By Jessa Marie Dollesin
Urban Films has never operated like a company waiting for its first major opportunity. Founded by filmmaker and cinematographer Shadi AbuSharar and headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, the production company has spent more than a decade building a full-service operation across feature films, television commercials, equipment rental, social media, and content creation.
Its accomplishments reflect a business shaped by long-term experience rather than a single breakthrough. From supporting large-scale international events and major broadcasters to producing work for globally recognized brands, Urban Films has developed a reputation for combining creative direction, technical capability, and dependable production management.
A Founder’s Career Behind the Business
Long before establishing Urban Films, AbuSharar was building a reputation of his own. He entered the film and television industry in 1994 and has accumulated more than three decades of experience across cinematography, editing, production, and media operations.
Early in his career, he worked with MBC Group as the network emerged as a leading force in Middle Eastern television and media. That environment helped shape the technical discipline and editorial judgment he later brought to cinematography, production leadership, and the development of Urban Films.
His experience was demonstrated on an international scale through his work in video management and editing for Expo 2020 Dubai, one of the largest global events hosted in the region. The role involved overseeing video content and editing workflows within a complex, high-volume production environment.
AbuSharar’s portfolio has also included work connected to Promax Award-winning projects, reflecting the level of broadcast, marketing, and creative production with which he has been involved. Urban Films was therefore built on an established professional foundation: decades of practical experience spanning both creative craft and production management.
Built for Range
One of Urban Films’ defining accomplishments is the breadth of the operation it has assembled. Rather than concentrating on a single area of production, the company works across feature films, commercials, branded content, social media, equipment rental, and broader content creation.
That range is supported by extensive technical capabilities, including 4K, 6K, and 8K digital cinema cameras; ARRI and Cooke lens systems; and specialized camera-movement equipment such as the MotoCrane RADICAL and motion-control rigs. Bringing these resources together allows Urban Films to support productions from initial planning through filming and post-production.
The company also assists with production permitting through the relevant film and media authorities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This combination of creative services, equipment, technical expertise, and local production knowledge has positioned Urban Films as an integrated production partner rather than simply a filming vendor.
A Portfolio Built on Trust
Urban Films’ body of work spans government institutions, international events, multinational consumer brands, and major regional broadcasters. Its experience includes projects associated with Expo 2020 Dubai and work for brands such as Adidas, L’Oréal, Toyota, Nestlé, McDonald’s, and Nissan.
The company has also worked with prominent media organizations including CNBC Arabiya, Asharq News, and Dubai TV. Together, these relationships demonstrate an ability to serve clients with very different audiences, production requirements, and creative expectations.
This diversity is central to the Urban Films story. Its reputation was not created by one campaign or high-profile commission. It was built project by project through consistent delivery across commercial, institutional, broadcast, and entertainment productions.
An Established Production Company with a Global Outlook
Urban Films’ accomplishments extend beyond its client roster. The company represents the growth of a regional production house into a mature, technically equipped, and internationally experienced creative operation.
AbuSharar’s professional connections have included the HollyShorts Film Festival in Los Angeles and Middle East Broadcasting Networks, a U.S.-based international media organization. These experiences complement a career grounded in the Middle East while reflecting the international perspective that has informed the company’s work.
After more than a decade in operation, Urban Films stands as the product of sustained investment in people, equipment, relationships, and production expertise. Its record includes major events, internationally recognized brands, established broadcasters, sophisticated cinema technology, and leadership shaped by more than three decades in the industry.
The company’s achievement is not simply that it has remained active in a competitive field. It is that Urban Films has developed the range and infrastructure to move confidently between different forms of production while maintaining the experience and hands-on leadership on which it was founded.
