For many nations in the Middle East the retreat of the blazing summer heat in about October each year is a time that also marks the start of each year’s cultural calendar, and this year has seen a renaissance for film festivals throughout the region.
Film and television in the Middle East has been subject to massive growth over the past decade, with satellite television delivering over three hundred free to air channels and a corresponding increase in Arab language productions. Countries with established film-making industries such as Egypt and Jordan have seen a rapid growth as the expansion of television channels has fuelled an increase in demand for Arab movies and television programs. In the Gulf Dubai in the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar have all seen the development of substantial television industries.
The Dubai International Film Festival (‘DIFF’) kicks off for the fourth time on the 9th of December and with it the attendant glitz and glamour that accompanies the celebrities and wealthy patrons of an event such as this. DIFF is symptomatic of many of the strengths, aspirations and shortcomings of this region.
While DIFF gets its share of media industry celebrities attending its glamorous parties and film launches, it has to be questioned as to whether they are in attend are usually in attendance to network and sip champagne than to sign off on new productions or licensing deals. Dubai is working hard to push itself forward as one of the tourism capitals of the World and events such as DIFF present Dubai to the world as a cosmopolitan location that has cultural depth in addition to the palm trees, sunshine and well tended beaches. DIFF’s policy of shipping in superstars like George Clooney for a Middle East premiere of his latest film, Michael Clayton, is certainly likely to add to festival’s reputation for focusing on the more glamorous side of the industry.
While DIFF may be a veteran of Gulf film festival scene, it has recently seen competition from a source close at home, with the launch in October of the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) in Abu Dhabi. MEIFF made a play to distinguish itself from festivals such as DIFF by having a strong industry focus which included a film financing conference featuring global heavyweight Harvey Weinstein. MEIFF is an example of Abu Dhabi’s desire to become the cultural capital of the Arab world, earlier this year the Emirate invested an estimated half billion dollars into a plan to build a Guggenheim museum and a branch of the Louvre in the city. With the MEIFF’s emphasis on film financing and the significant sources of wealth in the region, the Abu Dhabi festival may well in future years become an important venue for producers from around the world looking for much needed financing.
MEIFF reflects that agenda and presented a more understated affair than Dubai’s DIFF, showing that while Abu Dhabi is plowing billions into becoming a cultural capital to match Paris or New York, Dubai’s populist cultural agenda is more likely to draw comparisons with Las Angeles or Orlando, Florida.
While locations such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi may have plenty of cash to spend on big budget film festivals, the Cairo International Film Festival has the content to back up the hype with the Egyptian film industry being by far the largest in the Arab world. Cairo is the Hollywood of the Arab world and each year CIFF is an important marketplace for television buyers from around the region who flock to Cairo’s bustling streets to watch films, make their selections for the upcoming year and attend the many star studded parties. The Cairo Film festival is one of the mainstays of the region, having been held intermittently since 1976; this year marks the 31st CIFF, and features Omar Sharif as its Honorary President. Unlike festivals such as DIFF which have a distinctly global feel, Cairo is very much a festival for the Arab world with a focus on the Egyptian product which is backed up by parallel events such as the Radio and Television Festival.
Not that far away, but in many ways a world away, the unlikely venue of Baghdad is also playing host to a film festival this December. The Baghdad International Film Festival, which returns after a first run in 2005 is another example of ordinary Iraqis trying to restore some level of normality to their war torn nation. Recent weeks have seen news reports indicating that there has been a significant downturn of violence and that many Iraqi refugees are returning home, it is hoped that the film festival also indicative of an increasing level of stability in the country. The festival is being helmed by the association Iraqi Filmmakers Without Borders who hope to resurrect a once thriving film-making industry that fell into decline following the Gulf War and the sanctions that followed. Iraq and its neighbor Iran have long had a reputation for producing the occasional small but high quality independent film, so with the hint of some respite from the chaos that has engulfed the country for so long, here’s hoping that the rebirth of this Baghdad festival may also mark the birth of a new centre for film-making in the region.
The Middle East International Film Festival
