Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2009
Events
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Conversation:A Conversation with Naomi Watts
MEIFF presents a conversation with star actress and producer Naomi Watts onstage at the MEIFF Festival Tent on Friday, October 16. The discussion will be moderated by film journalist David D’Arcy from The National and Screen International. There will be an opportunity for members of the audience to ask questions. This event represents a unique chance for the filmgoing public to interact in an informal setting with a major player in the international film industry.
Friday, October 16, 3:00 pm Festival Tent, Emirates Palace
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Conversation:A Conversation with A. R. Rahman, Richard Horowitz, and Sussan Deyhim
Film composer extraordinaire A. R. Rahman, who composed the Oscar®-winning score for Slumdog Millionaire along with Blue (which has its World Premire at MEIFF on Thursday) will appear along with composer Richard Horowitz and singer Sussan Deyhim for a conversation onstage. With years of experience in scoring films between them, they will discuss their inspiration and creative methods. Each have based their work on music from different cultures (including the Middle East).
Wednesday, October 14, 5:30 pm Festival Tent, Emirates Palace
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Special Program:“Laugh Till it Hurts”
Four greats of silent two-reel comedy are celebrated in this program: the comic poetry of Charlie Chaplin in The Immigrant (1916), the ingeniously constructed gags of Buster Keaton in One Week (1920), the dapper urban charm of Charley Chase in Mighty Like a Moose (1926) and the innovative and surreal creations of Charles Bowers in Egged On (1927). All with live keyboard accompaniment by Neil Brand.
Friday, October 16, 4:00 pm Cinestar 5
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Master Class:Neil Brand: The Silent Pianist Speaks
Pianist, composer, and veteran silent film accompanist Neil Brand adds historian and raconteur to his resumé with a tribute to the filmmakers of the silent era and the musicians who brought sounds to the silents. Brand offers a unique approach to the appreciation of silent film and the art of accompaniment as he reflects on his 25-year career playing for silent cinema and illustrates the art of movie music by improvising for clips and providing his own live commentary.
Thursday, October 15, 11:00 am, Festival Tent, Emirates Palace
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Master Class:Paolo Cherchi Usai: Preserving the Film Heritage of the Arab World
Digital technology has revolutionized the work of film archives and museums, allowing unprecedented access to their collections. However, digital film conservation is also a double-edged sword, in that it is much more expensive than analog conservation, and it is much less secure. Besides, many countries in the world do not have a national film archive at all.
Wednesday, October 14, 11:00 am Festival Tent, Emirates Palace
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Master Class:David Amram: From New Orleans Jazz to the Egyptian Hijaz
The legendary David Amram will share with us his vast experience and repertoire in composing music for film. Amram brought his long commitment to fusing classical, jazz and world music, including music of the Middle East, to his score for director T. C. McLuhan’s The Frontier Gandhi: Badshah Kahn, A Torch For Peace (which is screening at MEIFF ‘09 in the Documentary Feature Competition).
Tuesday, October 13, 11:00 am, Festival Tent, Emirates Palace
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Master Class:Richard Horowitz and Sussan Deyhim: The Cosmic Symphony
How to Use the Original Vibrations of the Big Bang in Film Scoring and Why Modes (Maqam) from the Middle East Are a Direct Link to the Origin of the Universe
For this master class, Richard Horowitz and Sussan Deyhim will talk about their creative process, illustrated by clips from their films. They will especially highlight how their scores have been influenced by Middle Eastern music. Richard will explain the importance of Middle Eastern music, tracing the use of Arabic modes (maquam) back to the Big Bang to explain why the music has such a deeply moving effect on us.
Monday, October 12, 11:00 am Festival Tent, Emirates Palace
For more information, click here.