Tuesday, October 8--------Launching a major international film festival in less than six months time is, among other things, a major crap shoot (can one get the films, the celebrtities and the industry movers and shakers on board?). When the announcements began coming out on the inaugural Middle East International Film Festival, there were skeptics in the roving band of film festival circuit wanderers who openly questioned whether an event of magnitude could be pulled off in such a short peri...

The Film Financing Circle (FFC) is an integral program in the inaugural Middle East International Film Festival in Abu Dhabi and takes place from October 15 – 17, 2007 at the Emirates Palace. The FFC today announced two-time Academy AwardÒ-winner Paul Haggis will teach a master writing class for 50 exceptionally talented filmmakers, that is sure to provide an engaging discussion about socially and politically astute filmmaking in the Middle East.  Haggis’ writing credits include Academy Aw...

The Film Financing Circle (FFC) is an integral program in the inaugural Middle East International Film Festival in Abu Dhabi and takes place from October 15 – 17, 2007 at the Emirates Palace. The FFC today announced two-time Academy AwardÒ-winner Paul Haggis will teach a master writing class for 50 exceptionally talented filmmakers, that is sure to provide an engaging discussion about socially and politically astute filmmaking in the Middle East. Haggis’ writing credits include Academy Awa...

The Middle East International Film Festival - Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) today revealed its Closing Night Film, director Paul Haggis's IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, which is a story about a war veteran and his wife who are in search of their son, a soldier who recently returned from Iraq but has since gone missing. The Festival also named Nadine Labaki, director of CARAMEL, as the recipient of the Variety Middle East Filmmaker of the Year Award. In support of Emirati filmmakers, the Abu Dhabi Media Company will...

The Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) today revealed its Closing Night Film, director Paul Haggis’s IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, which is a story about a war veteran and his wife who are in search of their son, a soldier who recently returned from Iraq but has since gone missing. The Festival also named Nadine Labaki, director of CARAMEL, as the recipient of the Variety Middle East Filmmaker of the Year Award. In support of Emirati filmmakers, the Abu Dhabi Media Company ...

Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) and The Higher Colleges of Technology’s Abu Dhabi Women’s College is proud to present the Hayah Film Competition in association with EmiratesMac Apple User Group. Developed in the spirit of innovation and new technology, the Hayah Film Competition encourages creativity from filmmakers throughout the UAE and the Middle East. “Hayah” means “life” in Arabic and the theme for the competition is “life at the size of an iPod ...

Middle East International Film Festival - Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) and The Higher Colleges of Technology's Abu Dhabi Women's College is proud to present the Hayah Film Competition in association with EmiratesMac Apple User Group.  Developed in the spirit of innovation and new technology, the Hayah Film Competition encourages creativity from filmmakers throughout the UAE and the Middle East. "Hayah" means "life" in Arabic and the theme for the competition is "life at the si...

In September the film festival season really heats up with an autumn schedule so jam-packed that it's hard to keep up with all the haps. The "Fall Season" actually starts in late summer when Venice opens, usually during the last days of August. Right on top of that comes Toronto, Deauville, Montreal, San Sebastian  and a number of others, such as Gdynia, overlapping and vying for attention.  October brings on the new Rome fest which kicked off its inaugural session last year with suc...

The recently announced Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi (MEIFF), which will take place October 12-17, 2007, continues to gain momentum. MEIFF will be produced by Pyramedia, LLC, a media production and entertainment company based in the United Arab Emirates with offices in Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Riyadh, London and New York. Considered a major coup, the Festival has secured festival veteran Jon Fitzgerald to assume the role of Festival Director. Over the past fifteen years, Jon...

The recently announced Middle East International Film Festival – Abu D habi (MEIFF), which will take place October 12-17, 2007, continues to gain momentum. MEIFF will be produced by Pyramedia, LLC, a media production and entertainment company based in the United Arab Emirates with offices in Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Riyadh, London and New York.Considered a major coup, the Festival has secured festival veteran Jon Fitzgerald to assume the role of Festival Director. Over the past fifteen years, Jon Fi...

His Excellency Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan Chairman, Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage invited the Cannes festival professionnals at Mint Villa to celebrate the launch of the Middle East International Film Festival and The Abu Dhabi Film Commission.Embracing both the art and business of film, the Abu Dhabi Film Festival aims to become the essential destination for film-makers looking to reach global audiences. The upcoming Abu Dhabi Film Festival will play host to financiers, studi...

Four years ago Dubai commenced their international film festival and today in Abu Dhabi, another Persian Gulf  town approximately 150 km south of Dubai, officials announced that they too will hold an international film festival during the second half of October.Dubai is well on its way to establishing itself as an regional film hub, and its own international film festival, set to run December 9-16, will be a direct competitor with Abu Dhabi's.  Although according to Abdulhamid Juma, Ch...