Middle East Film and Comic Con is almost upon us once again. The forth edition is set to open its doors this Thursday, April 9 and will run through April 11 at Dubai World Trade Centre. This year’s roster of celebrity guests, artists and industry experts guarantees to cater to every geek across the Middle East. If guests aren’t enough, there’s also plenty to see and do during the 3-day event guaranteed to leave your inner geek happy. Here are a few highlights of what to see at this year’s edition of MEFCC.
First up, let’s look at this year’s guest lineup. Celebrity guests include actor William Shatner (Star Trek: the Original Series, Boston Legal), actress Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, The Fall), actress Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter, Captain America), Kelly Hu (Arrow, Vampire Diaries), actress Angela Bridges (Baywatch, The Perfect Woman), voice actress Caitlin Glass (Street Fighter IV), actor Sam J Jones (Code Red, The A-Team), writer and director Max Landis (Me Him Her, American Ultra), voice actor Vic Mignogna (Full Metal Alchemist, StreetFighter II), voice actor Bryce Papenbrook (Attack on Titan, Sword Art Online) and sword master extraordinaire Miltos Yerolemou (Game of Thrones).
International artists include Masami Suda, Andy Suriano, Mahmud Asrar, Jonathan Bolerjack, Claudio Castellini, Matt Hawkins, Tula Lotay, Denis Medri, Livio Ramondelli, Mark Sable, Charles Soule, Skan Srisuwan, Des Taylor, Long Vo and Wesley Zhang (ZZYZZY). Industry guests this year include Sohaib Awan, Steven Cheak, Michael Ferrara, Jess Gomez, Riyaana Hartley, Bob Hoffman, Narain Jashanmal, Vanessa Joyce, Tanya Jhoury, Charles Kriel, Jesse Norton, Kan Supabanpot, Tommy Tallarico, Yannick Theler, Vincent Tran, Yuji Ueda as well as Kuo Yu Liang. For photo and autograph sessions schedule, check here.
Other than getting an autograph and taking a picture with your favourite actor and mingling with fellow fans; indulging in a bit of cosplay competition, or taking part in the Geek Karaoke or quiz on the main stage; interacting with celebrity guests during the Q and A panels that have been the norm at film and comic conventions worldwide, what else can be expected at MEFCC2015 specifically? Well…
Batman fans, you might want to pay attention here and feast your eyes on the Tumbler Replica, inspired by Batman Begins. The vehicle will be displayed at MEFCC and fans can can have a seat inside, snap a few photos and see the Tumbler in all its glory. If you have a spare million dollars laying around you can own the road-worthy and street-legal vehicle that seats two and comes with CD/DVD as well as iPod integration for all your…ehrm…crime-fighting needs.
How’re your sword fighting skills? Have you ever wanted to learn how to use a sword (it’s more complicated than “pointy end goes into the other man”), this may be your chance. Miltos Yerolemou will host a sword fighting masterclass on Friday and Saturday. What better way to start your sword-wielding education than by getting some tips from Syrio Forel, the man who taught Game of Thrones’ Arya Stark how to wield a blade? Places are limited, so be sure to get there early on 10th and 11th April.
Tabletop gaming is not a dying art, just the opposite! MEFCC is celebrating International Tabletop Day on April 11th, so drop by on Saturday to play some good ol’ board and card games or learn how to play some new ones. Whether you’re a fan of tabletop gaming, or completely new to it, it’s worth to drop by and check out games such as Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, Magic The Gathering and lots more. Who knows, maybe you’ll walk away wanting to play more and get involved with the Gulf RolePlaying Community. Bonus: ever wanted to pilot a classic T65 X-Wing and battle it out against the Empire? You can do that at MEFCC in their giant-scale Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game!
Speaking of gaming, MEFCC has the GameZone, a place guaranteed to be heaven for gamers of all kinds. Visitors can get their chance to check out the Virtual Reality Oculus Rift set and play a bunch of new and upcoming games including Witcher 3, Mortal Kombat X, Hobbit Battle of the Five Armies, Big Hero 6, Borderlands and loads more. For fans of the classics, there’s a retro gaming section too. Check it out, even if it’s just to see how far game graphics and design has gone.
If you haven’t gotten your MEFCC tickets yet, you can still do so here or head over to your nearest Virgin Megastore, they’ll cost more at the door. Don’t forget to bring plenty of cash with you as there’l be a lot of chances to buy action figures, toys, games, merchandise, original and exclusive art and all things geeky that may otherwise be tricky to find across the UAE.
Is there anything in particular you’re looking forward to at Middle East Film and Comic Con this year? Let us know! See you there!
