The life and career of Hollywood producer Jake Eberts has been commemorated posthumously by the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, with the announcement this week that the Black Pearl Award for Best Documentary will be renamed in his honour.
Eberts, originally from Canada, developed a long and fruitful relationship with Abu Dhabi and shared in the emirate’s vision to become a hub for film and entertainment in the region. He last visited in 2007 and helped facilitate some of the capital’s film industry milestones.
Known for producing films such as Chariots of Fire, Gandhi, Dances with Wolves and Driving Miss Daisy, Eberts won 37 Oscars – including four for Best Picture – throughout his prolific career. He passed away in September of last year.
“Jake Eberts was involved in some of the most successful films of all time, consistently producing work that engaged your mind and touched your heart,” said Ali Al Jabri, director of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF). “He became a great friend of Abu Dhabi and our film industry is fortunate to have been enriched by his influence. This award will be an annual reminder of the film projects in which he was involved, which have been enjoyed by so many.”
To further honour Eberts legacy, a new screening room based at twofour54 intaj, the media production arm of twofour54, will also be named after Eberts. The screening room will be part of the upgraded twofour54 post-production facilities to be completed early next year.
The seventh edition of the ADFF will come to a close on 2nd November. For full details on the programme or to purchase tickets to screenings visit: www.adff.ae
