The Circuit

by Timothy M. Gray
In only two days, the Middle East Intl Film Festival achieved its goal of bringing worlwide attention to Abu Dhabi, with Hollywood and Bollywood stars in attendance, a slew of major execs talking about bringing work to the area and, crucially, announcements of mega- deals. Amid all the excitement, attendees seem to have overlooked one small detail: the films.

At the black-tie opening night Oct 10, at least half the audience left before the start of "The Brothers Bloom," even with director Rian Johnson and star Adrien Brody in attandance.

Partly that's because the film started after 10 pm, and the audience (including Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith and Meg Ryan) had already experienced a prolonged red-carpet gauntlet and a nearly one-hour stage show (which is to be edited and shown on TV here).

But more likely the audience had restless-leg syndrome. They wanted to schmooze, not to passively watch a film. Many of those who left the film hung around the Emirates Palace hotel (a massive and maze-like tribute to golden opulence), and talked shop in hallways, restaurants and bars, then moved to the lavish opening night party. There were so many screening exit-ers that the party got into full swing at least an hour before the film ended.

Many of the festgoers had taken part in the Oct 6-9 financial gathering called The Circle, which drew Jim Gianopulos, McG, Spike Lee, Kathleen Kennedy and Ed Borgerding (Abu Dhabi Media Co.) among others, buzzing about changes in the media world.

The day after the fest opened, Borgerding's (pictured left) company unveiled its multi-film deal with National Geographic. And on Oct 12, ADMedia and Natl Geo joined such companies as BBC, CNN, HarperCollins and Thomson Reuters to tout the Media Zone, aka twofour54, an ambitious plan to bring media production and training in a concentrated area of Abu Dhabi. Is this a big deal? No dollar figure was mentioned but many estimated it as easily more than a billion. And even jaded showbiz workers admitted that you don't often get Abu Dhabi's crown prince to attend a press conference.

More big deals are expected to be announced before the Oct 19 closer, with groundwork being laid for others.

And oh, yeah, there will also be some films shown.  Some may even draw an audience...