Middle East Film and Comic Con

The Middle East Film & Comic Con (commonly referred to as MEFCC) is a speculative fiction convention held annually in the United Arab Emirates.

Middle East Film & Comic Con
StatusActive
GenreSpeculative fiction
VenueAbu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
Location(s)Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Coordinates24°25′10.34″N 54°26′9.29″E
CountryUnited Arab Emirates
Inaugurated2012 (2012)
Most recentMarch 3, 2023 (2023-03-03)
Next eventFebruary 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)
Attendance35,000 visitors in 2023 [1]
Organized byInforma Connect[2]
Filing statusFor-profit
WebsiteMiddle East Film & Comic Con

Inaugurated in 2012, it is the first & largest pop culture convention in the Middle East.[3] In the first few years, MEFCC was held at the World Trade Centre and other venues across Dubai, moving to Abu Dhabi for its most recent editions in 2022 and 2023.[4] In March 2023, it was announced that the twelfth edition of the MEFCC would be held in February 2024.[5]

MEFCC show floor for 2023

History

The convention was founded in April 2012 by the Dubai-based events management and communications agency ExtraCake PRA and T he Alliance. In 2018, Informa. took over operations of the event.[6] The 2022 and 2023 editions were held by Informa with the support of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.[7]

The 2023 edition of MEFCC saw record-breaking numbers, with over 35,000 visitors attending the three-day festival[8] held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

Events and Attractions

Focusing on comic books, science fiction, fantasy, film and television in the initial years, MEFCC has expanded over the years to include more niches within popular arts and culture including animation, anime, manga, video games, webcomics and fantasy fiction. Toys, merchandise and collectibles are also a key attraction at the convention.

MEFCC features activities for different interests and age groups. These include the Creative Academy which has comics, art and craft workshops, and Cine Club, which screens movies and Meet the Stars which offers fans the opportunity to meet celebrities and take photographs or autographs with them.[9] Also at the event is Cosplay Central, a zone exclusively for cosplayers. MEFCC hosts a popular Cosplay Competition where participants dress up as their favorite characters and perform for a large crowd.[10]

Craftsmanship Cosplayer winner for 2023

The festival houses the Artist Alley,[11] which gives up-and-coming local artists a platform to display and sell their pop culture creations. In addition, the International Artist Alley showcases global creators who have played an influential role in the world of comics, manga and the arts through their specialized skills in sketching, animation, editing, storytelling, fan art and animation.  

MEFCC also has a dedicated Gaming Arena which has held tournaments ranging from PUBG, FIFA, CS:GO, Valorant, Fortnite and Tekken. In 2022, a prize money pool of approximately AED 30,000 was available to contestants.[12]

Other facilities at the venue include the Festival Plaza, an entertainment and relaxation zone with food trucks, where fans can enjoy music and dance performances, and other forms of entertainment.

Meet the Star Zone for 2023

Celebrities at MEFCC

Since inception, MEFCC has hosted many stars from popular film and television franchises including Jason Momoa, Hayden Christensen, Andy Serkis, Zachery Levi, David Harbour, Matt Smith, Karl Urban, Giancarlo Esposito, Charlie Cox, Anthony Mackie, Nathalie Emmanuel, Michael Rooker & May Calamawy. A more detailed list of celebrity guests is included in the table below.

Location and Dates
Dates Convention Name Location Guests Notes
April 20–21, 2012 Middle East Film and Comic ConDubai International Marine Club, Mina Seyahi HallJason Momoa, Laurie Holden, John Rhys-Davies, Luciana Carro, Mark Sheppard, Alodia Gosiengfiao, Sonia Leong, Ashraf Ghori
Photograph of a crowd, with some banners and stands in the background and some people in comstumes.
People at the 2012 convention.
April 5–6, 2013 Middle East Film and Comic ConDubai International Marine Club, Mina Seyahi HallSean Astin, Alan Tudyk, Warwick Davis, Ioan Gruffudd, Manu Bennett, Max Landis, Yuri Lowenthal, Tara Platt, Ashraf Ghoriover 20,000 fans from across the region in attendance [13]
April 3–5, 2014 Middle East Film and Comic ConDubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre building, Dubai World Trade CentreSeth Green, Taylor Kitsch, Michael Jai White, Giancarlo Esposito, Tony Jaa, Christopher Sabat, Max Landis, Sylvester McCoy, Ashraf Ghori
April 9–11, 2015 Middle East Film and Comic ConDubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre building, Dubai World Trade CentreGillian Anderson, Hayley Atwell, William Shatner, Angelica Bridges, Caitlin Glass, Kelly Hu, Sam J Jones, Max Landis, Vic Mignogna, Bryce Papenbrook, Clive Standen, Miltos Yerolemou, Mitsuhisa Ishikawaan attendance of over 50,000
April 6–8, 2016 Middle East Film and Comic ConDubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre building, Dubai World Trade CentreStan Lee via live video, Veronica Taylor, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Summer Glau, Christopher Lloyd, Nick Frost, Fabian Nicieza, Kevin Eastman, Alodia Gosiengfiao, Whilce Portacio
April 6–8, 2017 Middle East Film and Comic ConDubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre building, Dubai World Trade CentreAnthony Mackie, Liam Cunningham, Josh McDermitt, Greg Grunberg, Chad Hardin, Nicole Marie Jean, Linda Le, Kevin Smith, Kane, Faisal Al Hashmi, Mustafa Abbas, Reshel Shah Kapoor
April 5–7, 2018 Middle East Film and Comic ConDubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre building, Dubai World Trade CentreEzra Miller, Jenna Coleman, Kristian Nairn, Karl Urban, Jason David Frank, Ray Chase, Tom Cook, Robbie Daymond, Alodia Gosiengfiao, Adam Kubert, Stu Levy, Yishan Li, Max Mittelman, Tsuyoshi Nonaka, Phil Ortiz, Arthur Suydam, Long VoFirst event by Informa
April 11–13, 2019 Middle East Film and Comic ConDubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre building, Dubai World Trade CentreZachary Levi, Benedict Wong, Tara Strong, Iwan Rheon, Katie Cassidy, Ross Marquand, William Simpson, David Finch, Mitsuhiro Arita, Sana Takeda, Simon Bisley, David Angelo Roman, James Mulligan, Simone Di Meo, Kai Green, Alodia Gosiengfiao, Cavin Lam
March 5–7, 2020 Middle East Film and Comic Con Dubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre building, Dubai World Trade Centre Mena Massoud, Brandon Routh, Elodie Yung, John Rhys Davies, Joseph David Jones, Sam De La Rosa, Philo Barnhart, Mostafa Moussa, Jeremy Clark, Michael Watkins, Rags Morales, Rodney Ramos, Georges Janty, Emanuela Lupacchino, Rei Suzuki Cosplay, Kaoru Lily Cosplay
March 4–6, 2022 Middle East Film and Comic Con Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi Charlie Cox, Barry Keoghan, Michael Rooker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ming Na Wen, Kevin Conroy, Sean Schemmel, Charles Martinet, Hirokatsu Kihara, Rob Liefeld, Rob Paulsen, Townsend Coleman, Cam Clarke, David Nakayama, Mark Brooks, Reilly Brown, Creees Lee, Leon Chiro, Sakura Flor, Majed Cosplay First time the event is in Abu Dhabi
March 3 – 5, 2023 Middle East Film and Comic Con Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi Zach Aguilar, Jamie Campbell Bower, May Calamawy, Greg Capullo, Hayden Christensen, Anthony Daniels, David Harbour, Hirokatsu Kihara, Ken Lashley, James C. Mulligan, Paige O'Hara, Ryan Ottley, Mike Peraza, Patty Peraza, Reika, David Angelo Roman, Christopher Sabat, Andy Serkis, Matt Smith, and Long Vo Attendance of over 35,000

References
  1. "Middle East Film & Comic Con records 35,000 visitors in 2023 edition". Broad Cast Pro.
  2. "Informa.com - About Us". Informa PLC.
  3. Bustani, Hareth Al (2022-10-06). "Middle East Film and Comic Con returns to Abu Dhabi for a second time in March". The National. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  4. "Everything you need to know about Comic Con this weekend". What's On. 2023-03-03. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  5. "Middle East Film and Comic Con Welcomes Record-Breaking 35,000 Visitors for 2023 Edition - Middle East Events". 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  6. "Middle East Film and Comic Con 2018 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  7. "Abu Dhabi Set to Thrill Film and Comic Fans Across the Region in 2022 with Awesome Middle East Film & Comic Con". www.mediaoffice.abudhabi. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  8. Release, Press. "Middle East Film and Comic Con welcomes record-breaking 35,000 visitors for 2023 edition". www.zawya.com. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  9. Staff Reporter (2023-03-23). "Middle East Film & Comic Con records 35,000 visitors in 2023 edition". BroadcastPro ME. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  10. Lau, Evelyn (2022-03-06). "Cosplayers take over Abu Dhabi's Middle East Film & Comic Con 2022". The National. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  11. Jalal, Maan (Mar 2, 2023). "As Comic Con returns to Abu Dhabi, here's what to know — from celebrities to cosplay". The National. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  12. Barretto, Jennifer (2023-03-03). "MEFCC 2022: Your ultimate guide to the pop culture event". Gulf News. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  13. "Ewoks, Batmen and Ninja Turtles wouldn't be seen anywhere else than Dubai - The National".
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