LOS ANGELES - King Abdullah II of Jordan announced an agreement with USC today to develop a Middle East Cinema Institute in the Red Sea town of Aqaba.

Abdullah announced the creation of the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts in New York this morning, alongside Samer Mouasher of Jordan's Royal Film Commission. Elizabeth M. Daley, dean of the USC School of Cinema-Television, and Frank Price, chair of the school's Board of Councilors and USC trustee, also took part in the announcement.

"The Middle East is a melting pot of cultural richness and diversity with story-telling traditions as old as time, yet contemporary cinematic stories from the region are in short supply," Mouasher said. "In establishing this institute we will draw from a diverse and vast pool of cultures and experiences, to offer a more complete idea and multi-faceted perspective to the viewer, and the world audience."

Construction should start in early 2007, and the campus should come to life the following year, with students drawn from around the region, according to USC, which has sent advisers to Jordan over the past two years.

The institute will be a fully accredited graduate school, offering a three- year Master of Fine Arts, and the faculty will be chosen from within the film industry and academia worldwide.

The king consulted with Steven Spielberg, who recommended that the Royal Film Commission form a partnership with USC.

Spielberg, who was not at the announcement, said that when Abdullah asked for his help, he "immediately saw the importance and significance of such a venture for the people and the future of the region."

"I knew as a trustee of USC and a member of the school's Board of Councilors that the university had the exact expertise he needed for this incredible initiative," Spielberg said.

USC has the oldest film program in the country, founded in 1929 as a project of the university and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. CNS-09-20-2006 11:13