UAE creatives launch ventures to support independent film and music

Two young creatives in the UAE are launching independent companies designed to give emerging talent a platform while keeping production costs low. Dubai filmmaker Faisal Hashmi has founded Spine Drop Pictures, a production company dedicated to commercially viable horror and thriller films with budgets under $1 million each. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Ranvir Shewakramani, a pupil at Arcadia British School in Dubai, has created Out of State Records to support his own alternative rap career and release music from unknown artists.

Hashmi, who has been making films in the UAE for more than 15 years, said he was frustrated by how regional film financing often inflates budgets. Projects that could be made for $400,000 sometimes become $2 million productions because local companies are used to larger budgets, making it harder to recover costs and discouraging investors. His solution is a slate of three horror features – Off Plan, Cinder and Latching – all written and set to be directed by him, with contained locations and high-concept stories. He cites Blumhouse and the recent low-budget hit Obsession as proof that horror can be profitable without expensive stars or effects.

Shewakramani, who was born and raised in Dubai, said he was inspired by American rapper Travis Scott's Cactus Jack Records, which championed local artists. The teenager plans to release a collaborative album also titled Out of State, featuring UAE-based artists from countries including Egypt and South Africa. He hopes the label will give unknown performers a stage to "do what they do best" while he continues his studies; he aims to read chemistry at university next year.

The two ventures reflect a growing trend in the UAE of young entrepreneurs using lean, independent models to support creative communities. Both founders credit mentorship programmes and a DIY ethos for helping them turn ideas into action.