International statistics company conducts major survey of MEIFF 2008 concluding Festival succeeds in becoming world-class event

A total of 1,111 people were interviewed and surveyed randomly in three sectors, audience, industry and press to gauge their thoughts on various elements of the Festival.

In addition to being a world-class festival with quality programming and screenings, the festival was also considered an important cultural initiative, confirming Abu Dhabi's position as a centre of excellence for arts and film.

Proving experience is essential in any Festival, the overall satisfaction with this year's edition has increased across the audience, industry and press with all sectors logging in higher satisfaction with the range and variety of films, the star power and glamour and glitz of the festival as well as the range of information offered.

A total of 509 audience visitors attending the festival were interviewed, split almost equally between Emiratis, Arabs, Westerners and Asians. The majority of audience members, 79%, have said that MEIFF has been successful through the choice of programming and star power to creating humanitarian and cultural awareness and in projecting Arab cinema and Arab talent globally. Audiences showed high satisfaction with overall organization, timing of the festival, timing of the screenings and the range and quality of programming.

Of the 77 industry professionals interviewed, all showed the greatest interest in attending the feature films, opening night gala and short films with the majority (96%) satisfied with the glamour and glitz of the Festival. Industry was also satisfied with the networking opportunities and the promotional opportunities offered by MEIFF. All the ratings indicated that MEIFF's positioning in the film industry is gaining credibility and that industry presence and professionals seek exposure at such a prestigious event.

Industry confidence in MEIFF has also increased because it is unique in offering different cultural experiences, an endorsement of the Arab film industry, the quality of its film screenings and the world-class organization of the event.

With a 51% raise in the number of attending press for MEIFF 2008, there has been an active interest in all aspects of the Festival programming. A high percentage of press, 96%, agree that MEIFF has contributed to improving the image of Abu Dhabi as an international tourist destination and as a centre of excellence for arts. MEIFF has also raised the global cultural profile of Abu Dhabi and its endorsement of the Middle East Film Industry.

MEIFF Vice President, Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei quoted, "The results of this year's survey have proved the massive expansion of the festival since its inaugural edition in 2007. The results proved more successful than we expected but are satisfied that we can increase the results further next year in line with Abu Dhabi's strategic aims of building the film industry here in the UAE."

MEIFF's Director Nashwa Al Ruwaini quoted, "We have already begun on planning for next year's edition which we expect to be larger with more industry initiatives. We have also secured plans to have a presence at many other film festivals around the world to further our expansion throughout 2009."

MEIFF, held in Abu Dhabi, is an annual event and a project of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH). The Festival is a cultural event dedicated to bringing a diverse slate of international films and programs to the community and introducing filmmakers from around the world to the resources of the region.