Dubai-based Storyfied is launching a strategic branded entertainment outfit
A new Dubai-based company called Storyfied Ventures, which focuses on strategic partnerships between brands and entertainment content in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, is being launched by producer and marketing executive Casper Shirazi.
The startup outfit is being touted as “the region’s first strategic branded entertainment partner built for the realities of a rapidly changing media and advertising landscape,” according to a statement.
Storyfied Ventures will operate “in film, television, documentaries, creator-owned content, music-led entertainment, children’s content and branded storyworld extensions,” the statement said.
The company aims to “help brands transform their stories into monetizable intellectual property, with screen IP as the anchor – and then expand into consumer products, licensing and other business activities where relevant,” it added.
Storyfied Ventures is supported by a board of directors consisting of Catherine Barr, global head of marketing at Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and former global expansion and brand strategy leader for HBO Max; and Los Angeles-based entertainment attorney Joseph Lanius. Lanius will lead Storyfied Ventures’ business affairs through his law firm Convergence Media. His production credits include the upcoming Mark Waters-directed film “Hershey.”
Shirazi’s production credits include the upcoming foodie comedy “Holy Molé” starring Tim Roth and Cristo Fernández.
“In today’s ultra-fragmented media landscape, brands need a true 360-degree relationship with audiences, and that only happens when storytelling is built as IP,” Shirazi said in the statement.
“Short form can drive discovery, but long form content is what captures attention, deepens engagement and creates lasting affinity. That’s the divide in the region today: there’s no shortage of content, but there’s a shortage of native narrative IP that can increase brand relevance and turn audiences into advocates.”
Shirazi continued: “Our region is going through an incredibly difficult and defining period. But it is also entering a new one. Even in uncertain times, we are confident this is the right place and the right time for Storyfied – when brand voices matter more than ever to rebuild trust, build trust and connect more deeply with audiences. In what comes next, trust will be earned through the stories we tell. That’s why we exist now: to help define a new content economy for the region – built on proprietary IP.”
