Inaugural META Film Fest brings movie magic to Dubai

META Film Fest, the new international film festival covering the Middle East, Asia and Africa’s film industry, kicked off on 27 October at the Vox Cinemas at Nakheel Mall in the Palm Jumeirah where more than 70 films from 25 countries have been featured.  

With a tagline of ‘Tolerance and Unity through Film’, the three-day film fest started with the screening of three short films from the UAE, including Deadline, Children of All and IDI, as well as The Dawn of the Great Steppe, Terminus, The Tortoise and the Snail, The Apple Day, followed by a number of short films from Iran, Jordan, Sweden, Korea, Egypt. However, the main attraction of the day was the gala premiere of Emily by the director Frances O’Connor, who attended the premiere as well. It has already been nominated for Toronto International Film Festival and Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival. 

META Film Fest has attracted several international and regional celebrities including Cris Mejia, Emirati film director Nayla Al Khwaja, Maria Bello and Casey Shannon, actors from Children of All, Shalila Samavati, an actor from Tunnel, Pegah Ahangarani and Neslihan Yeldan of Juror, and many others. 

Most of the movies featured at the Meta Film Fest, have already received multiple nominations at different international film festivals across the world, making the selection for UAE audiences more attractive. Among these Beloved, Borga, Chosen, District Terminal, El Arena, Emily, Golden Blood, Hard Shell Soft Shell and African Redemption: The Life and Legacy of Marcus Garvey was premiered at the three-day festivities. 

Of these, Iranian film District Terminal has received three nominations at the Berlin International Film Festival, Best Film category nomination at the Festival du Nouveau Cinema and Sao Paulo International Film Festival. 

French feature film Hard Shell, Soft Shell (Fragile) has received four nominations including Best International Feature Fiction in Beirut International Women Film Festival and Best Feature Film at Buzz IFF.

“We [have witnessed] a new dawn in the entertainment industry in the UAE with a new film fest that is going to set a new benchmark,” said Leila Masinaei, organiser of the META Film Fest. “It is a small step for a great future for the Middle East’s growing film industry that celebrates local and international content and talent.

“As the first of many film fest editions to come, this marks a very firm first step for the regional film industry that will chronicle the production and development of blockbusters that will be produced in this part of the world in the years to come.”