Hundred films to contest in the Middle East Film Festival

The Middle East International Film Festival - Abu Dhabi has announced the Official Competition slate, with filmmakers competing for the coveted Black Pearl awards.
More than 100 films from 38 countries will be shown in the festival.
The Official Competition is primarily comprised of films by emerging directors. Filmmakers will compete in three sections: Fiction, Documentary and Short Films. Fiction will feature 12 films; Documentary section is comprised of six films; and the Short Film section features 18 films.

The Black Pearl trophy is a handmade sculpture representing the exquisite black pearl, a rare and precious jewel originally discovered along the shallow waters of the Abu Dhabi coastline. It is a powerful symbol linked to the history and culture of Abu Dhabi.
There will be competitions in Fiction Films, Short Films and documentaries. Source

Motorsport Festival in November

The Dubai Autodrome is proud to announce the advent of the Dubai Motorsport Festival to take place at the region's premier motor racing facility on 15, 16 and 17 November 2007.
Three days of non-stop action high quality international motorsport activities aimed at the racing aficionados and casual fans who want to be part of the big event experience.
The Dubai Motorsport Festival will add a motorsport element to the city's already well established and prestigious sporting events such as the Dubai World Cup, the Rugby Sevens, the Tennis Open and the Desert Classic.
Unlike previous seasons, when the running of the Motorcity GT500 was limited to one category of international motorsport, the Dubai Motorsport Festival will host three very different but equally exciting international series and three classes of the burgeoning UAE national racing classes.
The event will see the Dubai debut of the Speedcar Series, which will have Jean Alesi, Johnny Herbert, Narain Karthikeyan and Stefan Johansson. Source

Chefs cook up a storm at Dubai Festival

Dubai Festival City, the world-class waterfront lifestyle resort, is hosting its exclusive Dubai Summer Surprises’ event ‘Junior Chef of the Year 2007’ during the Food Surprises Week. In association with Jumeirah Hospitality, the various culinary competitions will be held daily from 12pm noon until 10pm at the Festival Waterfront Centre, Dubai Festival City.The competition attracts chefs from hotels, restaurants and cafes in the UAE and is open to amateur chefs holding the position of Chef De Partie or below. This year’s event will have categories ranging from cake decoration to ice and chocolate carvings. In addition, the competitors will prepare and serve up a complete Arabic or Emirati inspired five-course gourmet dinner. Tom Miles, Senior General Manager Retail, Dubai Festival City said, “We are proud to host the Junior Chef of the Year 2007 for our visitors and food enthusiasts. They will experience a week of phenomenal cooking and food preparation competitions among chefs and culinary professionals.“Dubai Festival City will soon be home to 90 restaurants and cafes where visitors can experience high-quality dishes in our upscale dining venues such as Casper & Gambini, Biella, Scoozi and Café Blanc,” he continued. The winner of the competition will be judged by a panel of international chefs and will receive the Chef of the Year trophy.Throughout Food Surprises Week, customers to Dubai Festival City can expand their culinary knowledge when visiting workshops on culinary delights and ice carvings exhibitions. Two new anchor stores, Paris Gallery and Toys R Us will open their doors in July. Also, opening this month, are Japengo, La Chateau and Bread Talk, where customers can rest their feet and tickle their taste-buds.Dubai Festival City’s 2.1 million sq. ft. retail resort comprises Festival Waterfront Centre and Festival Power Centre and will be home to 550 shops, 20 flagship and anchor stores, 90 restaurants and cafés. Additionally, a Skywalk Entertainment level will be home to a 12-screen Grand Cinema Complex, Electronics Collection, Bowling City, a Skywalk food court, Fitness First and Magrudy’s. Dubai Festival City is a key destination and central component of Dubai Summer Surprises 2007 offering customers the best possible shopping and entertainment experience in Dubai. Source

Festival of Art

From 15th of April to 15th of May Dubai Festival City is hosting the Festival of Art.

Every week of the festival is highlighting a theme: Dance, Music, Theatre and Art.

Currently, during the second week the program is featuring a number of plays and entertainment acts which highlight theatre and fashion.

To name a few:

Silk Acrobats, a talented Colombian troupe of three people, performing breathtaking acrobatic show.Hun Lakorn Kek fromm Thailand is another exiting attraction.

For all the Dubai fashionistas, the Festival of Art has organised podium modeling shows presenting the newest collections of selected retailers present at Festival Waterfront Centre: Marks & Spencer, Patrizia Pepe, Gas, Levi's, Dockers, Chevignon and Hang Ten.

All together the Festival of Art is offering great fun for the whole family.

Al Ain Classical Music Festival starts tomorrow

Al Ain City will witness tomorrow the launch of the Seventh Al Ain Classical Music Festival at held at Jail Fort March 1 to 3.The event is which is organized by Abu Dhabi Classical Music Committee and is patronized by its Chairman and the UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan will run from held at Jail Fort in the city from March 1 to 3.The prestigious festival will be featuring some of the best names in the music world including Musici Fiamminghi, the renowned orchestra from Belgium which will perform under the direction of Rudolph Werthen at the historic Fort of Jahili and the Municipality Theatre.Set to underline the long-standing cultural ties between Europe and the Arab world, the festival will also present a concert concentrating on classical Arab music, to be performed by a number of soloists from the famous Cairo Opera ensemble. This year's edition of the event is held under the title "Oasis in Harmony" will present in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Tourism its special theme for this year, "Europe celebrates 50 years of Union".The prestigious cultural event will be reflecting Europe's outstanding cultural creativity and diversity and will open the month of celebrations in the UAE of the continent's 50 years of Union. Source