Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group and Imagenation Abu Dhabi through their newly created strategic alliance with Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) have joined forces with mega-hit songwriter / producer Dave Stewart of Weapons of Mass Entertainment to produce STREET DANCING, an inspiring against-all-odds story set in the world of a cutting-edge dance competition in Singapore and New York. Music for the film will be provided by the team of Golden Globe and multi-Grammy winner Stewart and Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE).
Amritraj will produce while Imagenation’s CEO Ed Borgerding and Hyde Park’s Patrick Aiello will executive produce with Dave Stewart and Prem Akkaraju.
In addition, newly-signed Interscope recording artist Cindy Gomez will make her feature film debut in STREET DANCING. Gomez was featured in Nokia’s mobile game, “Dance Fabulous” on all N-Gage compatible Nokia mobile devices. The placement instantly exposed Gomez and her music to millions of fans around the world.
Released in June 2009 through Nokia’s OVI website, the Nokia game features a dancing Gomez avatar as well as five of her songs, positioning her at the forefront of a trend that marries music with mobile entertainment. Songs performed in the game are slated for an Interscope album to be released wide in 2010 and could be a prominent component of the production of STREET DANCING.
Famed music video and feature helmer, Bille Woodruff (HONEY, BEAUTYSHOP, BRING IT ON: FIGHT TO THE FINISH), will direct from a script penned by David B. Harris. Woodruff has directed music video stars including: Britney Spears, Enrique Iglesias, Miranda Cosgrove, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, Usher, Celine Dion and Toni Braxton, whom he has directed six times, including the huge UN-BREAK MY HEART single.
Hyde Park Entertainment Group Chairman Ashok Amritraj said: “We are excited to collaborate with such a creative and prolific team as Dave Stewart, Rahman, Bille and Cindy. This fresh and exciting pop-cross-cultural project is an organic match for continuing our partnerships between Hollywood, the Middle East and Asia, and gives us the ability to explore the exciting new distribution format of mobile technology.”
Imagenation Abu Dhabi CEO Edward Borgerding added: “Street Dancing is the ideal property to commence our partnership with Hyde Park and the MDA – it’s very reflective of our partners, their culture and embodies our overall vision of creating global cinema for mass audiences.”
Dr. Christopher Chia, CEO of MDA, said: “This film will effectively meld both Eastern and Western perspectives, cultures, music and lifestyles together - making it readily accessible and relevant for a global audience. It leverages existing properties with its own fans and following and looks set to take it further. I am confident of the film’s ability to travel as the storyline, talent and locations are universally appealing."
Nokia’s Head of Cross Media Solutions, Mark Ollila, said: "Nokia was thrilled to have been formative in launching Cindy’s career with her groundbreaking work in Nokia’s "Dance Fabulous" mobile game. "Dance Fabulous" combines a fun and challenging dancing game with the player’s own music catalogue and is available for compatible Nokia mobile devices through the Ovi Store. The placement instantly exposed Gomez and her music to an audience of tens of millions of consumers around the world. We are excited that this feature film will further expand Cindy’s presence as an artist.”
Weapons of Mass Entertainment President and Change Agent at Nokia, Dave Stewart, said: “I am very excited to be working with Ashok on this multi-platform, multi-cultural, charming film. The world is more connected than ever before and as pioneers in connecting media from all sources, I found Hyde Park, Imagenation and I shared this outlook. And, “Collaborating with A.R. Rahman is always a thrill and I look forward to working with him and Cindy on this music heavy project.”
Stewart is currently working with Mick Jagger on their next album and has enjoyed a long and celebrated career writing and producing with such legendary recording artists as Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, U2 and No Doubt. Previously, Stewart partnered with Annie Lennox in the Eurythmics where the duo enjoyed several #1 hits, including “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).”
Hyde Park International, a leading foreign sales company headed by president Mimi Steinbauer, is representing Worldwide rights for the film.
In October 2009, Hyde Park / Imagenation Abu Dhabi and Singapore’s MDA announced a strategic alliance to fund three to four films worth an estimated $75M over the next five years. This arrangement is an extension to Imagenation Abu Dhabi and Hyde Park’s $250 million financing deal to develop, produce and distribute up to 20 feature films over seven years.
