Everything begins with an idea
Fikra provides production and consultancy services in the creative and cultural industries, with a particular focus on cross-cultural projects between Scandinavia and the Middle East.
About Us
Fikra - The Idea
Fikra is a Stockholm based company founded in 2015 with a mission to develop, facilitate and implement creative projects between Scandinavia and the Middle East, and aiming to become the natural partner for bi-cultural endeavours.
Together we combine over 30 years of experience in international business development, and film and media production offering a deep understanding of cross-cultural communications and the creative industries.
Fikra means "idea" in Arabic, and we chose that name because we believe that ideas are the key drivers in the world, in arts as well as in business. Everything begins with an idea!
Our clients come mainly from the film industry, advertising industry, entertainment technologies and digital services. We also work with more traditional industries, public sector and sometimes in collaboration with other consultants.
Our cross cultural roots, experiences and influences have made us passionate about using the power of the creative mediums to make a difference.
What We Do
Creative Collaborators
Fikra is divided into two branches;
The film production part focuses on developing and producing our own film & TV ideas, as well as collaborating with other creative storytellers to co-develop and co-produce projects.
The second arm is to provide professional services to clients, predominantly within the creative industries, both through practical hands-on services, as well as business development and strategic advice.
We offer a wide range of services including:
Who We Are
We are passionate about working in the creative field, telling stories, & bridging the cultural gap...
Patrick El-Cheikh
Co-Founder & CEO
Born to a Swedish mother and a Lebanese father, Patrick was raised between Algeria and Sweden in the 70's and 80's. A cross-cultural breed by both breed and environment, he has been involved in cross-cultural communication and international business development since the start of his career .
After graduating from university, Patrick co-founded a web design company already back in 1996. He later spent some 15 years with Business Sweden (the Swedish Trade and Invest Council) among others as head of the Swedish trade office in Riyadh, Key Account Managerand starting up and managing special business units for Creative and Cultural Industries, ICT and Entertainment Technologies. He was also Vice President for a Saudi-based multidisciplinary IT-company that was at the time ranked as one of the top 10 fastest growing companies in the country.
Equipped with extensive experience of what is needed to grow an international venture and a profound understanding of the Creative Industries, in combination with a life long passion for cinema, Patrick co-founded Fikra together with Linda Mutawi in 2015. Patrick is a business graduate from Stockholm University with specialization in international management.
Linda Mutawi
Co-Founder & Producer
Since she was a child obsessed with movies, Linda always knew she wanted to work in films. Born in London to Palestinian/ Jordanian parents, she spent most of her childhood between the Middle East & Europe. While studying for her BA in Communications and Audio Visual Production Studies at London Guildhall University, Linda started her career in TV and radio, before moving to Dubai in 2000. In her 8 years in Dubai her experience ranged from working on two major Hollywood films, to producing current affairs documentaries, as well as TV commercials.
In 2009 Linda moved back to Jordan and joined The Royal Film Commission, as head of their Production Services Department. There, she worked with international and regional producers wishing to film in Jordan, while also promoting the country as a Middle East filmmaking destination. In 2012 Linda left the film commission and was selected as the Jordanian participant in the Producers Guild of America "Diversity Workshop" in Los Angeles with her documentary project “Occupy Culture”.
A year later Linda found herself moving to Stockholm, however remained involved in various projects based in the Middle East. Since she's been in Sweden, Linda has already been involved in several Swedish feature films involving the Middle East, as well as working for various film and advertising companies. She has also served as a mentor for an EU funded cultural program examining minority rights in the Middle East.
Our Clients
Some of our clients...
ATMO Films http://www.atmo.se
B-Reel https://www.b-reel.com
DDB House Agency http://www.ddb.se
Fido Film http://www.fido.se
Filmregion Stockholm- Mälardalen http://www.frsm.se
Frontier Middle East FZ http://www.frontier.fi
Goodbye Kansas Group http://goodbyekansasgroup.com
Idyll Films http://www.idyll.se
IFS / Int'Link http://intlink.se/sv/
Imagination Studios http://www.imaginationstudios.com
Minority Rights Group UK http://minorityrights.org/cultural-programmes/middle-east-and-north-africa-drama-diversity-and-development/
Mobile Casting http://www.mobilecasting.se
Stockholm Chamber of Commerce http://www.chamber.se
Swedish Film Institute http://www.filminstitutet.se
Tillväxverket https://tillvaxtverket.se
© 2016