The Circuit

by Timothy M. Gray
If there's any gripe about the second Middle East Intl Film Festival in Abu Dhabi, it's that there's too much going on.

If you were here  on the evening of Oct 14, for example, which of the following events would you rather attend: a Ferrari Formula One party, a roundtable with Jane Fonda, a discussion with Catherine Deneuve or a Variety cocktail reception?

The correct answer, of course, would be the Variety party.

Well, OK, maybe that wouldn't have been your first choice (a lot of us were wondering if Ferrari was giving away cars in their goodie bags) but it would have been a good choice. Guests included numerous UAE movers and shakers, filmmakers, fest judges, and festival director Nashwa Al Ruwaini, the lovable talkshow host who's the organizer of the fest. (She has been called the Oprah of the Middle East, though I prefer to think of Ms. Winfrey as the Nashwa of North America.)

Nashwa was part of the presentation of Variety's Middle East filmmaker of the year award to Amin Matalqa, who announced he'd just signed for US and UK distribution of his debut feature "Captain Abu Raed." The event, at the glam Etoiles eatery at the Emirates Palace hotel, included several Variety staffers -- including associate publisher Brian Gott, who flew in from Los Angeles (i.e., about 50 hours of travel for 24 hours in Abu Dhabi).

Amin, who was born in Jordan but grew up in Ohio, said when he was a kid he'd go to the library to read Variety and would write down box office results in his diary. So he was glad to get the award and happy that there is growing recognition for the region's filmmakers.