The 30th anniversary of Joy Films this year coincides with the opening of new offices in Saudi Arabia and Vancouver, Canada.
Founded by Oscar-nominated director Mehdi Norowzian in London in 1994, Joy quickly established international acclaim, delivering award-winning commercials for major clients including Adidas, Johnnie Walker and Saab.
In 2008 Norowzian partnered with Ali Azarmi to open Joy in Dubai, with Azarmi bringing his vast experience of the region as executive creative director of multinational advertising agencies to reinforce Joy’s creative vision and passion.
“Mehdi is a pioneering creative,” says Azarmi. “When I look back at some of his iconic ads before the digital era, I’m in awe of how beautiful they still look and wonder how amazing the VFX looks without all the tools we have today.”
Now the company offers creative concept development and full production services.
State-of-the-art resources
Joy’s diversified approach also takes in Artificial Intelligence (AI), as the company invests in state-of-the-art AI resources.
“Dubai’s dynamic and fast-paced mindset has had a profound influence on our evolution, redefining what is possible and inspiring us to adapt to change,” says Azarmi. “Here, the unrelenting change is embraced. The production industry in this region can mobilise faster than any other and deliver amazing results against incredibly challenging timelines anywhere in the world.
“And AI is a new tool that will open new possibilities further.”
Joy is working extensively in Saudi Arabia, helping to communicate its accelerated transformation into a more diversified economy.
NEOM has been the most visible of the Kingdom’s giga-projects and one that Joy Films helped launch globally with The Line brand film.
This was followed by the phenomenally successful Made To Change TV commercial and TROJENA video for NEOM, and most recently Meet The Architects, a 12-part two-minute documentary series, shot all around the world over five months.
“Saudi Arabia represents a major market for us,” says Azarmi. “As in Dubai, we are witnessing an incredible pace of change on so many levels. It is fascinating and very exciting. For us, it also represents an opportunity and a responsibility to develop the film industry there. This means investing in developing local talent.
“Saudi’s youth, which comprises the vast majority of the population, is ready and hungry to rise to the occasion and shine,” continues Azarmi. “Saudi already has the largest number of media-savvy content creators and influencers by far in the region. Hollywood and Bollywood are already showing great interest, not least because of the great financial incentives being offered.”
The pace and demands of clients in the Gulf states have shaped Joy Films into a responsive and agile company. “Fast thinking and creativity are required to find the most effective solutions,” explains Azarmi. “A lot of work and experience goes into making our productions seem effortless.”
The opening of Joy Films’ office in Canada expands on its existing international presence in the UK and North America. Together with the Middle East’s regional hubs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Joy Films’ strategic locations are enabling the company to operate anywhere in the world.
In line with its market expansion, Joy is also widening its scope to include long-form work, gaming platforms and AI solutions. “We don’t want to be a huge company, but we want to be a great one,” as Norowzian puts it.
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