SOME of Hollywood's biggest flicks will premiere their UAE releases at the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF), being held at Abu Dhabi. Those films include future star-studded classics like Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona, featuring Scarlett Johansson and Body of Lies with Leonardo DiCaprio. African-American director Spike Lee presents his answer to Clint Eastwood's “whitewashed” war movie, Flags of Our Fathers, with Miracle at St Anna. Lee flew to Abu Dhabi early in the week and was hotly tipped to appear at the opening ceremony but had to return to the US for personal reasons. Earlier, the director took part in a series of workshops for lucky film buffs. Other special presentations at MEIFF include Neil Burger's The Lucky Ones, Stephan Elliott's Easy Virtue and Anthony Leondis's Igor. MEIFF vice chairman, Mohammad Khalaf Al Mazrouei, said, “I am pleased to say that MEIFF 2008 has attracted some of the top films, filmmakers and distinguished guests from all corners of the world, and we are honoured to host them in Abu Dhabi. The official competition is the place to be at MEIFF, to see up and coming films and premieres from across the globe. These films should be the first stop for cinema lovers in Abu Dhabi,” Mazrouei told reporters. More than 60 films from 32 countries have been signed for the festival's official competition.
