The new animated film Bilal: A New Breed of Hero is one of those films that looks terribly unoriginal and predictable at first glance. Especially when one views the film’s trailer, which unfortunately markets it as little more than a Saturday morning animated show that feels destined to bombard you with religious messages, regardless of whether you are amenable to them or not. But, something remarkable happens along the way, the film proves to be rather entertaining and not as “preachy” as the trailers promised. Sure, that element is still present—so, if that kind of thing really bothers you, then this probably isn’t the film for you—but the practice is not nearly as omnipresent as one might expect. In the end, Bilal: A New Breed of Hero turns out to be an entertaining and surprisingly energetic animated adventure.
The story of Bilal: A New Breed of Hero...
The story of Bilal: A New Breed of Hero...
- 2/3/2018
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
Khurram H. Alavi and Ayman Jamal’s 3D-animated historical adventure tale “Bilal: A New Breed of Hero” seems like a compromise between telling an interesting story and staying true to the history. Where “Bilal” exceeds in animation and direction, it lacks in entertaining, cohesive story, possibly owing to either the directors’ desire to remain accurate to Muslim texts or the huge span of time the directors are trying to cover in a single movie. As a child, Bilal (voiced by Andre Robinson, “Doc McStuffins”) dreams of becoming a warrior. Alavi and Jamal depict his fantasies in bright, vivid colors with dynamic...
- 2/1/2018
- by April Wolfe
- The Wrap
Bilal: A New Breed of Hero Review Bilal: A New Breed of Hero (2018) Video Movie Review, a Barajoun Entertainment movie directed by Khurram H. Alavi and Ayman Jamal and starring Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ian McShane, China Anne McClain, Jacob Latimore, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Fred Tatasciore, Cynthia McWilliams, Jon Curry, Dave B. Mitchell and Michael Gross. In [...]
Continue reading: Video Movie Review: Bilal: A New Breed Of Hero (2018): Saudi Arabia’s First Animated Film Is A Good Start...
Continue reading: Video Movie Review: Bilal: A New Breed Of Hero (2018): Saudi Arabia’s First Animated Film Is A Good Start...
- 2/1/2018
- by Mathieu Brunet
- Film-Book
Enter here for your chance to win a pair of passes to an advance screening of the new animated film, Bilal: A New Breed Of Hero.
For your chance to receive a pair of complimentary passes to see the new film Bilal: A New Breed Of Hero at the AMC Forum 30 on Tuesday, January 30th at 7:00Pm, just look for the “Enter the Contest” box further down on this page. But hurry because there are a limited number of passes available and when they’re gone, they’re gone!
About The Film
Bilal: A New Breed Of Hero: Fourteen hundred years ago, Bilal, a seven-year-old boy, with a dream of becoming a great warrior, is abducted into slavery with his sister and taken to a land far away from his home and thrown into a world where corruption and injustice rule all. Throughout his life he undergoes many hardships,...
For your chance to receive a pair of complimentary passes to see the new film Bilal: A New Breed Of Hero at the AMC Forum 30 on Tuesday, January 30th at 7:00Pm, just look for the “Enter the Contest” box further down on this page. But hurry because there are a limited number of passes available and when they’re gone, they’re gone!
About The Film
Bilal: A New Breed Of Hero: Fourteen hundred years ago, Bilal, a seven-year-old boy, with a dream of becoming a great warrior, is abducted into slavery with his sister and taken to a land far away from his home and thrown into a world where corruption and injustice rule all. Throughout his life he undergoes many hardships,...
- 1/17/2018
- by Administrator
- CinemaNerdz
We don’t hear about too many films made outside of the West, but maybe we should change that. Bilal: A New Breed of Hero debuted all the way back in 2015 at the Dubai Film Festival and was then screened in 2016 at the Annecy Film Festival. Until now though, we haven’t been able to see it in the United States. That will change this February as Bilal will be in select theaters starting February 2, 2018. This animated film comes from Barajoun Entertainment and it looks really good.
.A thousand years ago, one boy with a dream of becoming a great warrior is abducted with his sister and taken to a land far away from home. Thrown into a world where greed and injustice rule all, Bilal finds the courage to raise his voice and make a change. Inspired by true events, this is a story of a real hero who...
.A thousand years ago, one boy with a dream of becoming a great warrior is abducted with his sister and taken to a land far away from home. Thrown into a world where greed and injustice rule all, Bilal finds the courage to raise his voice and make a change. Inspired by true events, this is a story of a real hero who...
- 1/10/2018
- by Tommy Wiliams
- GeekTyrant
Vertical Entertainment has picked up distribution rights to animated feature Bilal: A New Breed of Hero, featuring the voices of Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ian McShane, China Anne McClain, Jacob Latimore, Michael Gross, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Mark Rolston, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, and Fred Tatasciore. Barajoun Entertainment and Mav12 produced the pic, which Vertical will release theatrically in February. The pic from directors Ayman Jamal and Khurram H. Alavi, is based on…...
- 12/1/2017
- Deadline
Festival to open with Michaël Dudok de Wit’s The Red Turtle [pictured]; Guillermo del Toro and Aardman to give masterclasses.
Annecy International Animation Film Festival, running June 13-18 this year, has unveiled its line-up.
New Zealand director Leanne Pooley’s documentary 25 April, about the Battle of Gallipoli; Canadian film-makers Jean-François Pouliot and François Brisson’s 3D hit Snowtime! (La Guerre des Tuques 3D); Claude Barras’s Cannes-screener My Life As A Courgette, and Sundance discovery Nuts! are among the titles in the feature-length competition.
The festival will open with Michaël Dudok de Wit’s The Red Turtle, which will premiere first in Official Selection at Cannes.
Other highlights include a preview screening of Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney’s The Secret Life Of Pets, in the presence of the directors. Andrew Stanton will also attend the festival, accompanying Finding Dory.
First images of Ron Clements and John Musker’s upcoming film Moana and Michael Thurmeier’s [link...
Annecy International Animation Film Festival, running June 13-18 this year, has unveiled its line-up.
New Zealand director Leanne Pooley’s documentary 25 April, about the Battle of Gallipoli; Canadian film-makers Jean-François Pouliot and François Brisson’s 3D hit Snowtime! (La Guerre des Tuques 3D); Claude Barras’s Cannes-screener My Life As A Courgette, and Sundance discovery Nuts! are among the titles in the feature-length competition.
The festival will open with Michaël Dudok de Wit’s The Red Turtle, which will premiere first in Official Selection at Cannes.
Other highlights include a preview screening of Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney’s The Secret Life Of Pets, in the presence of the directors. Andrew Stanton will also attend the festival, accompanying Finding Dory.
First images of Ron Clements and John Musker’s upcoming film Moana and Michael Thurmeier’s [link...
- 4/28/2016
- ScreenDaily
Ambi Distribution commences talks at Efm this week on the animation Bilal from Barajoun Entertainment, the Dubai-based animation and effects house with whom Ambi Group has unveiled a five-film partnership.
The deal between Ambi Group co-founders Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi and Barajoun Entertainment owner Ayman Jamal will see the parties co-finance and co-produce family-centric CGI animated films budgeted in the $50m range.
Barajoun’s studios and Ambi’s Aic Studios in Toronto will co-develop and produce the content, and will additionally explore live-action features based on popular IP. Ambi Distribution will oversee worldwide distribution on the slate.
Bilal, which is not part of the upcoming five films, is inspired by a true story of an African Hero who braved oppression and ultimately became a leader of his time. Ayman Jamal and Khurram H. Alavi directed and the voice cast includes Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Ian McShane.
Ambi has scaled up its animation operations over the last year...
The deal between Ambi Group co-founders Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi and Barajoun Entertainment owner Ayman Jamal will see the parties co-finance and co-produce family-centric CGI animated films budgeted in the $50m range.
Barajoun’s studios and Ambi’s Aic Studios in Toronto will co-develop and produce the content, and will additionally explore live-action features based on popular IP. Ambi Distribution will oversee worldwide distribution on the slate.
Bilal, which is not part of the upcoming five films, is inspired by a true story of an African Hero who braved oppression and ultimately became a leader of his time. Ayman Jamal and Khurram H. Alavi directed and the voice cast includes Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Ian McShane.
Ambi has scaled up its animation operations over the last year...
- 2/11/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The World Premiere of “Bilal” (UAE; 2015) took place at Doha's Ajyal Youth Film Festival. This new animated feature film, directed by Ayman Jamal and Khurram Alav, is for families and the rating is expected to be PG-13.
Families in Qatar enjoy going out together as is obvious as one walks around looking at the people: fathers pushing strollers, mothers with the little brothers and sisters, all enjoying the many types events at the youth festival, stopping by stands for ice cream or pizza, going to museums, the peaceful enjoyment of weekends.
The press screening was itself very interesting, attended mostly by Arab men of the press from all over the Middle East; and I could see they were very engrossed in this film … as was I who watched it with a very critical mind. The role of the mother and sister satisfied my need for inclusion. The mother enchanted me with her love, beauty and wisdom. I do wish the sister had more chance to show her depth of mind because it is obvious how important she is to the story and she played an important role throughout the story.
The story opens new vistas into the world and is universal at the same time. Its exoticism makes it special in the way of Aladdin or 1,001 Nights, or Sinbad, stories we all grew up with. While American audiences are used to exotic settings, especially in cartoons, one is reminded that this one is historically based. It is a great way to introduce the Middle East to children, as its story is a heroic battle of good against evil.
We spoke with co-directors Ayman Jamal and Khurram H. Alavi, the two young American actors Andre Robinson (“Despicable Me 2”) and Jacob Latimore (“The Maze Runner”) and the Finnish composer of the impressive score, Atil Örvarsson.
Featuring Adewale Akinnouye-Agbanje ("Game of Thrones"), this heroic epic animated film took four years to produce. It was financed via individual investors from Saudi Arabia, Dubai and with the support of the Doha Film Institute.
SydneysBuzz: How did you begin to make this large-scale movie?
Ayman Jamal: We wanted to make the historical epic uniquely telling the life story of Bilal from the age of 6 years old to 60 years old.
There was no animation or CGI studio in the Mena region so we had to start the studio ourselves and that’s how we established Dubai-based Barajoun Studios.
To begin the project, a research team, including a number of forensic scientists, worked for almost two years looking back into the past to provide critical information to help structure the characters featured in “Bilal” and to recreate and bring to life their tribal nature, their physical being, their behavior and attitudes and their appearance.
The film’s director Khurram H. Alavi from Pakistan combined his scriptwriting and directing abilities and his background as a digital sculptor and character artist to create the unique nature of the characters in the film which were created from scratch with conceptual designs as the first step.
Khurram H. Alavi: The style of the characters is very different from other animated movies. We didn’t want the characters to be cartoonish but also not too realistic either. It involved creative talents from 22 countries working in Dubai.
The beautifully rendered animation is uniquely suited to telling this story of an African boy who, 1,400 years ago, dreams of becoming a great warrior. His dream becomes a nightmare when men on horseback invade his village, kill his mother and abduct him and his sister and sell them into slavery in a land far away from home. Thrown into a world where greed and injustice rule all, Bilal finds the courage to raise his voice and make a change.
Inspired by true events, this is a story of a real hero’s journey toward self-discovery from age 6 to 60, one who has earned his place in time and history. Its archetypical story is much like that of Joseph and his brothers who sold him into slavery but who, with his innate intelligence, rose to the top of the master’s household -- along with a touch of Abraham who broke the idols of his time as the concept of One God broke into his consciousness of the world around him.
Bilal’s next adventure is finding its international legs. With proper strategic marketing, sales and distribution, (and perhaps a little trimming as 105 minutes feels a little long) this film should be lucrative. The film deserves be seen and acclaimed by worldwide audiences including in the U.S. I myself would have enjoyed seeing this film with my father, mother and sister when we went to movies together, one of the happiest memories of my childhood.
Its appeal to all families, including, but by no means limited, to African-American families who lacking an onscreen hero at this point in time, should also be key to its success. We all know their per capita moviegoing habits are high which makes them one of the best markets to target whenever possible.
Ayman Jamal and Khurram Alavi were encouraged by Will Smith whose interest in universal storytelling as it relates to the African diaspora is very strong.
SydneysBuzz: Tell me more about the participation of Will Smith.
Ayman Jamal: Two years ago, Will Smith visited us in Dubai and we talked about casting for “Bilal”, and he was a great help in giving us direction. We were looking for someone who had an African-American accent, and who could give an authentic feel.
Khurram H. Alavi: We had hundreds of people audition, but we were really lucky to get these outstanding actors.
SydneysBuzz: Were the looks of the characters based on the actors?
Jacob Latimore: You know what? When I saw the pictures, I thought: “Are you picking me because I look like him?” And when I posted the pictures to Instagram, all my fans were like: “You’re a cartoon character!” But it wasn’t intentional – just movie magic!
Jamal: The character of Bilal is based on a real historical figure, and we had a whole team researching what he looked and sounded like. It was done in a very scientific way.
SydneysBuzz : Atil, how did you go about composing the score?
Atil Ö rvarsson: Geography played a big part in creating the music for the film.
The music needed to get into the characteristics of the region and had to combine the archaelogical, historical nature of the story and make it accessible for an international audience. We used old instruments from the region and combined it with modern electronically synthesized music.
SydneysBuzz: Does each character have a theme?
We created themes for some of the characters and created a unique, other worldly sound for the witch doctor.
SydneysBuzz: What’s it like to premiere your film at a film festival for young people?
Latimore: It’s so unique that the youth judge and pick the winners here. It’s so important that they have a platform and a voice – they’re the future tastemakers. And anything they like, the world likes. It’s also my first time out of the U.S., so I’m super excited.
Jamal: It’s the best celebration for us. It’s a big thing for the region – a full-length feature film that was produced here and will be distributed worldwide. This has never been done before.
After playing Dubai, it will go to the Berlin Film Festival where we hope to be able to announce some territorial distribution deals.
For more information on this film you can follow the team on social media:
http://www.bilalmovie.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bilalmovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bilal_movie
Instagram: @bilalmovie
#Doha #ajyal15 #animation .
Families in Qatar enjoy going out together as is obvious as one walks around looking at the people: fathers pushing strollers, mothers with the little brothers and sisters, all enjoying the many types events at the youth festival, stopping by stands for ice cream or pizza, going to museums, the peaceful enjoyment of weekends.
The press screening was itself very interesting, attended mostly by Arab men of the press from all over the Middle East; and I could see they were very engrossed in this film … as was I who watched it with a very critical mind. The role of the mother and sister satisfied my need for inclusion. The mother enchanted me with her love, beauty and wisdom. I do wish the sister had more chance to show her depth of mind because it is obvious how important she is to the story and she played an important role throughout the story.
The story opens new vistas into the world and is universal at the same time. Its exoticism makes it special in the way of Aladdin or 1,001 Nights, or Sinbad, stories we all grew up with. While American audiences are used to exotic settings, especially in cartoons, one is reminded that this one is historically based. It is a great way to introduce the Middle East to children, as its story is a heroic battle of good against evil.
We spoke with co-directors Ayman Jamal and Khurram H. Alavi, the two young American actors Andre Robinson (“Despicable Me 2”) and Jacob Latimore (“The Maze Runner”) and the Finnish composer of the impressive score, Atil Örvarsson.
Featuring Adewale Akinnouye-Agbanje ("Game of Thrones"), this heroic epic animated film took four years to produce. It was financed via individual investors from Saudi Arabia, Dubai and with the support of the Doha Film Institute.
SydneysBuzz: How did you begin to make this large-scale movie?
Ayman Jamal: We wanted to make the historical epic uniquely telling the life story of Bilal from the age of 6 years old to 60 years old.
There was no animation or CGI studio in the Mena region so we had to start the studio ourselves and that’s how we established Dubai-based Barajoun Studios.
To begin the project, a research team, including a number of forensic scientists, worked for almost two years looking back into the past to provide critical information to help structure the characters featured in “Bilal” and to recreate and bring to life their tribal nature, their physical being, their behavior and attitudes and their appearance.
The film’s director Khurram H. Alavi from Pakistan combined his scriptwriting and directing abilities and his background as a digital sculptor and character artist to create the unique nature of the characters in the film which were created from scratch with conceptual designs as the first step.
Khurram H. Alavi: The style of the characters is very different from other animated movies. We didn’t want the characters to be cartoonish but also not too realistic either. It involved creative talents from 22 countries working in Dubai.
The beautifully rendered animation is uniquely suited to telling this story of an African boy who, 1,400 years ago, dreams of becoming a great warrior. His dream becomes a nightmare when men on horseback invade his village, kill his mother and abduct him and his sister and sell them into slavery in a land far away from home. Thrown into a world where greed and injustice rule all, Bilal finds the courage to raise his voice and make a change.
Inspired by true events, this is a story of a real hero’s journey toward self-discovery from age 6 to 60, one who has earned his place in time and history. Its archetypical story is much like that of Joseph and his brothers who sold him into slavery but who, with his innate intelligence, rose to the top of the master’s household -- along with a touch of Abraham who broke the idols of his time as the concept of One God broke into his consciousness of the world around him.
Bilal’s next adventure is finding its international legs. With proper strategic marketing, sales and distribution, (and perhaps a little trimming as 105 minutes feels a little long) this film should be lucrative. The film deserves be seen and acclaimed by worldwide audiences including in the U.S. I myself would have enjoyed seeing this film with my father, mother and sister when we went to movies together, one of the happiest memories of my childhood.
Its appeal to all families, including, but by no means limited, to African-American families who lacking an onscreen hero at this point in time, should also be key to its success. We all know their per capita moviegoing habits are high which makes them one of the best markets to target whenever possible.
Ayman Jamal and Khurram Alavi were encouraged by Will Smith whose interest in universal storytelling as it relates to the African diaspora is very strong.
SydneysBuzz: Tell me more about the participation of Will Smith.
Ayman Jamal: Two years ago, Will Smith visited us in Dubai and we talked about casting for “Bilal”, and he was a great help in giving us direction. We were looking for someone who had an African-American accent, and who could give an authentic feel.
Khurram H. Alavi: We had hundreds of people audition, but we were really lucky to get these outstanding actors.
SydneysBuzz: Were the looks of the characters based on the actors?
Jacob Latimore: You know what? When I saw the pictures, I thought: “Are you picking me because I look like him?” And when I posted the pictures to Instagram, all my fans were like: “You’re a cartoon character!” But it wasn’t intentional – just movie magic!
Jamal: The character of Bilal is based on a real historical figure, and we had a whole team researching what he looked and sounded like. It was done in a very scientific way.
SydneysBuzz : Atil, how did you go about composing the score?
Atil Ö rvarsson: Geography played a big part in creating the music for the film.
The music needed to get into the characteristics of the region and had to combine the archaelogical, historical nature of the story and make it accessible for an international audience. We used old instruments from the region and combined it with modern electronically synthesized music.
SydneysBuzz: Does each character have a theme?
We created themes for some of the characters and created a unique, other worldly sound for the witch doctor.
SydneysBuzz: What’s it like to premiere your film at a film festival for young people?
Latimore: It’s so unique that the youth judge and pick the winners here. It’s so important that they have a platform and a voice – they’re the future tastemakers. And anything they like, the world likes. It’s also my first time out of the U.S., so I’m super excited.
Jamal: It’s the best celebration for us. It’s a big thing for the region – a full-length feature film that was produced here and will be distributed worldwide. This has never been done before.
After playing Dubai, it will go to the Berlin Film Festival where we hope to be able to announce some territorial distribution deals.
For more information on this film you can follow the team on social media:
http://www.bilalmovie.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bilalmovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bilal_movie
Instagram: @bilalmovie
#Doha #ajyal15 #animation .
- 12/15/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
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