Adding depth to cinema

A weeklong festival in Abu Dhabi will pay homage to a brand of cinema that brought a new dimension to the theatre: 3D films.

'Up' is a film about an old man and a young boy who fly in a house suspended by helium balloons.

ABU DHABI // A weeklong festival will pay homage to a brand of cinema that brought a new dimension to the theatre: 3D films. The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach) will host the event at the Cultural Foundation next month in the run up to the Middle East International Film Festival. "The 3D Cinema Week gives us an opportunity to showcase a different, modern facet of our efforts to promote arts and movies in the region, and reflects our vision for the region," said Abdulla al Ameri, director of arts and culture at Adach.

The screenings will be held from October 1 to 6 at Al Dhafra theatre in the Cultural Foundation on Electra Street. All the offerings will be family-friendly, said Mr al Ameri, who nonetheless stressed that the event was not an official part of the Middle East film festival. The line up includes a selection of Hollywood children's titles such as G-Force, about a team of secret agent guinea pigs; Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the third instalment of Pixar's animated stories of prehistoric animals; and Up another Pixar effort about an old man and a young boy who fly to South America in a house suspended by helium balloons.

There will also be three documentaries about dolphins, whales and ocean life, and the final night will be dedicated to a concert film featuring the US pop band the Jonas Brothers. The films will be shown through the use of a Dolby 3D projector, which filters light into red, green and blue wavelengths. Viewers wear glasses that then allow each eye to see only certain wavelengths, producing a slightly different image for each eye, and the illusion of a third dimension. The glasses will be provided free of charge, but must be returned after screenings.

"In the old form of 3D all the technology was in the screen," said Mr al Ameri. "Here it is all in the glasses, and the quality is much better." "I am very much looking forward to seeing the 3D films," said Imane Mohammed, a mother of three. "My children saw something like this once when they were on holiday in America, and they loved it. I think I will be taking them every day." All films will be screened at 7pm; the entry charge will be Dh10 (US$2.70). For more information, go to www.adach.ae