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Major International Film Talents to Attend Award Ceremony as ADFF Pays Homage to Legacy of Mahfouz and Bergman
Tonight (October 21), the Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF)
presents the 2011 Black Pearl Awards for feature-length films. The
awards ceremony at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr will be attended by
special guests from near and far, including well-known names from
Arab and international cinema. Major British film talents Tilda
Swinton, Rupert Friend will take to the red carpet alongside stars
from the GCC countries including Tareq Al Ali, Zyna Karam and Ahmed
Iraj.
The guest list also includes talents of a new generation of the
Arab cinema such as Lotfi Abdelli, Suhir Ben Amarer, Fahd
Benchemsi, Salah Ben Salah, Mouhcine Malzi and Maher Salibi. They
will be joined on the red carpet by established Arab film
personalities such as Nidal Al Achkar, Bushra, Faris El Hilo, Sami
Kaftan, Maged El Kedwani, Saba Mubarak, Houda Rihani and Hend
Sabry.
Tilda Swinton is in Abu Dhabi to receive a Black Pearl Career
Excellence Award from the Festival in recognition of her
outstanding talent through a diverse body of work. Rupert Friend is
attending the Festival to personally introduce his award-winning
short comedy Steve, starring Colin Firth and Keira
Knightley.
This evening ADFF is also highlighting the legacy of two eminent
figures of film history. ADFF's Spotlight on Sweden
continues with a screening of Ingmar Bergman's Smiles of a
Summer Night. This indelible 1955 comedy follows the
romantic entanglements of three 19th-century couples during a
weekend retreat at a country estate. Though tinged with a
beautiful, pensive melancholy, it is one of the most lighthearted
films in the director's oeuvre. It also became the first film to
bring Bergman international attention when it won the Grand Prix at
Cannes. Smiles of a Summer Night is screened at 6:30 p.m.,
at VOX 3.
The retrospective Naguib Mahfouz - Man of Cinema features
a screening of Midaq Alley, by Jorge Fons.
Regularly cited as one of the most popular Mexican films of all
time, the film expertly transplants Mahfouz's 1947 novel to
contemporary Mexico City. Among the terrific performances in this
ensemble narrative is Salma Hayek's portrayal of Alma, a woman left
with conflicting desires when her young lover (Bruno Bichir) leaves
to work illegally north of the border while promising to return and
marry her. Midaq Alley plays tonight at 9:00 p.m., also
VOX 3.
The Yellow Sea, by Hong-jin Na, is part of the Festival's
Showcase section of recent films from around the world. Hong-jin Na
(The Chaser) elevates the action genre to the level of epic tragedy
with this beautiful, rich and complex film. Gu-nam is a cab driver
who leads a pitiful life near the China-Korea border. His wife
crossed over to South Korea to earn money six months ago, but he
hasn't heard from her since. One day Gu-nam meets a contract killer
who offers to turn his life around and reunite him with his wife -
all for a price of one hit. The Yellow Sea is screened at
9:00 p.m., VOX 6.
The Festival's lineups for today also features numerous second
screenings of films from the selection, providing the audience with
a chance to catch up on films they might have missed over the past
couple of days.
Tomorrow (October 22), the Festival presents its last day of
screenings and special events. The lineup includes screenings of
four of the winning films announced at tonight's Black Pearl Award
ceremony as well as the final screenings of the Festival's two
special programs: Naguib Mahfouz - Man of Cinema
closes with Tawfik Saleh's Fools' Alley, while
Spotlight on Sweden finishes with a screening of
Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander. The Festival's last
day also features a timeless Laurel & Hardy program
presented by the Magic Lantern Film Club for Children,
which will delight children between the ages of 6 and 12.
Full details and screening times are available on www.adff.ae.
Contact thePress Team