A new creative platform is being launched to showcase stories from Bahrain, Middle East, Asia and Africa on the global stage and support the growth of film and television in the region.
Bahrain-based Fablemill has partnered with London-based Goldfinch International to launch a bold new platform supporting the growth of film, television and creative industries across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
“From Bahrain, we have always seen creativity as a national strength with global potential,” Bahraini producer and Fablemill co-founder Eman Alsabah explained.
“This platform reflects that belief, building from Bahrain outward to give creative talent the systems and capital to thrive on the world stage.”
The platform, announced ahead of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival (runs until May 23) will help creative industries in the region scale through smarter policy development, investment guidance, support for local creative projects and stronger connections with global markets.
Fablemill, co-founded by Ms Alsabah with writer Mariam Maki, makes films and series rooted in Middle Eastern storytelling.
It also advises governments and institutions on building thriving creative economies.
Goldfinch is a film finance and production group with a strong track record of backing independent films and high-end television, having financed more than 300 projects at a zero per cent default rate.
The UK-based firm has a reputation for helping creative talent in emerging markets bring their stories to life.
“We look forward to supporting the creative industries in Bahrain and across the region as they become more global in outlook and ambition through our partnership with Fablemill,” Goldfinch co-founder and chief operations officer Phil McKenzie added.
“This collaboration is designed to support the creative economy and strengthen its role, while building the systems that help creative talent and projects reach the world stage.”
Together, Fablemill and Goldfinch International are hoping to build the foundations of a new global creative economy, with Bahrain at its heart.
The partnership will be officially launched at Cannes, where both companies are in attendance, ahead of further announcements on Fablemill’s upcoming projects.
The GDN previously reported in 2021 that developing Bahrain’s film industry was amongst a number of initiatives announced by then-Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed Al Zayani, as part of the new Bahrain Tourism Strategy for 2022-2026.
Last year’s Bahrain Film Festival, in its fifth edition, screened 74 movies from all over the world, including 14 Bahraini short films, under the theme ‘Short Films, Great Stories’.
This year, Bahraini filmmaker Ahmed Zayani’s film Hope, received international acclaim with the 18-minute narrative being officially selected for 19 film festivals.
As Bahrain’s film-goers have been changing their viewing habits, with cinema attendance dropping from 4.38 million in 2013 to 485,200 in 2023, filmmakers have been adapting their stories to new mediums and platforms, like streaming services and short form content.
Some filmmakers, like UK-based Bahraini filmmaker Aziz Altamimi have previously told the GDN that the new story-telling platforms have levelled the playing field and allowed them to distribute their films internationally.
However, Mr Altamimi had noted last year that while the new platforms are more inclusive in theory, discoverability remains a challenge and unless content is promoted or uncovered, it risks getting buried.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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