Ali F Mostafa's new film, From A to B, will make history at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival when it becomes the first Emirati film to open a major regional festival. The City of Life director is already a familiar face to regional cinema fans, not only thanks to his award-winning films but also because of his regional brand and goodwill-ambassador roles for businesses such as Alfred Dunhill, Hublot Watches, Range Rover and Visit Britain, his charity work and his all-round celebrity status in the UAE. But Mostafa isn't the only famous name involved with his film. Here are some others to look out for if you are lucky enough to be attending the gala premiere on October 23.
Leem Lubany (Shadiya)
Lubany burst onto the scene in 2013's Oscar-nominated Omar at the age of 16. She had no formal acting training or experience at the time, but won an audition thanks to her sister's friendship with the casting director. She proved to be a natural acting talent. Lubany's next project after From A to B is the Bill Murray comedy Rock the Kasbah, which is scheduled to be realised next year. Apart from Murray, it stars other Hollywood big hitters including Kate Hudson, Bruce Willis and Zooey Deschanel.
Fahad Albutairi (Jay/’Yousef’)
Affectionately dubbed Saudi Arabia's "first stand-up comic", Albutairi found fame on YouTube after the launch of La Yekthar Show. Since its launch in 2010, the show and the channel Temsa7LY have amassed more than a million subscribers and in excess of 100 million views. Albutairi began his stand-up comedy career while a student in the United States at the University of Texas in Austin, from where he graduated in 2007. His debut as a stand-up in the Arab world came when he was the opening act for the 2008 Axis Of Evil comedy tour. Albutairi has pulled in crowds of close to 2,000 at his single-sex shows in Riyadh and has been described as the "Seinfeld of Saudi Arabia".
Khalid Al Mahmood (cameo/third assistant director)
The award-winning Emirati director of Sabeel is better known for his work behind the camera – as the director of his own movies and as an assistant director to other filmmakers – as he is here and was on Nawaf Al Janahi's Sea Shadow. Al Mahmood even put in a stint as crew on the Nicolas Cage action romp Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance when it was shot in Turkey in 2012, and has been shortlisted for Screen International's 10 most influential people in the Arab film community. Al Mahmood only has a small cameo role in From A to B, but it is one for Emirati cinema fans to look out for.
Wonho Chung (Raed)
Wonho Chung was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, into a rather unique family. His father is a prominent physiotherapist from South Korea and his mother is from Vietnam. Although he grew up in an Asian household, Chung's upbringing was completely Arab – he was brought up in Amman, Jordan. Chung's comedy career began in November 2007 when Showtime Arabia approached him to join the Axis of Evil comedy tour as the Korean comic they had been looking for. They originally wanted a North Korean to complete the Axis, but the prospect of a South Korean who speaks Arabic was too good to pass up. He toured with Axis of Evil for a month, performing 27 shows in Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon and Dubai. Chung has appeared in several Middle Eastern films and television shows, including Talateen Febrayer and Al Bernameg.
Shadi Alfons (Ramy)
Following a stint as a voice-over artist and actor in commercials while working as a copywriter for an advertising-agency, the Egyptian Shadi Alfons's big break came when he joined Bassem Youssef's hit satirical show Al Bernameg as a writer and performer in 2011. Alfons has since appeared in a number of Egyptian television shows, including Al Kabeer Awi and Ramadan Galak. From A to B is his first feature film and he says he hopes to one day appear in Hollywood blockbusters.
Khaled Abol Naga (cameo)
The writer, producer and director Khaled Abol Naga is a fully fledged modern legend of Egyptian cinema. He produced and starred in the award-winning Microphone, won over North American audiences with his role in 2007's Civic Duty and is currently co-producing and directing Tahrir el Tahrir, a project about the inside story of the Egyptian Revolution. Naga has a cameo role in From A to B.