Abu Dhabi
Doha
Dubai
Winner
Heritage
2007 saw Abu Dhabi take to the floor.
The feisty newcomer opened its doors last year.
The old man of the three, it’s been with us since 2004.
Dubai – Firmly established.
Size
152 movies in 2008. Not bad, must improve.
31 films in its first year. It’s getting bigger this year, but there’s still a way to go.
168 films screened in 2009. Clearly the daddy of the region.
Dubai – It’s still the biggest.
Range
Impressive, a good spread of international films as well as Arab-made or influenced features.
The baby of the bunch, but showing real promise with Bollywood and animation entries.
Vast, truly international scope and impressive global interest and participation.
Dubai – But Abu Dhabi isn’t far behind.
Star Power
Eva Mendes, Naomi Watts, Orlando Bloom and regional stars.
Robert De Niro’s a founder of the Tribeca organisation.
Last year saw Mandy Moore, Christina Ricci, Gerard Butler.
Abu Dhabi – Anything with Eva Mendes is always a winner.
Awards
Too many to count, around 750,000 USD given out last year
Four awards totaling at 400,000 USD.
Over one million USD spread across a range of categories.
Dubai – Not by much, though.
Winner: Dubai. While Abu Dhabi’s making impressive inroads, the established event in Dubai still stands out as the focal point for film in the region. Doha’s an interesting prospect with some fresh ideas and approaches, but it’s a little young to challenge Abu Dhabi or Dubai just yet. It’ll be interesting to see if Abu Dhabi can eclipse Dubai as the film hub of the region when the festivals kick off later in the year.
2010 Dates: Abu Dhabi Film Festival, 14-23rd October, Doha Tribeca Film Festival, 26-30th October, Dubai International Film Festival, 12-19th December.
