The Abu Dhabi Film Festival (October 14-23) has today announced that a number of the major stars attending the Festival are set to venture beyond the red carpet and meet the public as part of a new series of exclusive conversations with some of the film world’s most celebrated actors. The list of participating celebrities includes Adrien Brody, Julianne Moore and Uma Thurman, as well as leading stars of the Arab world, including Khaled Abol Naga, Lebleba, Yehia El Fakharany and Yosra.
“Film festivals are, among other things, about developing or maintaining professional relationships. But filmmakers and stars also want to know about the people and the places they visit, just as much as audiences want the chance to see these luminaries in person. We see the Festival as a means for our guests to discover Abu Dhabi and for our public to have experiences that open up the world in ways they might not have expected. It’s with great pleasure then, that we can offer this exciting series of encounters featuring some of our highest profile guests,” said Peter Scarlet, the Festival’s Executive Director.
Held at the beautiful Abu Dhabi Theater and the Festival Tent at the Emirates Palace, the Festival’s Encounters series gives the public an insight into the experiences and current projects of some of the world’s top actors. The line-up also features “The Making of Wrecked”, a special event bringing together the film’s director, producer and lead actor (Adrien Brody) to talk about their work and share anecdotes from the production process.
Further encounters with film stars in attendance will be announced at the Opening Press Conference on October 13, 2010.
Filmmakers Turn Out in Force for the Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2010
The Festival also announced the complete list of directors, producers and actors who have confirmed their attendance, many of whom will participate in question & answer sessions with the audience after the screening of their films. The number of talent in attendance comes to more than 270 people from all over the world, giving local audiences a rare chance to go beyond the screen and behind the scenes.
“We are delighted that so many of the filmmakers whose work will be screened as part of our line-up are travelling to Abu Dhabi to present their work in person. Last year, our filmmaker guests were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the lively and intelligent Q&A sessions that followed their screenings. This year, with even more filmmakers attending, we are sure our audiences are in for some truly engaging opportunities to learn more about the films they see, straight from the people who made them. These sorts of personal encounters and the important exchange of ideas they give rise to are an essential part of our efforts to foster film culture in this region,“ said Eissa Saif Rashed Al Mazrouei, the Festival’s Project Director.
A complete list of film talent in attendance can be found below and on our online press portal at www.abudhabifilmfestival.ae/en/press/press-center/.
Event Details
A CONVERSATION WITH YOSRA AND YEHIA EL FAKHARANY WITH KHALED ABOL NAGA
October 15, 4:00 p.m., Abu Dhabi Theater
THE MAKING OF WRECKED
Featuring: Michael Greenspan (Director), Adrien Brody (Actor) and Kyle Mann (Producer)
October 16, 2:00 p.m., Abu Dhabi Theater
A CONVERSATION WITH LEBLEBA
October 17, 2:00pm, Festival Tent
A CONVERSATION WITH JULIANNE MOORE
October 18, 2:30 p.m., Festival Tent
A CONVERSATION WITH ABBAS KIAROSTAMI
Featuring: a screening of Hamideh Razavi’s Original Certified Copy, shot during the making of Kiarostami’s Certified Copy
October 19, 3:00 p.m., Festival Tent
A CONVERSATION WITH UMA THURMAN
October 22, 2:00 p.m., Abu Dhabi Theater
Encounters are free to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tickets for Encounters at the Abu Dhabi Theater must be picked up at that venue’s box office and are available as of October 14.
Tickets for Encounters at the Festival Tent must be picked up at the Emirates Palace box office on the day of the event.
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