Dubai-based production company Ta Films is expanding its footprint in the regional film industry, with a slate of new projects that includes the debut feature of an emerging Saudi filmmaker. The move follows the Cannes Film Festival success of the Yemen-set drama The Station.
The company plans to begin production later this year on Drowning (working title), the first feature from Saudi director Mujtaba Saeed.
The film centers on a man seeking justice for his father’s murder, only to find himself drawing a young boy into the same cycle of crime and corruption he is desperate to escape.
Red Sea Film Fund, Ithra
Drowning has already secured backing from both the Red Sea Film Fund and the Ithra Film Fund, underscoring growing support for Saudi filmmaking talent. The project will be produced by Jordanian filmmaker Nadia Eliewat, who also co-wrote and produced The Station.
The announcement comes as Ta Films co-founder Shivani Pandya Malhotra takes on a more active role within the company after recently stepping down from the Red Sea Film Foundation in Saudi Arabia, where she played a key role in shaping the Red Sea International Film Festival during its formative years.
Founded in 2022 by Pandya Malhotra and Sangeeta Desai, Ta Films is led by Eliewat as chief executive and creative director. The company further strengthened its production operations last year through the acquisition of Eliewat’s Screen Project banner.
In addition to Drowning, Ta Films is developing a feature film in partnership with MBC Group and aims to broaden its network of creative collaborations across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.
“Production has always been where my passion began,” Pandya Malhotra said in a recent statement. “Over the past 20 years, I have been fortunate to contribute to the growth of the film industry across the Middle East, supporting filmmakers, storytellers and emerging creative voices.”
She added that the success of The Station had reinforced the company’s belief in the power of authentic storytelling and highlighted the depth of talent emerging from the region.
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