair Game as well as Furry Vengeance and The Crazies.

About Hyde Park Enterta​​inment
Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group has established itself as one of the most prolific and successful major production companies in Hollywood -- responsible for such c​​ritical and box office hits as Bringing Down the House, Shopgirl, Premonition, Raising Helen and Walking Tall. Hyde Park has grown into a cutting-edge alternative to the traditional Hollywood studio system for filmmakers, by making it one of the few progressive global independent companies that encompasses most elements of a full-fledged studio. The company, which includes live-action, animation and cross-cultural cinema is capable of developing, producing and financing projects, as well as handling their international sales and marketing. With partnerships in Singapore, India and the Middle East, Amritraj’s Hyde Park has pioneered the effort to build a bridge between East and West by bringing together cinema and cultural exchanges and providing a platform for Indian and Asian talent to be showcased globally.

About Media Devel​​​opmen​​t A​​​uthority of Singapore (MDA)
Formed in 2003, the Media Deve​​lopment Authority of Singapore (MDA) plays a vital role in transforming Singapore into a Trusted Global Capital for New Asia Media. MDA spearheads initiatives that promote industry growth in film, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation and Interactive Digital Media. At the same time, in ensuring clear and consistent regulatory policies and guidelines, MDA helps to foster a pro-business environment for industry players and increase media choices for consumers. For more information, visit www.mda.gov.sg and www.smf.sg.