Silver screen of global culture

The opening of the inaugural Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) heralded the migration of film festivals from other well-known cultural hotspots in the Middle East to Abu Dhabi. It is yet another feather in the cap of the emirate which is transforming itself into a strategic tourism, culture, business and residential destination. Abu Dhabi is nurturing ambitious projects such as the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Museum; the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, which will in turn be complemented by a national Shaikh Zayed Museum; the Zaha Hadid performing arts centre and the Tadao Ando Maritime museum.

The MEIFF showcases Arab films and the efforts of Arab filmmakers. It gives cinema in the region a chance to promote itself among its contemporaries. By providing this festival and the others to come with a viable platform Abu Dhabi has taken another giant step as a global patron of culture.