MENA Cinema Forum is the largest gathering platform of cinema industry experts from across the globe in the MENA region and will be held for the second time presenting many new features across 3-days, from 22nd till the 24th of October 2019, in Dubai. The Forum will include a Conference, an Expo, an Awards Ceremony, Workshops, Corporate Meetings, Film Slates, Screenings, Post Event Receptions and much more.
Organized by Great Minds Event Management, the second edition of the forum is offering bigger opportunities, being much larger in scale and richer in content, and designed to enhance the industry evolution through updates on regional projects and policies, technological and technical advancements in cinemas and best practices in next generation of customer experience and engagement, through a mixture of various content and mediums.
Leila Masinaei, Managing Partner of Great Minds Event Management said “We are glad to announce Vox Cinemas as the Forum’s strategic partner, and proud that the forum continues to gain the attention of regional and international cinema industry mega players, to join the conversations and contribute to changing the cinema landscape in the MENA region”.
The inaugural edition that took place in October 2018 gathered over 600 experts from 45 countries from across the cinema industry supply chain. The 2019 edition will build on the inaugural edition gathering over 60 speakers and 800 experts, from 50 countries, requiring building the event on 2 levels at Conrad Dubai, to host the conference sessions in one and the 100+ exhibitors will showcase their products and technologies, on the other. The exhibition floor will host a series of cinema industry talks as well, focused in the first day on building materials and design and on technology in the second day. Day 3, which is the most important day of the event, will focus on regional content production and promote the best practices in this field and encourage regional and international collaborations. A series of 6 masterclasses will address critical topics such as film financing, script writing, production and acting, catered to professionals and newcomers alike.
The conference will be led by global leaders and covering key critical issues and topics in the region. Keynotes, technical presentations, panel discussions and live debates chaired by Jan Runge, MENA Cinema Chairman & Advisor, and speaking in it; Cameron Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas and Majid Al Futtaim Leisure & Entertainment, Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen, Chief Executive Officer, Novo Cinemas, Mohamed Al Hashemi, Country Manager KSA, Majid Al Futtaim Ventures, Toni El Massih Chief Content Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas, Asim Altokhais, Co-Founder and Award-winning screenwriter and script consultant at 3rd action incorporation, and the strategic screenwriting partner of CINEMA Forum, Amer Bin Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer, Knauf, Middle East and India, Gianluca Chakra, Managing Partner, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, and Abdulaziz Almuzaini, Co-Founder and CEO, Myrkott Animation Studio, among other industry leaders.
Commenting on organizing MENA CINEMA FORUM, Leila Masinaei, Managing Partner of Great Minds Event Management said: “It’s clear we’re in a rapidly evolving media ecosystem driven by different capacities, higher expectations and manifesting itself simultaneously in various dimensions. The dynamics of the cinema industry are developing while a cohort of ever-expanding super competitors and more focused players strive to build relevance at the right scale, we witness business models being reinvented so all players can tap into new revenue streams”.
MENA Cinema Forum will host an Expo for the second time following the great success of last year’s round. Planning to organize the largest exhibitions of its kind in the region, and amongst one the largest cinema expos globally, as the exhibition floor will include over 100 stands showcasing the latest technologies, material and equipment in the cinema industry and entertainment space. Moreover, introducing interesting and interactive attractions including but not limited to floor talks, product demos, themed entertainment, mini-screenings, an Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality zones, rest and refreshment parlors.
Expanding on the inaugural edition which recognized the top-grossing regional movie of the year, the 2019 edition will hold a Red Carpet, start studded Awards Ceremony to recognize regional leaders in the categories of: Movie of the Year, Exhibitor of the Year, Distributor of the Year, Cinema Design of the Year, Cinema Technology of the Year, Event Cinema of the Year, Best MENA Movie of the Year, Best Arab Movie of the Year, Best Bollywood Movie of the Year, Best Arab Director of the Year, Best Arab Actor of the Year, Best Arab Actress of the Year and Best New Cinema Design of the Year.
New to the 2019 edition, the event will incorporate workshops and masterclasses on key crucial topics for a more interactive and hands-on learning format, delivered by global leaders, to help enhance the learning and growth opportunities at the forum. Delegates and attendees can choose from topics that are applicable to them for advancing their knowledge or expertise in key critical areas.
MENA CINEMA FORUM will also include various private meeting facilities available to the delegates and sponsors to conduct one-on-one or group meeting in an exclusive and private setting. And, expanding on the 2018 edition which unveiled the 20th Century Fox’s 2019 slate content, the 2019 edition will include various slate presentations conducted by leading regional and global studios in an exclusive setting.
Expanding its scope as a cinema industry event with the aim to engage, wow and inspire, the 2019 edition will include several international and regional content screenings, with the opportunity to interact with cast and crew of some of these feature films.
At the end of each of the 3 days, the forum will be concluded by a post-event reception in a themed setting, offering refreshments, entertainment in a fun and relaxed atmosphere for the event attendees to mingle and further nourish their friendships and business relationships. The reception of last day’s event will be a mega post-event party, packed with many surprises and fun elements for the attendees.
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