PRINCIPAL PARTNERS MAJOR PARTNER PARTNERS MEDIA PARTNERS SUPPORTER Lights (on). Camera. Action. Proud Sponsor of the Emirates Film Competition You’re in the spotlight - but getting there doesn’t just require talent. It needs dedication, support and of course a reliable energy source! Dolphin Energy Limited provides 30% of the UAE’s energy requirements and supports initiatives that nurture personal development. That’s the power of positive energy. www.dolphinenergy.comwww.dolphinenergy.com 8th Abu Dhabi Film Festival | adff.ae 1 00000 Dolphin Film Festival A5 Ad (English).indd 1 9/8/13 5:40 PM 2 8th Abu Dhabi Film Festival | adff.ae 8TH ABU DHABI FILM FESTIVAL ADFF.AE THE EASIEST AND MOST CONVENIENT WAY TO PLAN YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE A WORLD OF STORIES For 10 days the 8th Abu Dhabi Film Festival brings the best storytellers in Arab and INSIDE international cinema to the capital. Start Opening Night ................................................................ 4 exploring our guide to the Festival right away Closing Film .................................................................... 5 so you don’t miss out! Programme Overview .................................................. 7 Narrative Feature Competition ................................. 9 As well as taking in some of today’s best and most exciting films, ADFF gives you the New Horizons Competition .......................................14 opportunity to share the experience with the Documentary Feature Competition .......................19 filmmakers and talent who come from all over Showcase ....................................................................... 22 the world to participate in the Festival. Between Special Programmes screenings there are a host of fun and engaging The Arab Diaspora ..................................................28 activities: encounters with filmmakers and talent François Truffaut .....................................................30 and free master classes, workshops and other Restored Classics ....................................................32 special events. Short Film Competition .............................................34 Emirates Film Competition ......................................36 Whether you’re sharing new or classic films with the family or enjoying the excitement of the red carpet, everyone looks forward to a good story. Animotion .......................................................................12 From New York to Abu Dhabi ..................................12 ADFF Talks Film ............................................................17 Our World ......................................................................38 ABOUT ADFF Child Protection Award .............................................39 The Abu Dhabi Film Festival powered by twofour54 was established in 2007 with the Country Index .............................................................. 40 aim of helping to create a vibrant film culture Title Index ......................................................................42 throughout the region. ADFF is committed to curating exceptional international programmes to engage and educate the local community, inspire Locations ........................................................................45 young filmmakers from the region and nurture the Tickets .............................................................................46 growth of the regional film industry. Film Schedule ...............................................................49 8th Abu Dhabi Film Festival | adff.ae 3 OPENING NIGHT FROM A TO B Emirati filmmaker Ali Mostafa’s long-awaited ALI MOSTAFA follow-up to his successful 2009 City of UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Life tells the story of three friends who lost 108 MIN | ARABIC, ENGLISH | ARABIC & contact over the years but decide to reunite ENGLISH SUBTITLES to celebrate the memory of their deceased WORLD PREMIERE friend Hadi by making the trip from Abu Dhabi to Beirut he wanted them to have together. In this exuberant adventure, a lot happens en route to drive them crazy, but also may bring them closer together. The film stars Madeline Zima, Christina Ulfsparre, Ali Suliman, Ahd Kamel, Leem Lubany and Khaled Abol Naga. ALI MOSTAFA THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23 8:00 PM, EMIRATES PALACE BY INVITATION ONLY 4 CLOSING FILM BIG HERO 6 From Walt Disney Animation Studios and DON HALL, CHRIS WILLIAMS the team behind Frozen and Wreck-It USA Ralph, comes Big Hero 6, an action-packed IN 3-D | 100 MIN | ENGLISH | comedy/adventure about the special bond ARABIC SUBTITLES that develops between Baymax, a plus-sized inflatable robot, and robotic prodigy Hiro Hamada when they join forces with a team of crime fighters to save San Fransokyo. Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, Big Hero 6 will be presented at ADFF only a few days after its world premiere in Tokyo. We are very happy to close the Festival with a film that is not only a lot of fun, but also brings to superhero movies the same heart- CHRIS WILLIAMS, DON HALL wrenching emotions that Frozen brought to FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 princess stories. 8:15 PM, EMIRATES PALACE LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE 8th Abu Dhabi Film Festival | adff.ae 5 Ajyal Youth Film Festival 1-6 December 2014, Cultural Village Katara Save the Date! Ajyal Youth Film Festival builds on the Doha Film Institute’s history of community-based pro- gramming. Ajyal invites generations to come together to discuss cinema through events that inspire creative interaction, opening up a fun,collaborative environment where young people can express themselves. The second edition of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival takes place from 1-6 December 2014 www.dohafilminstute.com Presented by Facebook: AjyalFilm Instagram: @AjyalFilm Twitter: @AjyalFilm #Ajyal14 6 8th Abu Dhabi Film Festival | adff.ae Ajyal 2014 AbuDhabi Catalogue.indd 1 9/22/14 4:00 PM PROGRAMME OVERVIEW NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION OUR WORLD Exciting and original storytelling from Films devoted to broadening awareness of international filmmakers significant environmental issues. A jury of Masdar students awards a prize for the best film in Our World. NEW HORIZONS / AFAQ JADIDA COMPETITION Presenting a director’s first or second feature CHILD PROTECTION AWARD film, fresh styles and challenging ideas in The Ministry of Interior Child Protection Centre ت اﻟﻌﺮ ﻣﺎرا ﺑﻴﺔ اﻟ ا ﻤﺘ ﻟﺔ ﺤ دو ﺪ ة narrative work from around the world works to ensure the safety and security U N IT E D A R A B of children ensuring implementation and E M I R A T E S regulation of child protection legislation, DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION policies and best international practices. Nonfiction films that explore remarkable stories and issues in the world around us SUBTITLES ADFF screens all non-English-language films with Juries of esteemed film professionals convene to English subtitles. Select non-Arabic-language present the Festival’s Black Pearl Awards to films films are screened with Arabic subtitles. in each competition category. CONTENT GUIDELINES ADFF recognizes that some films contain subject SHOWCASE matter not suitable for all audiences. Not all films A selection of recent outstanding feature films presented by the Festival have been officially from around the world rated. The guidelines below are intended to help patrons in selecting films that are appropriate for Audience members cast votes to select the themselves and their families. Audience Choice Award winner from this programme. 12+ Suitable for viewers 12 and older – Films may include subject matter that may not interest young children; or may contain mild SPECIAL PROGRAMMES violence or themes requiring a minimum of ADFF’s wide range of Special Programmes maturity. celebrate the joys of cinema past and present. 15+ Suitable for viewers 15 and older – Films may include themes not suitable for children, SHORT FILM COMPETITION or may contain occasional violence or Inspired narrative, documentary and animated occasional coarse language. short films by emerging and established international filmmakers 18+ Suitable for viewers 18 and older – Films may include themes requiring mature judgement; or may contain violence, coarse language EMIRATES FILM COMPETITION or occasional instances of the unclothed Short films from established directors and new human body. discoveries from the United Arab Emirates and GCC countries A Themes requiring mature judgment V Violence PRESENTED BY L Coarse language N Occasional instances of the unclothed human body 8th Abu Dhabi Film Festival | adff.ae 7 FILMS NARRATIVE COMPETITION NARRATIVE TEST VOX = WORLD PREMIERE FUNDED BY SANAD OUR WORLD FAMILY FRIENDLY CPA VOX CINEMAS AT MARINA ADFF is Films from the Films devoted Fun and Films MALL dedicated to Arab world to broadening inspiring films that raise supported by awareness of discovering for audiences awareness the Festival's environmental EP = and of all ages about abused development issues EMIRATES premiering or neglected and post- PALACE important children new films production from around fund the world 8 8th Abu Dhabi Film Festival | adff.ae WORLD PREMIERE FUNDED BY SANAD BLACK COAL, THIN ICE EL OTT Bai ri yan huo DIR DIAO YINAN DIR IBRAHIM EL-BATOUT CHINA, HONG KONG | 2014 | 106 MIN | MANDARIN | EGYPT, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | 2014 | 92 MIN | ARABIC & ENGLISH SUBTITLES ARABIC | ENGLISH SUBTITLES The grisly discovery of corpses in a Egyptian gangster El Ott divorces Northern China town results in the his wife and leaves his family soon dismissal of detective Zhang, who is after his daughter is mysteriously determined