ABU DHABI Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF), powered by twofour54, has announced a collaboration with Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation/ World Cinema Project (WCP).
As part of the collaboration, two newly restored international masterworks- Sergei Parajanov’s The Color of Pomegranates and Lino Brocka’s Manila in the Claws of Light- will be screened during ADFF, which takes place from October 23 to November 1. Both films were digitally restored in 4K resolution by the Cineteca di Bologna/L’Immagine Ritrovata and The Film Foundation/World Cinema Project and will be shown with existing English subtitles as well as new Arabic subtitles, provided by ADFF.
Established in 1990 by Martin Scorsese, The Film Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting, preserving and presenting motion pictures. By working in partnership with the leading archives, museums and studios, the foundation has saved over 620 films and shown these restorations throughout the world. The Film Foundation created the World Cinema Project (WCP) to focus on the preservation and restoration of neglected films from around the world - particularly those countries lacking the financial and technical infrastructure to preserve their indigenous cinematic history.
WCP will be hosting a workshop at ADFF aimed at raising awareness for the global cause of film preservation and educating filmmakers about the importance of preserving their films. ADFF will work to promote future screenings of films restored by WCP at other festivals in the Arab region and across the globe.
li Al Jabri, Festival Director, said: “Cinema is an international language and ADFF strives to bring about enthusiasm, variety and a celebration of this universal form of expression. We are delighted to be collaborating with WCP to present these landmark films from Armenia and the Philippines as part of our strong commitment towards the global cause of film preservation and restoration. Each film is a cinematic revelation depicting a culture seldom seen by audiences on-screen.”
Two other films celebrating their 50th anniversary this year have also been newly restored and will be shown as part of the Restored Classics during the festival. These include Walt Disney’s celebrated musical Mary Poppins starring Julie Andrews and Richard Lester’s acclaimed rock n’ roll musical A Hard Day’s Night, starring The Beatles.
