Fans can quiz Uma Thurman in Abu Dhabi

Adrien Brody, Yousra and Uma Thurman are among a number of major stars at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival who will venture beyond the red carpet to meet the public in a new series of events.

The festival begins tomorrow and runs until October 23.

Also meeting with fans are Julianne Moore, Khaled Abol Naga, Lebleba and Yehia El Fakharany.

“Film festivals are, among other things, about developing or maintaining professional relationships. But filmmakers and stars also want to know about the people and the places they visit, just as much as audiences want the chance to see these luminaries in person,” said Peter Scarlet, the Festival’s Executive Director.

“We see the Festival as a means for our guests to discover Abu Dhabi and for our public to have experiences that open up the world in ways they might not have expected. It’s with great pleasure then, that we can offer this exciting series of encounters featuring some of our highest profile guests,” he added.

The festival’s Encounters series is held at the beautiful Abu Dhabi Theater and the Festival Tent at the Emirates Palace and gives the public an insight into the experiences and current projects of some of the world’s top actors. The line-up also features “The Making of Wrecked”, a special event bringing together the film’s director, producer and lead actor (Adrien Brody) to talk about their work and share anecdotes from the production process.

The festival also announced the complete list of directors, producers and actors who have confirmed their attendance, many of whom will participate in question and answer sessions with the audience after the screening of their films.

The number of talent in attendance comes to more than 270 people from all over the world, giving local audiences a rare chance to go beyond the screen and behind the scenes.

“We are delighted that so many of the filmmakers whose work will be screened as part of our line-up are travelling to Abu Dhabi to present their work in person. Last year, our filmmaker guests were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the lively and intelligent Q&A sessions that followed their screenings. This year, with even more filmmakers attending, we are sure our audiences are in for some truly engaging opportunities to learn more about the films they see, straight from the people who made them. These sorts of personal encounters and the important exchange of ideas they give rise to are an essential part of our efforts to foster film culture in this region,“ said Eissa Saif Rashed Al Mazrouei, the Festival’s Project Director.

Encounters are free to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets must be picked up at that venue's box office and are available as of October 14. Tickets for Encounters at the Festival Tent must be picked up at the Emirates Palace box office on the day of the event.

The events

• A conversation with Yosra and Yehia El Fakharany with Khaled Abol Naga; October 15, 4pm, Abu Dhabi Theater

• “The Making of Wrecked”; features director Michael Greenspan, actor Adrien Brody and producer Kyle Mann; October 16, 2pm, Abu Dhabi Theater

• A conversation with Lebleba; October 17, 2pm, Festival Tent

• A conversation with Julianne Moore; October 18, 2.30pm, Festival Tent

• A conversation with Abbas Kiarostami; features a screening of Hamideh Razavi’s “Original Certified Copy”, shot during the making of Kiarostami’s “Certified Copy”; October 19, 3pm, Festival Tent

• A conversation with Uma Thurman; October 22, 2pm, Abu Dhabi Theater

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.