By Adam Schreck
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) --Organizers of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival said Thursday they are shutting down the annual international event after eight years, even as the oil-rich emirate attracts greater attention from Hollywood studios.
In announcing the move, the Media Zone Authority-Abu Dhabi said it wants to put greater focus on supporting local and Arab talent and attracting filmmakers to the region. A fund associated with the festival that is designed to assist Arab filmmakers will continue.
"Over the last few years we have built a strong foundation for a self-sustaining film and television industry. It is now the right time to deepen our commitment and further develop programs to take the local industry to the next level," the authority's CEO, Noura al-Kaabi, said in a statement.
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the seven-state United Arab Emirates federation, which includes the commercial hub of Dubai. It has invested heavily to establish itself as a filmmaking and media production center, and offers studios a 30 percent rebate on production costs to entice them to film in the sheikhdom.
The strategy has had some success.
Scenes from the latest installment of Universal's "Fast & Furious" franchise, "Furious 7," were filmed in Abu Dhabi, including a scene where lead Vin Diesel appears to jump a glass-shattering sports car between the city's iconic Etihad Towers.
The emirate's desert landscape also was the stand-in for another world far, far away, in the forthcoming "Star Wars: Episode VII." The Disney film is directed by J.J. Abrams and is due out in December.
Other productions that have shot in Abu Dhabi include the American soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful" and Bollywood feature "Bang Bang."
Abu Dhabi has held a film festival every year since 2007. Dubai, which played a starring role in the 2011 blockbuster "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol," launched its own three years earlier and continues to host the annual festival.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More