Nagbukas sa mga sinehan sa Middle East ngayong Huwebes, April 19, ang Never Not Love You ng Viva Films.
Ito ang resulta ng kasunduan sa pagitan ng industry veterans sa Gulf at Asia.
Ang The Hollywood Reporter ang naglabas ng balita tungkol sa partnership ng movie production company ni Boss Vic del Rosario at ng mga established film producer sa Asia:
Gulf Asia Entertainment, announced Wednesday, comes from Sunder Kimatrai (formerly executive vp Asia Pacific at Twentieth Century Fox International), Shravan Shroff (former managing director of Fame India Ltd., one of India’s largest cinema chains), Gianluca Chakra (CEO of Front Row Filmed Entertainment) and Filipino media mogul Vicente Del Rosario (CEO of Viva Entertainment), and aims to capitalize on the huge number of South Asians living in the region.
After the U.S., the Filipino diaspora in the Middle East is the second largest in the world, with a population of more than 2.5 million, including 1.2 million in Saudi Arabia and just over 800,000 in the United Arab Emirates.
Through Front Row Film Entertainment, Gulf Asia Entertainment aims to release 10-12 Filipino titles each year, starting on April 19 with romantic drama Never Not Love You, which grossed $500,000 in its first four days in the Philippines earlier this month.
“While we cover Western and Arab film distribution, Asian and specifically Filipino content is indeed a natural progression," said Chakra.
"With the partners in place, this could only prove to [be] a significantly interesting move in satisfying a vast audience that has never been properly served in region."
Si Nadine Lustre, lead actress ng Never Not Love You, ang representative ng Viva Films sa successful premiere ng pelikula sa Dubai Mall kahapon, April 18.
Ang Sid & Aya, Not A Love Story, na magbubukas sa local cinemas nationwide sa May 30 at pinagbibidahan nina Dingdong Dantes at Anne Curtis, ang second Filipino movie na ipalalabas sa mga sinehan sa Middle East.