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META Film Fest to Return to Dubai in November

The annual festival showcases the best of international films. WAM
The annual festival showcases the best of international films. WAM
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META Film Fest to Return to Dubai in November

The annual festival showcases the best of international films. WAM
The annual festival showcases the best of international films. WAM

META Film Fest, the star-studded, four-day international motion picture gala, will return to Dubai for its second edition from November 9 to 12, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

The annual festival, which showcases the best of international films, promises an extraordinary celebration of cinema for filmmakers, industry professionals, and movie lovers alike, WAM said.

The META Film Fest 2023 will focus on delivering an unparalleled experience through its emphasis on quality content, workshops and masterclasses tailored for budding filmmakers, premieres of cutting-edge independent and studio-produced films, and a prestigious, high-profile judging panel.

With the support of content partners such as the Royal Film Commission – Jordan, Papillon Creative, Frontrow Entertainment, and MAD Solutions, and Festival Partners including Cinema Akil, the META Film Fest is set to bolster Dubai’s Creative Economy and support the UAE’s National Strategy for the Cultural and Creative Industries. The four-day celebration of films will take place at VOX Cinemas, Wafi City.

“This year’s META Film Fest will cement Dubai’s position and capability as a hub for filmmakers and creatives to congregate, share knowledge, and promote their own and their peers’ work. The festival garners immense appreciation from movie enthusiasts and industry professionals, and this year’s edition will see significant growth in the number and caliber of films being shown,” said Founder of META Film Fest Leila Masinaei.

The META Film Fest adopts an independent, objective approach in its shortlisting process, ensuring the best of the regional industry is spotlighted at the event. Over the four days, it will show more than 70 movies from 20+ countries, host 10+ workshops, and welcome more than 50 global celebrities and 15,000 attendees. The incredible roster of shortlisted films will be announced in the coming weeks, WAM said.

This year's awards will span 12 categories, covering feature films, short films, documentaries, debut works, student projects, films with a sustainability focus, and newly introduced special categories to celebrate home-grown UAE talent.

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Future of Cinema Clouded by Uncertainty, Venice Jury Chief Huppert Says

The 81st Venice Film Festival Jury member Isabelle Huppert poses during a photocall on the day of the opening ceremony of the 81st Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)
The 81st Venice Film Festival Jury member Isabelle Huppert poses during a photocall on the day of the opening ceremony of the 81st Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)
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Future of Cinema Clouded by Uncertainty, Venice Jury Chief Huppert Says

The 81st Venice Film Festival Jury member Isabelle Huppert poses during a photocall on the day of the opening ceremony of the 81st Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)
The 81st Venice Film Festival Jury member Isabelle Huppert poses during a photocall on the day of the opening ceremony of the 81st Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)

Cinema has been weakened in recent years and its survival cannot be taken for granted, French actress Isabelle Huppert said on Wednesday as she took charge of the main jury at the Venice Film Festival.

The 11-day event draws together film-makers from around the world, giving them an invaluable opportunity to promote work that might otherwise not gain global prominence.

But beyond the Venice Lido's glamorous red carpet, movie veterans worry about the future of the industry: box office sales have not yet recovered from the COVID pandemic, raising questions about the long-term financial viability of movies.

"What concerns us all is that cinema continues to live on as much as possible. We know that it has been weakened in recent times," Huppert said at the traditional news conference to mark the start of the world's oldest film festival.

"I am not a director, I am only an actress, but we know what it represents in terms of courage, endurance, solitude, determination, to ... make a film," she added, saying her goal was to help cinema keep going "for as long as possible".

"But that's why a festival like Venice exists, it's like an ecosystem that is more necessary than ever to proclaim these values. So I'm really happy to be here," Huppert said.

Huppert, 71, has appeared in over 120 films and has won the best actress award twice at Venice, in 1988 and 1995. She and her family also run two small art house cinemas in Paris.

Global cinema box office takings are estimated to have hit almost $34 billion in 2023, according to data from Gower Street Analytics, an increase of 30.5% on 2022, but still 15% below average annual returns from 2017-2019, before COVID hit.

However, sales have declined again this year in the United States - the biggest movie market in the world, setting alarm bells ringing.

US director Debra Granik, who is the head of the jury for Venice's more experimental Horizons section this year, thanked Huppert for addressing the "elephant in the room".

"That's why we all showed up here because we want to see this art form thrive,” Granik said.

The Venice festival opens on Wednesday night with the world premiere of Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice", which is being shown out of competition. The event ends on Sept. 7 when Huppert will announce who has won the top Golden Lion award.