StoriesByPhil.com
SCREENWRITER FOR HIRE
CATSAWAY
An Animated Family Adventure
from Abu Dhabi
Emirati filmmaker Fadel AlMheiri had an idea for an animated movie about a group of stray cats searching for a home as Abu Dhabi changed around them. He brought screenwriter Phil Parker a three-page concept, early character sketches, and hired him to turn the idea into a feature-length story.
Phil developed the concept into a 25-page feature treatment. CATSAWAY subsequently attracted significant industry interest and was bought by Image Nation, who joined Tent Pictures Productions as a co-production partner.
Project Details
CATSAWAY
FORMAT: Animated feature film
GENRE: Family/adventure/comedy
SETTING: Abu Dhabi, UAE
CONCEPT: Fadel AlMheiri
PHIL'S ROLE: Feature Treatment/Story Development
STATUS: Bought by Image Nation Abu Dhabi
Director's Testimonial
from Fadel Al Mheiri at Tent Pictures Productions
“My idea for 'Catsaway' would NEVER have happened without the assistance of Phil. The story is perfectly constructed, with compelling characterizations and appealing plot. I am very grateful to work with him and still continue to do so. Thank you for running such a fine business. Great work!”
From the Director's Concept
to an Animated Feature Treatment
CATSAWAY began with a concept and rough sketches of its feline characters. Fadel AlMheiri then hired screenwriter Phil Parker to develop those raw ingredients into the story for an animated feature.
Phil wrote a 25-page treatment, developing the characters, story, and adventure while working closely with AlMheiri on his original vision.
From there, CATSAWAY began to take on a life of its own. Character artwork and models were created; the project was featured at exhibitions in Abu Dhabi; animated promotional material was produced; the director was invited to present his project at industry events; and Catsaway even appeared in the local press.
All the hard work paid off when Image Nation Abu Dhabi bought the rights to the project and joined Tent Pictures as a co-production partner on the film.
Catsaway
Catsaway
Catsaway: Trailer Storyboard 2
“Catsaway Exhibition - Into The Cats’ Home!” at #thelab
Local UAE Stories,
International Audiences
Some of the most memorable animated films create worlds that are culturally specific but tell stories with universal appeal. A distinctive setting can give an animated movie its identity, while characters, humor, adventure, and emotion allow audiences anywhere to connect with it.
The UAE has increasingly looked to animation as a way to develop its own characters and stories for audiences at home and abroad. One of its best-known successes is FREEJ, the Emirati animated series created by Mohammed Saeed Harib, which centers on four Emirati women and everyday life in Dubai. More recently, Abu Dhabi has continued to invest in animation, children's entertainment, and locally developed intellectual property as part of its growing media industry.
CATSAWAY approaches Abu Dhabi from another direction. Conceived by Emirati filmmaker Fadel AlMheiri, the story follows a group of stray cats as they try to find a new home as the city changes around them. Its world draws upon recognizable Abu Dhabi locations and memories of the city at the end of the 1990s, including landmarks that have since disappeared.
The setting is distinctly Emirati. The cats' problem is universal.
That combination created rich possibilities for an animated adventure: characters searching for somewhere they belong while the world they know is disappearing around them. AlMheiri brought the place, characters and original concept; screenwriter Phil Parker helped him develop those elements into a feature-film story designed to engage audiences beyond the UAE.
That collaboration became CATSAWAY.
Related articles:
One Filmmaker. Three Commissions.
CATSAWAY began a creative relationship between Phil Parker and Emirati filmmaker Fadel AlMheiri that led to two further screenwriting commissions.
AlMheiri next hired Phil to write a treatment for ABOOD, a live-action feature project, followed by a commissioned spec pilot for CAPTAIN KHALFAN, a popular Middle Eastern animated television series.
The three projects required different approaches: developing an original animated feature, shaping a live-action movie concept, and writing for established animated characters and an existing fictional world.
For Phil, the repeat commissions are a testament to a successful creative partnership: a filmmaker bringing his own ideas, characters and perspective, and a screenwriter helping develop them into stories for the screen.
MEDIA ROOM
December, 2020
Animation in Abu Dhabi is on fire! Tent Pictures partners with an animation production company for CATSAWAY. Voice casting for the Arabic version has begun.
September, 2019
Tent Pictures gives a video tour of the CATSAWAY exhibit at The Lab Expo in Abu Dhabi. CASTAWAY: Directed by Fadel AlMheiri. Story by screenwriter Phil Parker and Fadel AlMheiri.
May 5, 2018
Excitement grows as the UAE's first-ever animated film releases its first trailer and production begins in Abu Dhabi. Directed by Fadel AlMehiri. Story by screenwriter Phil Parker and Fadel AlMheiri.
April 3, 2018
Pre-production has started on Catsaway – an animated movie about a group of street cats trying to find a home as Abu Dhabi rapidly expands around them.
July 23, 2017
From the Volcano Fountain to the Clock Tower, Fadel Al Mheiri's animated family-friendly film about a group of stray cats takes you on a trip around old Abu Dhabi as they search for a new home.
Have an idea for an animated movie?
You don't need to have the whole story figured out. CATSAWAY began with a concept and some character sketches.
Phil Parker works with producers, filmmakers and creators to develop original ideas, characters and story worlds into feature-film stories for the screen.
Share a few details via the Contact Form, and Phil will reach out as soon as possible. Prefer direct email? No problem. Send your inquiry to storiesbyphil@gmail.com.
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