Wishing on a star...

ABU DHABI ROLLED out the red carpet on Friday 10th October to mark the start of the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF).

A-list Hollywood and Arab celebrities like Meg Ryan, Adrien Brody, Antonio Banderas, Syrian actor Saloom Haddad, Egyptian actress Hala Sedki and many more attended Friday’s event.

“It’s for the public,” Director of Programming Jon Fitzgerald told City Times. “A lot of people see a film festival as an exclusive event for industry types but it really isn’t.

“There aren’t a huge number of foreign films playing in cinemas here. This is a great opportunity to bring the best of international cinema to the region, and for the public to see these films they wouldn’t otherwise.

“It was a real challenge trying to achieve a true balance between East and West in our programming, due to the sheer excellence in submission from both this part of the world and beyond.”

Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, vice-chairman of the MEIFF and director general of the ADACH, called the festival the “first crucial step on the long road” to expanding Abu Dhabi’s cultural horizons into the future.

“We believe that universality does not happen except through regionalism,” he said. “We are honoured to have great Arabic titles, as well as a massive selection of international films. We aspire to serve the art of film from all over the world.”

“MEIFF 2008 is endeavouring to present a unique combination of the year’s top movies – a taste of the best,” said festival director Nashwa Al Ruwaini. “Whether you’re seeking crowd favourites or critics’ picks, this section has something for you.”

“The initiative is important in that it brings to the local community internationally renowned films,” added Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei. “Of course, no everyone can attend all the world’s film festivals to watch these films. But we believe that borders are no longer boundaries, and ‘Festival of Festivals’ enables cinema-lovers to fulfil their passion in catching up on what they missed.”