Abu Dhabi Film Festival opens in the capital
Here's what to look forward to during the 10-day festival
All eyes are on the capital as the fifth Abu Dhabi Film Festival opens Thursday night.
Yes, you can see a movie any day of the week. From Hollywood to Bollywood, comedy to horror, heart-pounding blockbusters to heart-breaking romances, all are available at the UAE's cinemas. But the Abu Dhabi Film Festival offers audiences the chance to catch films hand-picked by professional programmers who spend hours combing through films from around the world, looking for that snippet of cinematic magic.
Monsieur Lazhar, the new critically acclaimed French-Canadian drama directed by Philippe Falardeau, opens proceedings at the all-new venue of the Fairmont, Bab Al Bahar, tonight with an outdoor red carpet screening.
From then on things just get better and better. Todd Solondz, director of Dark Horse, is in town, along with the director of the much talked about Trishna, Michael Winterbottom.
Marjane Satrapi — the talented graphic novelist and director who brought the world Persepolis — will be in town with her next work, Chicken With Plums, another graphic novel adaptation.
Evan Rachel Wood will attend as the star of George Clooney's The Ides of March, although she's perhaps best known for her role in True Blood and as a former flame of shock rocker Marilyn Manson. Topher Grace of The Double and earlier of That '70s Show, will also walk the red carpet at the premiere of that spy thriller, which also stars Richard Gere and was produced by Abu Dhabi's Image Nation.
Arab cinema
Film festival and industry favourite Adrian Sitaru, a Romanian director, will screen his Best Intentions.
A film festival is nothing without a red carpet and the celebs who have confirmed are sure to cause a stir. Lily Cole, Wood, Grace and Bollywood heavyweight Saif Ali Khan are all set to walk the carpet during the 10-day festival.
ADFF also pays special attention to developments in Arab cinema, fostering the region's distinctive film culture and celebrating its achievements with a global audience.
This year, nearly half of the festival's programme of short and feature-length films is from the Arab world, providing local audiences the chance to explore and understand what is exciting and distinctive about the region they live in and the world of film currently growing within it.
Venues
Abu Dhabi Theatre on the breakwater: Gala screenings will take place here on select evenings. Guests will walk the red carpet before some of the most highly anticipated films of the festival.
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Between the Bridges: Outdoor screenings by the water on select evenings, as well as the invitation-only opening ceremony tonight. The awards ceremony, also invitation only, takes place on October 21.
Vox Cinemas, Marina Mall: This is where the public can catch all the regular screenings, from tomorrow until October 20.
Marina Mall: ADFF "On Location". Join the festival excitement from 12-10pm daily until October 22. For each Dh250 spent in any store, shoppers have the chance to win prizes including a trip to Paris, make-overs with Make Up For Ever, and exclusive festival passes to screenings and after-parties.
Go get yours
Tickets for the Abu Dhabi Film Festival screenings are Dh25 (Dh15 for students) and are available online or at the festival box offices at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Marina Mall and Abu Dhabi Theatre. Tickets for panels, master classes and workshops are free, as are tickets to outdoor screenings at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr.
Festival Pass: Dh350
For all regular, gala and outdoor screenings, one ticket per screening, Festival Pass holders have the opportunity to book tickets in advance online.
Elite Pass: Dh2,500
For all regular, gala and outdoor screenings, opening night screening and party, feature film awards ceremony and party, access to special events and preferred parking at Abu Dhabi Theatre. One ticket per screening. No concurrent screenings.
Ten-voucher Package: Dh200
Includes regular, gala and outdoor screenings, and can be shared with family and friends.
Waterfront films
When the festival opens tonight, all the action will be outdoors on the beach at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr. The Waterfront Films screenings will continue for the rest of the festival — eight nights and eight films, the majority Middle East premieres.
The screen itself, already in place, is massive - over 1,200 square metres, and six stories tall. It's mounted on a hydraulic system that allows it to be unobtrusive during the day, and quickly raised when the time comes each night to convert the beach into a cinema.
Accompanied by a huge digital surround sound system, for eight nights it will certainly be the most striking and unusual cinema in Abu Dhabi.
Sanad
Established in 2010, Sanad, which means "support" in Arabic, is the development and post-production fund of ADFF.
It provides talented filmmakers from the Arab world with support from within the region towards the development or completion of their narrative and documentary feature-length films. The fund will hand over $500,000 (Dh1.83 million).
Sections
The programme includes a wide range of films from the Middle East and all over the world.
- Narrative Feature Competition
- Documentary Feature Competition
- New Horizons/ Afaq Jadida Competition
- Short Film Competition
- Emirates Film Competition — Short films from established directors and new discoveries from the UAE and GCC.
- Showcase — A selection of recent outstanding feature films from around the world. Audience members cast votes to select the Audience Choice Award winner from this programme.
- Our World — Films devoted to broadening awareness of significant environmental issues.
- Special programmes — A selection of screenings commemorating the centennial of Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz and the 150th birth anniversary of Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. There will also be a spotlight on Sweden with nine films, including works by the nation's master filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. Other sections will present new restorations of silent film treasures, cutting-edge Arab cinema with New York's Museum of Modern Art, and children's film specials.
Pick of the bunch
Programming Director Teresa Cavina has watched every film showing at this year's ADFF. There are few more qualified than her to reveal what not to miss this year.
"Having just enough time to catch one film this festival is like booking at a great restaurant and having just an hour to eat the food," she says.
"If anyone is in this position, my advice would be — just look down the menu and go for something which catches your eye. If it was a valuable hour or two for you, then you'll embrace whatever you went for."
Here are Cavina's picks.
- Trishna: "Expect a great film by Michael Winterbottom. It questions the social issues in contemporary India. It's beautiful filmmaking, wonderful music and so much more. [Freida] Pinto is stunning in the movie. She can quite literally play whatever comes her way."
- Moth Diaries: "Such a strong story of friendship. It's interesting and emotionally gripping. It's one for the heart because of the emotion as well as the adrenaline rush."
- Chicken With Plums: "A great level of filmmaking. It has everything — a fabulous story with love and humour."
- Stories Only Exist When Remembered: "The first film by Julia Murat, this is something a little more strange. However, when I watched this film I knew I was witnessing the birth of a new generation of filmmakers which was pretty emotional. Fantastic."
Arab stars at the festival
When some Hollywood names will walk the red carpet at ADFF starting tonight, the region's stars will be alongside them, including top Egyptian actors Mahmoud Abdul Aziz and Yousra. The pair are from the generation that made Egyptian cinema what it is today.
They starred in some of the most important Arab films and enjoy superstardom in all Arab countries. Yousra stars in 18 Days, while Abdul Aziz is in The Hunger.
Ahmad Helmi and Khaled Abo Al Naga took over as two of Egyptian cinema's leading actors, with Helmi being best known as a comedian, as well as the husband of famous actress Mona Zaki, and while being one of the busiest actors, Al Naga also played an active part in the Egyptian revolution that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak.
Tunisian actress Hind Sabri shot to fame in Egypt and managed to compete with Egyptian actresses of her generation, such as Minna Shalabi, which is not easy in Egypt — a country that produces countless actors every year. She stars alongside Yousra in 18 Days.
Nidal Al Ashkar is considered the first lady of drama in Lebanon. The veteran actress focused on theatre while playing some the most memorable roles in the history of television. Her grace, culture and political views also played a part in making her the icon that she is today. She's making a special appearance.
— Dina Abou Hosn, Staff Reporter
Don't miss it
Abu Dhabi Film Festival takes place from October 13-22. For more information, visit abudhabifilmfestival.ae.
