Nashwa Al Ruwaini aims to tackle Arab stereotypes through initiatives launched during MEIFF 2008Nashwa Al Ruwaini, recently returned from Los Angeles after launching MOST at the Paley Center for Media, aims to tackle Arab stereotypes in the Western media through several initiatives launched during the second Middle East International Film Festival. Among them is MOST, short for Muslims on Screen and Television, which aims to shed light on the image of Muslims in the Arab World, especially in the...
Held from December 11th-18th in Dubai’s luxurious Madinat Jemeirah’s conference center embedded in an upscale tourist resort with screening in other venues, the Dubai film festival is racing to be number one in the region. Catering to about 750 official participants who attended as guests and numerous other professionals, the program featured 181 films from 66 countries. More than 20 well attended industry events and panels were held ranging from marketing and distribution issues to cas...
The official Black Pearl Awards ceremony for the second annual Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF), organized by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage ADACH) was presented at Emirates Palace on Sunday 19th October.The awards were the culmination of ten action-packed days of cinema, with 152 movies and 186 screenings shown in five Abu Dhabi venues. A total of 76 feature films and 34 short films from over 35 countries competed for the MEIFF 2008 Black Pearl Awards.Winners of...
In line with the Middle East International Film Festival's (MEIFF) objective of advancing the development and creation of social and humanitarian cinema, MEIFF organisers - the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) -presented five special Tribute Awards to industry giants Saturday evening at Emirates Palace.
Sir Ben Kingsley was presented with an Honorary Black Pearl Award for Cross Cultural Contributions to Cinema by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamm...
More than 130 films from 35 countries will be screened at the second edition of the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF), organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) and being held over an expanded ten enthralling days from 10th to 19th October 2008 in Abu Dhabi.“MEIFF has positioned itself as one of the most important regional cinema events in a relatively short span of time,” said MEIFF’s Vice Chairman and ADACH’s Director General His Excellency Moh...
Sir Ben Kingsley will attend the special presentation screening of the award-winning film Ghandi on Saturday 11th October at Emirates Palace for the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) 2008. The film, which has been dubbed into Arabic will have its first local premiere at an international film festival giving the dubbed film global outreach. Directed by Sir Richard Attenborough, Ghandi was a critical and box-office success when it made its worldwide debut in 1982 - and was the most a...
MEIFF to the achievements of “Arab Women Directors” & showcases a strong line-up in the “retrospective” on PalestineThe Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF), organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) is keeping up the momentum of its second edition with two of its most unique and important programmes: Arab Women Directors and a Retrospective on Palestine.Arab Women DirectorsThe Director of MEIFF, Nashwa Al Ruwaini explained that the Arab Women Dire...
The second edition of the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF), organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) announced today the selection of films to be shown in the “Festival of Festivals” and the “Environmental” programmes. They are considered by many to be the most exciting programmes taking place during MEIFF to be held in Abu Dhabi from 10th to 19th October 2008.“This initiative is important in that it brings to the local community internationa...
Over 60 films from 32 countries around the world will take part in the Official Competition for this year's Middle East International Film Festival, running October 10-19, 2008.This year’s festival will see 138 films screened from East to West, up from 80 films in MEIFF’s inaugural festival in 2007. This year’s Official Competition is comprised of four sections: feature, documentary, short films and student films."I am pleased to say that MEIFF 2008 has attracted some of the top films, fil...
The Middle East International Film Festival 2008 announces its Special Presentation Films with ‘The Brothers Bloom’ to open MEIFF The organizers of the second Middle East International Film Festival, to be held from October 10-19, announced the special presentations line-up today at a press conference held at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH). Unveiling the special presentation screenings were Vice Chairman of MEIFF and Director General of ADACH, Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazr...
The Middle East International Film Festival will premiere some of the most important Arabic films of the season Abu Dhabi: Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Vice Chairman of the Middle East International Film Festival, has announced that the second year of the festival will premiere seven films from the UAE, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon and Syria. These films, to be shown in the International Competition Feature Film and Documentary sections, are some of the most important recent Arabic films. Premiering a...
Monday, October 21--------The Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) announced the winners of the Black Pearl Awards at the Closing Night Ceremony held at the Emirates Palace on Saturday evening. The Black Pearl trophy (designed by Mohammed Gomaa) is a handmade sculpture representing the beautiful and rare black pearl originally discovered in the pristine waters of the Abu Dhabi coastline, and a symbol that is an integral part of Abu Dhabi history and culture. The Bla...
Monday, October 21--------The Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) announced the winners of the Black Pearl Awards at the Closing Night Ceremony held at the Emirates Palace on Saturday evening. The Black Pearl trophy (designed by Mohammed Gomaa) is a handmade sculpture representing the beautiful and rare black pearl originally discovered in the pristine waters of the Abu Dhabi coastline, and a symbol that is an integral part of Abu Dhabi history and culture. The Bla...
INAUGURAL MIDDLE EAST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – ABU DHABI BLACK PEARL AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCEDProducer Peter Bouckaert, and Director Nic Balthazar of BEN XWinner of the Black Pearl Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature Film. The award carries with it a cash prize of AED 300,000 Michael James Rowland of LUCKY MILESWinner of Black Pearl Jury Prize for Best New Director (Feature Film). The award carries with it a cash prize of AED 300,000Ensemble Cast: Nadine Labaki, Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Mouka...
The Middle East International Film Festival, Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) unveils its international star-studded guest line-up at the Opening Night Gala, featuring Joe Wright’s critically acclaimed international film, ATONEMENT, and a spectacular after-party on October 14, 2007. Celebrated choreographer Otis Sallid will be producing the Opening and Closing Night presentations.From Bollywood…An impressive all-star Bollywood line-up ensures that MEIFF asserts itself as a major force in the international ...
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 ...
The Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi announces the Official Competition slate, with filmmakers competing for the coveted Black Pearl awards. “The production support awarded with the Black Pearl is truly one-of-a-kind,” said Nashwa Al-Ruwaini. “We are confident that it will help propel its recipient into the next level of filmmaking.”“We are thrilled with the line-up of films we have in Competition,” said Festival Director Jon Fitzgerald. “They represent world-...
The Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) is thrilled to announce their Special Presentations including the Opening Night Film. MEIFF will kick off its impressive first annual event on Sunday, October 14th with Joe Wright’s ATONEMENT starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. Veteran choreographer Otis Sallid will direct the Opening Night and Closing Night Galas’ dance numbers. His Excellency Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei, Director General of Abu Dhabi Authority ...
The Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) is thrilled to announce their Special Presentations including the Opening Night Film. MEIFF will kick off its impressive first annual event on Sunday, October 14th with Joe Wright’s ATONEMENT starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. Veteran choreographer Otis Sallid will direct the Opening Night and Closing Night Galas’ dance numbers. His Excellency Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei, Director General of Abu Dhabi Authority for...
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...
