Abu Dhabi Film Festival Opens

The annual Abu Dhabi Film Festival opens today, happening for a week and a half until Nov. 2 at the Emirates Palace and Marina Mall.

Running for the seventh year in a row, this year’s festival features films from 51 countries, with 94 full-length and 72 short films competing for awards in several sections, including a new category for works focusing on the protection of children.

A bevy of big names are expected to lend their starpower to the festival, including Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, two-time Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver, Egyptian stars Khaled Abol Naga and Mervat Amin, Tunisian actress Hend Sabri, Indian sensation Irrfan Khan, and Chinese actress Tao Zhao.

The festival opens with Daniel Schechter’s Life of Crime (USA/UAE), while a special 3D screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder (USA) is scheduled for Oct. 31 (the iconic director originally filmed the movie in 3D, far ahead of today’s trend).

But ADFF’s real strength lies in its celebration of Arab and world cinema, with an impressive lineup of features from the region – including Farsh wa ghata (Egypt), Biladi al-halwa… biladi al-hada (Iraq, France, Germany, UAE) and Es-stouh (Algeria, France, Qatar) – and a number of foreign films making their Middle East debut at the festival – including Siddarth (India/Canada), Tian zhu ding (China/Japan) and For Those Who Can Tell No Tales (Bosnia & Herzegovina/Qatar).

WE SAID THIS: For more info about the festival, check out http://www.abudhabifilmfestival.ae.