META Film Fest has announced the cancellation of this year’s event in Dubai due to the current global situation and challenges faced by communities around the world.
Festival organisers GM Events offer their deepest sympathies to all those affected.
The annual festival is the first private-sector and industry stakeholder-led film festival in the Middle East and Africa.
It was supposed to showcase 95 films from 32 countries, with 29 films as special festival premieres, while the remaining 66 films will compete for various prizes in categories of feature, short, documentary and student films.
Some of those films include the Turkish film Black Night, directed by Özcan Alper, Bodyguard from Kazakhstan, directed by Akan Satayev, and the French film Our Ties, directed by Roschdy Zem.
Snow and the Bear, the Turkish film whose lead by Merve Dizdar, is another stand-out.
META Film Fest was bringing a total of 14 world premieres, 28 regional premieres, and 38 UAE premieres, while also featuring 30 Arabic films.
META Cinema Forum, the dedicated cinema convention in the region, taking place from 7-8 November at Grand Hyatt Hotel and Grand Hyatt VOX Cineplex will carry out as scheduled.
The forum will expand to include some of the learning and development features which were originally planned for the festival, as well as select film screenings, in particular the movies with the environmental themes, in support and preparation for COP28.
