THE littlest film festival in town just got a whole lot bigger, with the announcement that Lebanese pop star Ramy Ayach will be performing at TROPFEST Arabia this weekend.
The world’s largest short film festival, now in its third edition here in Abu Dhabi, will be hosted on the Corniche on Friday 8th November. Open to nationals of the MENA region, the festival aims to help aspiring filmmakers break into the industry.
Performing his latest and greatest hits at a concert on the beach, Ayach added, “It’s wonderful to be part of such an exciting and motivating event which gives our region’s youth a platform off which they can develop their talents and ambitions. I’m looking forward to performing my latest hits for the crowds on the beach in Abu Dhabi, and I hope everyone will enjoy it.”
After a public viewing of the 16 shortlisted films, a celebrity judging panel and this year’s co-director, Egyptian actress Yusra, will select the winners live, during the event. Also returning to host the festival this year, is Lebanese TV personality Raya Abirached.
Entries for this year’s edition have nearly doubled from the last year and represent 29 countries in the region. For more information visit: www.tropfest.com/arabia/
ADFF awards winners
The seventh edition of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival came to a close last week after handing out Black Pearl Awards to an assortment of winning films. The festival director Ali Al Jabri also announced the dates for the eighth edition of the festival, which will take place between 16th to 25th October 2014.
Winning films in the narrative competition included: ‘Touch of Sin’ by Jia Zhangke for the Black Pearl Award, ‘In the Sands of Babylon’ by Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji for Best Film from the Arab World and Judi Dench in ‘Philomena’ for Best Actress. ‘These Birds Walk’ by Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq received both the Black Pearl Award Jake Eberts in the documentary film category and best film in the inaugural competition for the Child Protection Award.
For a full list of winners please visit: www.adff.ae
