Buffet: Galaxy Macau Festiva Buffet Macau Tower 360 Cafe Buffet, Portuguese Buffet Travel in Macau:Studio City Golden Reel, Batman Dark Flight, Macau Tower Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF) (Arabic: مهرجان أبو ظبي السينمائي), formerly Middle East International Film Festival, is an international film festival which started in 2007. The event is held annually in October in the city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The ADFF aims to showcase the best films from the region alongside standout productions from prominent international filmmakers. Since 2012, the festival has been part of the Abu Dhabi Media Zone Authority, specifically under Media Zone Events and powered by its partner company, twofour54. ##Inaugural festivalThe first festival debuted with 152 movies and 186 screenings shown in five Abu Dhabi venues. ##Re-brandingIn 2010, UAE based Brash Brands www.brashbrands.com assisted ADACH to develop the Festival's brand, allowing it to compete more effectively with Dubai Film Festival, Doha Tribeca Film Festival, Cannes, etc. With the changes came the move from MEIFF to Abu Dhabi Film Festival. ##Headlining featuresWith a new branding scheme, and in its second year under the command of Executive Director Peter Scarlet, the 2010 ADFF is making a strong effort to breakout from a cluttered festival junket in the Gulf Region. This year there are six feature films and two documentaries that are attracting a considerable amount of industry buzz. In a Better World by the Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier, takes a look at the lives of two families in small-town Denmark as they become intertwined through an uneasy friendship of two boys. The official Canadian entry to the Oscar also bows in Abu Dhabi. Incendies, directed by Denis Villeneuve, is based on a play by Canadian-Lebanese writer Wajdi Mouawad, and tells the story of a mother’s cryptic will that forces her grown children to confront the prospect that the father they thought dead is alive, and that they have a brother. From Egypt is Messages from the Sea by Daoud Abdel Sayed, which follows the story of Yehya, who returns to Alexandria, the city of his youth following the death of his mother, where he encounters the new face of the ancient, portrayed as a decaying metropolis. Cirkus Columbia, is also considered an Oscar contender. Directed by Danis Tanovic, who won the Best Foreign Language Oscar with his film No Man’s Land in 2002. Cirkus Columbia follows a wealthy ex-pat who comes home to his small village in Yugoslavia in 1991. Two documentary films, both dealing with current tensions in the Middle East, are highlighting the 2010 Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace, directed by American director Harry Hunkele and produced by American Emmy-award winning producer Arick Wierson, tells the story of the secret closed door negotiations and power-plays that enabled U.S. President Jimmy Carter to forge the historic Camp David Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt. The film stars Jimmy Carter, former U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, CNN anchorman Wolf Blitzer, and, in a rare on camera appearance, former U.S. Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. The Oath is documentary from director Laura Poitras that tells the tale of two men, Abu Jandal and Salim Ahmed Hamdan, whose meeting launched them on juxtaposed paths with Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, US military tribunals and the U.S. Supreme Court. There are two major Hollywood features opening at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Making its world premier is Secretariat, directed by Randall Wallace, starring Diane Lane and John Malkovich is an adopted biopic of the eponymous racehorse Secretariat. Making its Middle East premiere is Fair Game, starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn and directed by Doug Liman, the political thriller tells the real-life story of Valerie Plame, American CIA agent outed by the Bush Administration in an effort to discredit revelations of falsified evidence in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ##Celebrity involvementThe Abu Dhabi Film Festival, known for attracting a bevy if big Hollywood names i.e. Uma Thurman and Adrien Brody attended in 2010 ##PressIn October, 2009, the UK Guardian published an article about the origins and intent of the MEIFF. The article noted that although the host country, Abu Dhabi, at present has only a small indigenous film-making industry, the film festival could serve a variety of constructive purposes. ##ADFF 2011 Black Pearl Award winners
First Prize (AED 30,000) – SOUL, directed by Fatma Abdulla (UAE) Second Prize (AED 25,000) – DREAMS OF RICE, by Yasser Al Neyadi and Hana Al Shatri (UAE) Third Prize (AED 20,000) – TELEPHONI, directed by Hassan Kiyany (UAE) Special Jury Award (AED 25,000) – RANEEN, directed by Maitham Al Musawi (Oman) Best Emirati Film (AED 25,000) – SOUL, directed by Fatma Abdulla (UAE) Best Script (AED 10,000) – DREAMS OF RICE, by Yasser Al Neyadi and Hana Al Shatri (UAE) Best Cinematography (AED 10,000) – WIND, directed by Waleed Al Shehhi (UAE)
First Prize (AED 30,000) – A FALCON WILL NOT BREED A DOVE, by Mansour Al Dhaheri (UAE) Second Prize (AED 25,000) – PHOTON, by Awadh Al Hamzani (Saudi Arabia) Third Prize (AED 20,000) – A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, by Fahmi Farahat (Saudi Arabia) Special Jury Award (AED 25,000) – LETTERS TO PALESTINE, by Rashid Al Marri (UAE)
First Prize (AED 20,000) – MAHER’S CAMERA, by Mansour Al Badran (Saudi Arabia) Second Prize (AED 15,000) – MAD CAMEL, by Mohammed Fikree (UAE) Third Prize (AED 10,000) – DINNER #7665, by Salma Serry (UAE, Egypt)
First Prize (AED 20,000) – 6 ON 18, by Salma Serry (UAE, Egypt) Second Prize (AED 15,000) – LAYERS, by Manal Wicki (UAE) Third Prize (AED 10,000) – LAHJATNA (OUR ACCENT), by Mariam Al Nuaimi (UAE)
The Short Film Competition showcases inspired narrative, documentary and animated short films by emerging and esteemed international filmmakers, providing a vital source of support for the short film genre. The 2011 selection featured 31 films from 23 countries, as well as two newly launched awards for producers of short films. Best Narrative ($25,000) – A MARRIAGE, directed by Henning Rosenlund (Norway) Best Documentary ($25,000) – WRITTEN IN INK, directed by Martin Rath (Poland) Best Animation ($20,000) – LUMINARIS, directed by Juan Pablo Zaramella (Argentina) Shared with SPECKY FOUR-EYES, directed by Jean-Claude Rozec (France) Best Film from the Arab World ($25,000) – FAREWELL EXILE, directed by Lamia Alami (Morocco) Best Producer ($10,000) – Arben Zharku (Kosovo) for THE WEDDING TAPE Best Producer from the Arab World ($10,000) – YACINE BOUAZIZ (Algeria) for TOMORROW, ALGIERS? ##MEIFF 2009 Black Pearl Award winnersIn 2009, 16 Black Pearl awards were given in 3 major categories (narrative, documentary, and short films). Also given were also 7 Jury Special Mention awards, and one Audience Choice Award. Among all entries worldwide, the best film winners were as follows: The Black Pearl Award for Best Narrative Film - $100,000
The Black Pearl Award for Best Documentary Film - $100,000
The Black Pearl Award for Best Narrative Short - $25,000
The Black Pearl Award for Best Narrative Short - $25,000
##MEIFF 2008 Black Pearl Award winnersThe Black Pearl for Best Narrative Film - $200,000 The Black Pearl for Best Documentary – $150,000 The Black Pearl Special Jury Prize- $125,000 The Black Pearl for Best Actress - $75,000 The Black Pearl for Best Actor - $75,000 The Black Pearl for Best Artistic Contribution - $75,000 The Black Pearl Audience Choice Award The Black Pearl for Best Narrative - Short Film- $75.000 The Black Pearl for Best Documentary – Short Film- $75.000 The Black Pearl for Best Narrative – Student Films – $25.000 The Black Pearl for Best Emerging Filmmaker – Student Films- $25.000 ##SANADIn 2011, the Abu Dhabi Film Festival launched the SANAD development and post-production fund for cineastes from the Arab world. With the goal of encouraging independent and auteur-based cinema, eligible filmmakers now have access to financial grants, screenwriting and pitch workshops, and personal meetings with industry mentors and experts. |