A new Dubai-based company called Storyfied Ventures dedicated to 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 brand-entertainment partner built for the realities of a fast-shifting media and advertising landscape,” according to a statement.
Storyfied Ventures will operate “across film, television, documentaries, creator content, music-led entertainment, kids content, and branded storyworld extensions,” the statement said.
The company aims to “help brands turn their stories into monetisable intellectual property, with screen-IP as the anchor – then extend into consumer products, licensing, and other business lines where relevant,” it added.
Storyfied Ventures is backed by a board of directors comprising Catherine Barr, who is global head of marketing at Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and a former global expansion and brand strategy leader for HBO Max; and Los Angeles-based entertainment lawyer Joseph Lanius. Lanius will serve as Storyfied Ventures’ business affairs lead through his Convergence Media Law firm. His production credits include upcoming Mark Waters-directed “Hershey” movie.
Shirazi’s production credits include upcoming foodie comedy “Holy Molé” toplining 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 noted in the statement.
“Short-form can drive discovery, but long-form screen content is what holds attention, deepens engagement, and creates lasting affinity. That’s the gap in the region today: there is no shortage of content, but there is a shortage of owned narrative IP that can extend brand relevance and turn audiences into advocates.”
Shirazi continued: “Our region is living through an incredibly difficult and defining period. But it is also entering a new one. Even in uncertain times, we are certain that this is the right place and the right time for Storyfied – when brand voices matter more than ever to help restore confidence, 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 now exist: to help define a new content economy for the region – built on brand-owned IP.”
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