While it seems somewhat rude to look forward to its close given that it is yet to start, there is reason to anticipate the end of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival on October 22.
Much of the activity this time around is, for the first time, taking place at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, which will see the opening and closing ceremonies, along with most of the discussions and workshops. The hotel is also hosting one of the festival's most anticipated public events: the outdoor evening screenings on the beach.
But when the final curtain comes down on nine days of red carpets and premieres, that won't be the end of the 1,200 capacity beach cinema. The Fairmont has promised to keep these outdoor screenings going for another five nights.
According to the hotel's general manager Henning Fries, there's an additional incentive to come down besides the chance to watch films under the stars. "The movies we're showing will either be the UAE premiere or will be screening on the same day as the premiere."
The first film, screening on Tuesday, October 25, is the Ides of March – George Clooney's political thriller which also stars Ryan Gosling and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
October 26 will be a more toe-tapping affair, with the screening of the remake of Footloose, while October 27 celebrates science fiction with In Time, in which Justin Timberlake goes on the run in a land where people stop getting older after the age of 25.
Friday night, October 28, is family, and specifically child, oriented – Dolphin Tale will screen, which is currently number one in the US box office.
The outdoor screenings finally come to an end on October 29, when Moneyball will screen, the biographical baseball drama starring Brad Pitt.
Like the other outdoor screenings, tickets will be available in the hotel and on the Abu Dhabi Film Festival website.
