Cosplay, superheroes and gaming were at the forefront of Middle East Film and Comic Con on its opening day.
Pop culture fans turned out in droves for the start of the three-day event as it returned to Abu Dhabi for the second year in a row at Adnec.
Hollywood stars Matt Smith, May Calamawy, Anthony Daniels and voice actors Christopher Sabat, Zach Aguilar and Paige O’Hara were on hand for meet and greets, fan photos and discussions.
Meanwhile, the Artist Alley was bustling with local and international talents showing off their colourful and crafty artworks for fans to buy.
This included former Studio Ghibli production coordinator Hirokatsu Kihara, Disney animators Mike and Patty Peraza and Marvel and DC comic artist Dominic Glover, among others.
Those hoping to learn also took part in the Creative Academy sessions where artists offered their tips on specific topics, such as an animation focus workshop with Saudi animator and filmmaker Malak Quota, and a live drawing session with visual artist Ken Lashley, who has worked for Marvel and DC.
There was also a Cosplaying 101 workshop for beginners who are interested in the art but unsure of how to start.
As always, cosplay was front and centre with many people showing up to the event in their most creative outfits, such as Emirati film fan Turki Almoalla as the horror villain Pinhead and Sophia Isabel as Scaramouche from the video game Genshin Impact. She wasn’t the only person dressed up as a character from the game, with Rafaela Santos appearing as the character Yae Miko.
Other popular costumes included superheroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Doctor Strange and Loki.
This year's Comic Con also has a gaming tournament where participants can compete and show off their skills in titles such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fifa 23, Rocket League and Fornite. Stations this year include the return of NBA 2K League, which is hosting Malik “Slaughter” Leisinger and Ramo “Ramo” Radoncic over the weekend.
Friends Clara Bourjeily, 13, Sara Hammond, 14, Shamsa Salem, 14, and Celine Sunagatullina, 13, returned for their second Comic Con dressed in cosplay. Clara as Jotaro from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Sara as Hatsune Miku and Shamsa as Asuka Langley from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
“I like attending Middle East Film and Comic Con mostly to hang out with other people. It's more like a fun area to walk around and I really enjoy doing that,” says Sara.
Although Celine didn’t have enough time to show up in cosplay, she was able to shop around in the Artist Alley and pick up retro gaming posters from a local artist. While she knows that sometimes people may not understand the appeal of comic cons, she suggests people give it a try as there are many things to do.
“[Comic Cons] are not nerdy, they're cool,” she says. "Even if you're not an anime fan, there's still Lego events here, there's Batman and Marvel and everything. Even if you're not like a fan of any TV shows, it's still really fun to be here to see all the cosplays.
“There are also events like eating spicy noodles, which I just did. And I started crying on the spot. It’s really nice. There are stalls where you can buy things that you can't find in malls.”
Clara also adds that last year’s Abu Dhabi debut was her first Comic Con and she really enjoys being around other like-minded individuals.
“I decided to come to Comic Con because I really like just like gaming and anime,” she says. “I feel like at Comic Con, I meet a lot of people who have the same interests as me and it's just really fun because I can kind of relate to people that I don't even know.”
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
MATCH INFO
New Zealand 176-8 (20 ovs)
England 155 (19.5 ovs)
New Zealand win by 21 runs
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The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Results
57kg quarter-finals
Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Hamed Al Matari (YEM) by points 3-0.
60kg quarter-finals
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) RSC round 2.
63.5kg quarter-finals
Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Shamlan A Othman (KUW) by points 3-0.
67kg quarter-finals
Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Ahmad Ondash (LBN) by points 2-1.
71kg quarter-finals
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) defeated Lalthasanga Lelhchhun (IND) by points 3-0.
Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Seyed Kaveh Safakhaneh (IRI) by points 3-0.
81kg quarter-finals
Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Ahmad Hilal (PLE) by points 3-0
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
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Naga
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Second Test, Day 2:
South Africa 335 & 75/1 (22.0 ov)
England 205
South Africa lead by 205 runs with 9 wickets remaining
Scoreline
Swansea 2
Grimes 20' (pen), Celina, 29'
Man City 3
Silva 69', Nordfeldt 78' (og), Aguero 88'
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
How they line up for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
3 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4 Max Verstappen, Red Bull
5 Kevin Magnussen, Haas
6 Romain Grosjean, Haas
7 Nico Hulkenberg, Renault
*8 Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
9 Carlos Sainz, Renault
10 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
11 Fernando Alonso, McLaren
12 Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren
13 Sergio Perez, Force India
14 Lance Stroll, Williams
15 Esteban Ocon, Force India
16 Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso
17 Marcus Ericsson, Sauber
18 Charles Leclerc, Sauber
19 Sergey Sirotkin, Williams
20 Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso
* Daniel Ricciardo qualified fifth but had a three-place grid penalty for speeding in red flag conditions during practice
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
THREE
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ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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