Dubai: Comic fans and film enthusiasts can have something to look forward to this weekend as one of the region’s biggest pop culture festival has returned with a packed agenda of entertaining activities.
Middle East Film & Comic Con 2018 opened its doors on Thursday at the Dubai World Trade Centre featuring a stellar line-up of celebrity guests until April 7.
The next two days are set to host celebrity meet and greets, performances, cosplay, gaming, workshops, screenings, artists and exclusive merchandise that are bound to surprise and excite fans, organisers announced.
Mona Ganem Al Merri, director-general of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), officially inaugurated the festival on Thursday.
Celebrities
Among the celebrities visiting this year are Ezra Miller, aka The Flash in the DC universe; Jenna Coleman, aka Clara Oswald in Doctor Who; Toby Stephens (John Robinson), Molly Parker (Maureen Robinson), Mina Sundwall (Penny Robinson), Taylor Russell (Judy Robinson), and Max Jenkins (Will Robinson) from the new Netflix original show, Lost in Space.
Also attending will be Karl Urban, one of the most recognisable faces in Hollywood after starring in blockbusters such as the Star Trek Trilogy, Lord of the Rings, Riddick and Thor: Ragnarok; Kristian Nairn, aka Hodor from Game of Thrones; Jason David Frank, aka the original Green Power Ranger; and Adam Kubert, a true comic book royalty famous for his run on Wolverine, Weapon X, The Incredible Hulk, Ultimate X-Men, and Spectacular Spider-Man.
Other celebrities that have been proving extremely popular across fans in the region are international cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao; Overwatch actor Gaku Space; Final Fantasy XV’s Ray Chase; Street Fighter’s Christian Howard who plays Ken Masters; Spiderman’s Max Mittelman who plays Harry Osborn; voice-over artist Robbie Desmond; and TV presenter and video gaming extraordinaire Adam Savage.
Guests have a number of opportunities to meet them, ask them questions and even learn from them through various activities spread across the festival days.
Performances
Among the exciting performances this year is the Illusionists show. Hamza3ssam along with Minat and Don Kamelo will bring their infectious hip-hop beats to the stage for an energetic live performance while the Naser Mestarihi band will present their rock ’n’ roll performance.
Children can enjoy tunes from DJ Trina and the multi-award winning Universal signed band The Boxtones. Some of the most talented cosplayers in the region will compete in the Huawei Nova 3E Cosplay Contest.
Each day at the festival, visitors can attend a series of workshops and presentations run by renowned names. The ROXY Cineclub is also bringing the region’s first boutique Comic Con cinema experience.
Tickets can be purchased online on www.mefcc.com and at the door.
What is it?
Middle East Film and Comic Con 2016 is an international exhibition that brings together fans of comics, film and gaming entertainment, and is one of the biggest pop-culture festivals of the region. Celebrities, artists, producers, exhibits from all over the world make their way into the festival.
Where: Dubai World Trade Centre
When: April 5-7
Ticket prices online or at the door:
Single Day Advance: Dh110
Single Day on The Door: Dh140
3-Day Advance: Dh250
3-Day on The Door: Dh300
