Malala Yousafzai in an Arab American documentary film

“Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are our most powerful weapons… one child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first.”

These were the words of Malala Yousafzai, who celebrated her 16th birthday on the world stage at the United Nations, defiantly telling Taliban extremists who tried to end her campaign for girls’ education in Pakistan with a bullet that the attack gave her new courage and demanding that world leaders provide free education to all children.

Such a story is getting the way for a world documentary film, as Davis Guggenheim, director of ‘Waiting for Superman’ is setting to helm the project on young Pakistani activist Malala and her international campaign for the right to safe education for every child.

Producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald announced today an early July production start for a feature-length documentary chronicling the story of 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai and her courageous fight to ensure a safe education for every child. Davis Guggenheim has signed on to direct. The project is being produced in association with and fully financed by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, the Emirati film and television company with whom Parkes + MacDonald has a long-standing partnership.

Through the company’s partnership with Image Nation International, a leading content creator in Abu Dhabi, Parkes + MacDonald are fully financed. Their collaboration has also facilitated the opportunity for the team to engage in significant cultural diplomacy in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East, an important mission for the filmmakers.

Prior to the founding of their own production company, Parkes and MacDonald served as the founding presidents of Dream Works SKG motion picture studio; during their 12 year tenure, they oversaw the development of American Beauty, Almost Famous, Gladiator, Minority Report, The Mask of Zorro, The Ring, Awakenings, and Amistad, among many others, and led the studio to three consecutive Best Picture Oscars. In total, their films have earned in excess of $6 billion in worldwide box office.

Parkes + MacDonald Productions, founded in 2005 by Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald , developed and produced feature film and television projects. With a passion for the story, the duo has produced or executive produced the Men In Black franchise, Catch Me If You Can, The Kite Runner, The Ring, Sweeney Todd, Gladiator, Minority Report, and, most recently, Flight, along with many other critically and commercially successful films. In 2013, Parkes + McDonald embarked on its first television project with NBC, producing the highly anticipated series Crossbones starring John Malkovich.

In this photo provided by the United Nations Foundation, Malala Yousafzai celebrates her 16th birthday by addressing hundreds of young leaders who support the United Nation's Secretary General's Global Education First Initiative, during 'Malala Day' at United Nations Headquarters, Friday, July 12, 2013. (Photo : AP Photos/United Nations Foundation, Stuart Ramson)

Pakistani student activist Malala gained international recognition when she survived a brutal assassination attempt by the Taliban at age 14. Shot in the head and neck when gunmen opened fire on her school bus in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, Malala was targeted for speaking out on behalf of girls’ education in her community. Despite the senseless violence she endured, Malala did not waiver. Upon her recovery in Birmingham, England, she has courageously continued her campaign to ensure every child, boy or girl, in Pakistan and beyond, has access to a safe education.

For her steadfast advocacy, Malala was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the youngest nominee in history. She was included in the 2013 Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world and is currently in the process of writing a memoir to raise awareness about the 61 million children across the globe who are not in school. Recently, the United Nations and Gordon Brown, the organization’s Special Envoy for Education, declared July 12, 2013 Malala Day in support of her global education campaign. She was also last weekend in the United States for the first time to speak in front of the UN General Assembly—her first major public address since being shot last October—and to celebrate her 16th birthday. The Untitled Malala Project documented this occasion.

Parkes says, “There are few stories Laurie and I have ever come across that are as compelling, urgent or important as the real-life struggle of Malala and her father Ziauddin on behalf of universal education for children. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to try to bring the lives of these extraordinary people to the screen.”

“”I have two daughters and they are inspired and captivated by Malala’s story and her fight for education for every child” added Guggenheim. “I believe this movie will speak to every girl and every family in the world.”

“We are honored to be involved in making a film about such an urgent and timely issue,” said Mohamed Al Mubarak, Chairman of Image Nation. “We hope to inspire generations of children worldwide with Malala’s message of courage and hope.”

Al Mubarak continued: “Meaningful partnerships between local and international talent have always been integral to Abu Dhabi’s success. Image Nation is continuing that tradition of collaboration by working with top-talents Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald and David Guggenheim on this important documentary.”

Davis Guggenheim is a critically acclaimed, Academy Award-winning director and producer, whose work includes Waiting for Superman (Paramount), It Might get Loud (Sony) , the 2009 documentary featuring Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White, and An Inconvient Truth (Paramount), featuring former Vice President Al Gore, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2007. In 2008, Guggenheim produced and directed President Barack Obama’s biographical film A Mother’s Promise, and in 2012 The Road We’ve Traveled, and the convention film for Obama’s most recent campaign.

Since launching in 2008 as a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media, Image Nation has rapidly become one of the leading content creators in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The company commissions and produces filmed content across a wide range of platforms, with a particular focus on audiences in the UAE and Gulf region.

Image Nation fulfills four key commitments: Developing Emirati filmed entertainment; growing the local film industry through training and internship programs; supporting Abu Dhabi entities in creating content to meet strategic and marketing objectives; and co-producing an aggressive slate of international films through several strategic partnerships.

As part of a commitment to grow the local film industry through training and internship programs, Image Nation will make meaningful work opportunities on this film available to a minimum of five Emiratis. These opportunities will offer serious local filmmakers the chance to further their craft and careers by working with one of the most successful documentarians in the industry.

The film will debut in theatrical release in late 2014. No distributor has been chosen yet.