MENA Cinema Forum is returning to Dubai

The event is the region's largest of its kind and will focus on boosting and celebrating film in the Middle East and North Africa

Leila Masinaei, managing partner of event organiser Great Minds Events.

The MENA Cinema Forum, the region's largest event of its kind, will return to Dubai from October 22 to 24, promising over 60 speakers and 800 experts in the field of cinema production, exhibition and distribution from 50 countries, it will be spread over two levels at Conrad Dubai.

The event will also host a red carpet, an awards ceremony with celebrities in attendance and awards for Movie of the Year, Exhibitor of the Year, Distributor of the Year, Cinema Design of the Year, Cinema Technology of the Year, Event Cinema of the Year, Best MENA Movie of the Year, Best Arab Movie of the Year, Best Bollywood Movie of the Year, Best Arab Director of the Year, Best Arab Actor of the Year, Best Arab Actress of the Year and Best New Cinema Design of the Year.

Conference sessions will take place on one level, with more than 100 exhibitors showcasing their products and latest technologies. The other floor will also host a series of cinema industry talks, focused on the first day on building materials, and design, and on technology on the second day.

Day three will focus on regional content production, promoting the best practices in this field and encouraging regional and international collaborations. A series of six masterclasses will address critical topics such as film financing, scriptwriting, production and acting, catered to professionals and newcomers alike.

The conference will be led by regional industry figures, including Cameron Mitchell, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas and Majid Al Futtaim Leisure & Entertainment; Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen, CEO, Novo Cinemas; Asim Altokhais, award-winning screenwriter and script consultant, Gianluca Chakra, managing partner, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, and Abdulaziz Almuzaini, Co-Founder and CEO, Myrkott Animation Studio.

Leila Masinaei, of event organisers Great Minds Event Management said: “It’s clear we’re in a rapidly evolving media ecosystem driven by different capacities, higher expectations and manifesting itself simultaneously in various dimensions.

"The dynamics of the cinema industry are developing while a cohort of ever-expanding super competitors and more focused players strive to build relevance at the right scale, we witness business models being reinvented so all players can tap into new revenue streams”.

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