Directed by Ali Mostafa and co-produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi and two-four54, FROM A TO B will open in cinemas across Italy from May 12

Abu Dhabi, May 4, 2015: Emirati road trip comedy FROM A TO B is to be released in cinemas across Italy this month. Co-produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, a leading media and entertainment company in the Middle East, and twofour54- the home of media and entertainment in Abu Dhabi, the movie will become the first Emirati feature film to secure an international theatrical release when it opens in 20 Italian cinemas on May 12.

Emirati director Ali Mostafa will be in Rome for the premiere (May 4) and will go on to travel to Milan, Bologna and Florence to host special screenings and question and answer sessions with audiences.  The film has been dubbed in Italian.

Mostafa, who is currently working on his third feature film, THE WORTHY, said: ‘‘I am honoured to have my film travel oversees to an international audience. It is an incredible achievement for myself as a filmmaker and I have been overwhelmed with the global reception the film has received so far.’

FROM A TO B had its world premiere at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival in 2014, and its European premiere at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival last year.

Mohamed Al Mubarak, chairman of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, said: ’This announcement is testament to the incredible, hi-quality content we are making in Abu Dhabi. Films screening outside the region are a fantastic way for international audiences to get an honest insight into our culture. I hope more and more Emirati films get international recognition as our industry continues to develop.’

FROM A TO B follows three estranged childhood friends as they travel on a road trip from Abu Dhabi to Beirut in memory of their lost friend. It stars YouTube sensation Fahad Albutairi and Shadi Alfons, who has recently been cast in the Arabic version of the iconic sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live.

While StudioCanal handles the rights for the film in the UK, Cineama are handling the distribution for the film in Italy.

“We are very proud of the forthcoming Italian release of ‘From A to B’. The comedy touches on some universal messages that are shared across our different cultures and we hope the film’s originality will captivate Italian audiences as it has done in the UAE. We hope the film will spark the start of more and more Arab films travelling to European audiences.’ says Terenzio Cugia di Sant’Orsola, CEO of Cineama Srl, the film’s Italian distributor.

The film is available now to download from the iTunes store in the UK and Middle East.