On Oct. 23, Emirates Palace Hotel hosted the kickoff event for the eighth Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Award-winning Emirati director Ali Mostafa opened the festival with his film "From A to B."

Since its inception in 2007, when it was known as Middle East International Film Festival, the event has aimed to promote the local filmmaking industry and place the region’s artists on the international radar. Eight editions later, this year’s ADFF opened its screens with an Emirati produced film for the first time.

“From A to B” follows the adventures of three men who set out on a tumultuous road trip from Abu Dhabi to Beirut in order to honor their deceased friend. The men run into a series of obstacles as they travel through the sometimes turbulent region that is the Middle East, being kidnapped by Syrian rebels and imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, which, at times, provides a comedic edge to the film while acknowledging the unstable situation of its backdrop

The Emirati film industry is a relatively new phenomenon. As citizens of a comparatively young country, Emirati filmmakers and artists in general have created a national identity through films that are available to global as well as local audiences.

ADFF has facilitated this process for Emirati artists. “From A to B” was fully produced with funding from Abu Dhabi based institutions twofour54 and Imagine Nation.

Mostafa commented to Saudi news organisation Al Arabiya, “[The film] is a testament to our growing industry, as the festival has proven to be a great platform for showing Arab films to an international audience.”

To complement the film screenings there will be a series of public events featuring panelists, filmmakers and producers entitled "ADFF Talks FIm." On Oct. 24, during a talk called “From A to B — The ‘A to Z’ of Making an Emirati Feature Film” Mostafa discussed the process of making a full-length film from preproduction to shooting to post production. These events aim to nurture and encourage aspiring filmmakers across the UAE and the world.

A full calendar of the screenings and public events is available on ADFF’s official website. The schedule features a wide selection of UAE and Middle East produced films, as well as the international productions that will be screened throughout the duration of the festival.