Star Academy Arab World to perform at Tropfest Arabia

Tropfest Arabia announced that stars from season eight of Star Academy Arab World, one of the region’s most popular reality TV shows, will perform at the short film festival taking place on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi on November 4, 2011.

Star Academy Arab World is the Arabic adaptation of the French television show Star Academy. Since its launch in 2003, the pan Arab reality TV show has become a massive hit across the region and shares the goal of supporting emerging Arabic talent with Tropfest Arabia.

 As part of the musical addition to the film line-up are performances by various Star Academy season eight favourites including the Lebanese Franco-Armenian Artist Gilbert Simon, Palestinian Lian Bazlamit known for her popular song Laylat, and Egyptian Nesma Mahghoub who trained at the age of ten at the Children’s Choir of the Cairo Opera House under the leadership of the Maestro Selim Sahab. Joining them will be Egyptian super star Ahmed Ezzat, who is best known for the beauty of his voice and unbeatable stage presence, Tunisian Oumayma Taleb and Syrian Sarah Farah.

In its inaugural year, Tropfest Arabia has received short film submissions of exceptionally high standard from across the Arab world, from Iraq to the UAE, Oman to Egypt. The films have been shortlisted by John Polson, founder of Tropfest, and Ahmed Helmy, co-director of Tropfest Arabia.

The 12 finalists will be premiered and publicly screened or the first time in front of celebrity judges and the audience on the night. The judging panel includes leading UAE film director Nayla Al Khaja; Saudi film maker and actress, Ahd, and the director Mamdouh Salem; Lebanese film maker and actress, Nadine Labaki; co-founder and director of Lebanese web series Shankaboot, Amin Dora; Egyptian producer and scriptwriter, Mohammed Hefzy and Tropfest Australia 2011 winner, Damon Gameau.