Inaugural Middle East International Film Festival takes shape

Notes and media contacts

More Biographical information on the MEIFF Team is below:

Nashwa Al Ruwaini, Executive Director

With 18 years of media experience in the region, Nashwa has gone from one success to another having been ranked among the top three most influential women in the Middle East in 2006 and also the 20th most powerful business woman in the Arab World by the American magazine FORBES. As part of her efforts as CEO of Pyramedia and host of a successful self-titled television show, Nashwa has been involved in many initiatives promoting Arab talent and thought to the world.

Jon Fitzgerald, Festival Director

Jon has over 15 years of experience in the studio, independent, and film festival communities. In addition to consulting to many internationally recognized film festivals, he co-founded the Slamdance Film Festival and served as its Executive Director before becoming Festival Director for the American Film Institute (AFI) and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. He is CEO of Right Angle Studios, a company devoted to film festival and filmmaker consulting.

Claudia Durgnat, Managing Director

Over the last 20 years, Claudia became a worldwide festival director/producer focusing on cross-cultural exchange promoting international artists in film, music, and art events across the globe. Festival credits include the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, the Festival of the 5 senses, French Film Festival COLCOA, and Very Short Movies in Hollywood.

Adrienne Briggs, Conference Director

Adrienne has more than a decade of international experience as a producer on documentaries, commercials and film productions. She has also created a multitude of high profile entertainment events and conferences designed to connect promising young filmmakers with industry execs and financiers. Her client list includes AFI Fest, Arte, Canal Plus, Film France, IBM, IFP West, Kodak, Los Angeles Film Festival, Red Bull and the WGA.

Nadia Dresti, Hospitality Director

A very well-respected person in the film festival community, Nadia is the Head of Industry Relations for Locarno, having worked for this event for a number of years.

Rob Aft, Financing Conference Consultant (United States/Spain)

Rob is the president of Compliance Consulting, a Los Angeles based media consultancy currently serving a variety of clients working mainly in the areas of finance and distribution of films. Mr. Aft has served as President of International Distribution at The Kushner-Locke Company, Senior VP of MDP Worldwide, where he was responsible for all aspects of international sales and operations for the theatrical films produced by the company as well as VP of International at Trimark Pictures and Head of International at Troma, Inc.

Nancy Collet, Programmer

Most recently Nancy was the Programming Director for AFI (2000-2007). After working for many years for studios and film festivals She founded NCI Film Consulting in 2007.

Alice Kharoubi, Programmer

Alice has worked as a programmer for the Barcelona Film Festival, and been responsible for the Short Film Corner for the Cannes Film Festival. The Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) is a cultural event dedicated to bringing a diverse slate of international films to the community and to introducing filmmakers from the around the world to the resources of the region. Hosted by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), a city both awash in capital and unprecedented in its ability to develop and grow in response to the global marketplace, MEIFF is committed to nurturing relationships and providing opportunities to those looking to invest in the future of film. In this regard, the Festival will launch the inaugural Film Financing Circle, which will become a significant annual conference on the subject of international co-productions.

For more information on the festival, please visit www.meiff.com for details or withoutabox.com for entries.

Hana Al-Hirsi
Head of Press & Publicity
Pyramedia Ltd.
Fax: +97126211463
Website: www.pyramedia.biz

www.cultural.org.ae