Festivals
Glastonbury 2021 is officially cancelled because of Covid-19
For the second year in a row, there will be no Glastonbury Festival this summer, as organisers have announced that the 2021 event will be cancelled. “With great regret, we must announce that this year’s Glastonbury festival will not take place, and that this will be another enforced f
Reel Palestine Film Festival returns to Cinema Akil in 2021
Independent cinema buffs will be pleased to hear that the Reel Palestine Film Festival is set to return for a seventh time from Friday, January 22. The community-driven festival, which is run by volunteers, is a collaboration between Reel Palestine and Cinema Akil, the UAE’s first and only
UK Music Festivals Face 'Existential Crisis'
Coronavirus has plunged Britain's summer music festivals into "existential crisis", the umbrella organization for the UK music industry warned on Tuesday and called for greater government support. In a report, UK Music said Covid-19 had caused an "existential crisis for the live sector and UK mus
Gold camels and dromedary beauty pageants at Saudi Arabian festival
Saudi Arabia is holding its fifth King Abdul Aziz Camel festival as part of a national programme to promote the breeding and welfare of the animals on a global scale. The 44-day festival, which runs from December 1 until mid-January 2021 at Rumah, a city about 120 kilometres from Riyadh, brings t
Carthage Film Festival Opening Night Kicks Off with Six Short Films
The 31st edition of the Carthage Film Festival was launched despite the exceptional circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Six Tunisian and African short films paying tribute to the Tunisian and African cinema will inaugurate the festival that runs from the 18th to the 23rd of December.
Berlin Film Festival postponed for 2021: Festival splits programme into two events in 'answer to the times
The Berlin Film Festival has cancelled its annual February event for 2021, instead splitting its programme up into a two-part affair that will take place later in the year. The festival, also known as the Berlinale, was scheduled to take place in the German capital from Thursday, February 11 to S
Clean Bandit and Anne-Marie to perform in the UAE as part of Dubai Shopping Festival
It’s been a quiet year for live music because of the pandemic, but 2020 is set to end on a musical high note. Clean Bandit and Anne-Marie will perform on Friday, December 18, at Burj Park, in Downtown Dubai, as part of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). Tickets for the show, which cost Dh5
Is Breakout DXB the future of UAE music festivals in the age of Covid-19?
A new chapter has begun for the UAE's entertainment industry. The live music scene came roaring back to life this month with the advent of Breakout DXB. Running on Friday and Saturday, November 6 and 7, at Dubai hotel Rove Downtown, the festival was the first major UAE music event held physically
The first Gulf German Film Festival to take place in the UAE
German-language movies will be the focus of a new film festival that is taking place for the first time in the UAE. Held in collaboration with the German Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region and Cinema Akil in Dubai, the event runs from Thursday to Saturday, November 19 to 21 and
Tokyo Film Festival Taps 'Power of the Arts' to Give Courage amid Pandemic
The Tokyo International Film Festival kicked off on Saturday with live screenings and a host of coronavirus prevention measures to ensure the show could go on. Audiences were barred from cheering festival guests, required to wear masks, have their temperature taken and use hand sanitizer. Foreig
Six films making waves at El Gouna Film Festival
‘200 Meters’ One of the festival’s most anticipated films, “200 Meters” took seven years to bring to life and marks the directorial debut of Ameen Nayfeh. One of 16 films participating in this year’s feature narrative competition, “200 Met
Cannes Rolls Out Red Carpet for Pared-Back Film Showcase
Movie-lovers got a turn on the red carpet at Cannes on Tuesday night as the organizers of its famed cinema festival, cancelled earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, kicked off a more low-key three-day event showcasing a range of short films. Usually awash with Hollywood stars who flo
Cannes Festival Sends Message of Hope in Symbolic Edition
The Cannes Film Festival canceled in the spring due to the pandemic, has come back in a public symbolic catch-up session on Tuesday, aiming to send a message of hope to a suffocating industry. The mini-edition, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday, will see the screening of four films, two of whic
From premieres to safety measures: What to expect at this year's El Gouna Film Festival
Over the past three years, El Gouna Film Festival has become a cherished chapter in Egypt’s autumn film season. The annual seaside festival is returning this month for the fourth time, amid a backdrop of strict safety measures. Running from Friday, October 23, to Saturday, October 31,&
Music Festival in Morocco Goes Virtual amid Pandemic
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the "Visa for Music" festival decided to come back in a virtual event on November18-21, with a special program including intellectual seminars, workshops, and conferences respecting the preventive measures. The event organizers said this year's edition will be a
Red Sea International Film Festival launches 48-hour filmmaking challenge chaired by Hend Sabry
The Red Sea International Film Festival is inviting aspiring filmmakers in Saudi Arabia to apply for a 48-hour challenge this month that encourages young creatives to produce new work. Selected applicants, who must be between the ages of 18 and 25, will have access to three days of technical
China's Classical Music Festival to Feature Wuhan Musicians
China is holding its first classical music festival since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, featuring musicians from the former epicenter of Wuhan in an attempt to aid in the psychological and emotional healing process. Zou Ye, a composer from the central Chinese city where the virus was
Cairo Film Festival to Screen Internationally Acclaimed Films
The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) has announced the films that will feature in its 42nd edition, scheduled to run from December 2 to10. In a press release the festival’s president Mohamed Hefzy said that this year’s edition would screen the premiers of some of the biggest f
