Third META Cinema Forum to screen at Vox Cinemas

Now in its 3rd edition, META Cinema Forum is the biggest cinema convention covering the Middle East and African markets. After signing an agreement with the Pan African Film Consortium, the MENA Cinema Forum is now rebranded as META Cinema Forum, inclusive of the Middle East and the entire African continent.

The forum takes place on Oct. 27 and 28 and is set to be one of the only annual events for the cinema industry in 2020 as most global conventions were canceled as a result of the pandemic and will be executed in a hybrid format. The forum will give delegates the option between attending physically at Vox Cinemas, Mall of the Emirates and Sheraton Hotel, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, or alternatively delegates can attend virtually from the comfort of their home or offices across the globe via video conferencing technology.

“The cinema industry has been among the most impacted sectors by the pandemic, but if the $54 million box office sales of Tenet, the first blockbuster release since the pandemic, in its opening week at select international markets has proven anything, is that moviegoing is a habit we do not wish to kick, and that passion for movies and cinema as a form of accessible entertainment is here to stay,” said Leila Masinaei, META Cinema Forum Conference director and managing partner of Great Minds Event Management.

“Therefore, in close coordination with the major global stakeholders, we came up with a true hybrid event, the first of its kind in the world for the cinema industry, to facilitate collaborations that are required to help with the recovery. The event will highlight the plan for projects in the region, the recovery phase for the cinema industry, and content diversification as key critical elements.”

The forum includes a one-day, knowledge-packed conference, select slate presentations of upcoming content and films from leading Hollywood and international studios, a live META Cinema Projects Insight session with the most senior cinema leaders in the region and rounded off with a networking after-event reception.

Cameron Mitchell, CEO of Majid Al-Futtaim Cinemas and Majid Al-Futtaim Leisure and Entertainment, said: “At Vox Cinemas, we remain fundamentally confident about the future and resilience of the cinema industry, which has weathered many societal storms and survived more than a century of challenges ... We have witnessed a significant increase in our box office following the first wave of new releases and, with a backlog of blockbusters about to light up our screens regionally, cinema is set for a major comeback.”

The third edition is officially supported by some of the biggest cinema operators in the Middle East including Vox Cinemas, Novo Cinemas, Cinépolis Cinemas, and AMC Cinemas.