AN ANIMATED WEEKEND of sci-fi indulgence awaits visitors to the 2012 Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC).
This Friday and Saturday, the convention at the Dubai International Marine Club, Mina Seyahi, will feature stars of film and television plus an array of activities.
Among the world-famous brands being represented at the show are Marvel Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Nintendo, EA Games and Sony Pictures.
Doors open tomorrow from midday till 10pm and from 11am till 10pm on Saturday (or from 10am for VIPs on both days).
Tickets cost Dhs55 single day entry, Dhs100 for weekend entry or Dhs500 for a VIP pass.
For further details, visit www.mefcc.com or call 04 447 4344.
The MEFCC is being held as a sister event to the New York Comic Con, and fans visiting this weekend can win tickets to the Big Apple on Virgin Atlantic.
Marvel will have its own stand promoting the upcoming movie The Avengers, set to release in the States on May 4 and starring Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson.
The Jashanmal Comics Village will contain major comic book publishers including Top Cow, IDW Publishing and Archaia Entertainment.
Middle Eastern channel SP:TV, which shows anime and other Japanese content, will welcome former editor of Naruto Joel Enos to its ‘Manga Town’.
VOX Cinema will be showing classic sci-fi and anime films, plus a few exclusive sneak previews, at its ‘Movie Club’. It will also host celebrity Q&As, panel discussions and workshops for aspiring artists, writers and filmmakers. Entertainment industry figureheads will talk about everything from drawing Manga to finance.
The Gamezone will feature new video game releases and tournaments, including areas for roleplay and tabletop play. Other contests include karaoke and a quiz show.
Do you want to look the part for your Comic Con visit? Satwa fancy dress shop Mr. Ben’s Costume Closet will have its own booth filled with sci-fi and film costumes to hire on the day.
The SAE Institute Green Screen offers sci-fi backdrops for photo opportunities.
Artists Alley has more than 70 tables featuring regional talents showing their work.
The MEFCC Main Stage will host games and Cosplay competitions.
CATCH CIRQUE DU Soir performers clad as comic book stars from Batman to Superman, as the Dubai nightspot transforms itself into a superhero wonderland this Friday.
As well as being surrounded by fictional characters, guests will be able to rub shoulders with the creative minds behind their favourite comic strips and films, as several of MEFCC’s celebrities join the party at Cirque Du Soir. The list includes Jason Momoa of Conan the Barbarian and Game of Thrones, John Rhys Davies of Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones, and Laurie Holden from The Walking Dead fame.
Doors from 10pm to 3am. For more information and reservations, contact 04 332 4900 or e-mail reservations@cirquedusoirdubai.com
Now starring in hit zombie series The Walking Dead as Andrea, Laurie has also appeared in Fantastic Four (2005) and Stephen King’s The Mist.
The son of director John Landis (National Lampoon’s Animal House, The Blues Brothers), Max began writing screenplays at 16 and to date has completed more than 50. He penned last year’s surprise hit superhero movie Chronicle, which raked in more than 10 times its budget amid excellent reviews. Forbes magazine has named the 26-year-old one of Hollywood’s hottest new talents.
The Londoner has appeared in a plethora of sci-fi shows including The X-Files, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Star Trek: Voyager and is most recognised for playing the demon Crowley in Supernatural.
Best-known to fans as Gimli the dwarf from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, the British actor has also appeared in other seminal franchises with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1991) and Bond outing The Living Daylights (1987)
This Hawaiian-born hulk starred in last year’s Conan the Barbarian remake, as well as the mega-popular fantasy series Game of Thrones as the Dothraki King.
The Canadian actress plays Viper pilot Louanne “Kat” Katraine on Battlestar Galactica.
The ‘Cosplay Queen’ from the Philippines is a TV presenter, model, blogger, illustrator and photographer.
Mark is the critically-acclaimed writer who has worked extensively for both Marvel (What If? Spider-Man) and DC Comics (Supergirl, Batman). His most recent work is Graveyard of Empires with artist Paul Azaceta, where United States Marines team up with The Taleban to quell a zombie uprising in Afghanistan.
Co-creator of Agent X, the Canadian comic book artist has worked for all the top names on titles from Star Wars to X-Men.