Volunteering at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival this year was a first for me and I want to recount my experience here as a guide for others who want to participate next year. Being part of such a big event was beyond amazing and also to be one the hundreds of school and university student volunteers from all over Abu Dhabi.
The first thing we did was attend an orientation at twofour54 to get a sense of what each volunteer department involved and what we would be required to do. Next, we waited anxiously for the shifts to be posted on the volunteer website. Choosing shifts was key as it had to match our existing schedules and there were only a certain number of volunteers required per shift, so we had to reserve spots for the timings and places we wanted. Volunteers could work either at the Emirates Palace or Marina Mall since these were the two places that were screening movies and hosting the festival events. There were events happening at both venues simultaneously and all the way till midnight for the entire festival! This made choosing shifts hard as I could only be at one place at a time. In the hope of spotting a celebrity or two I chose shifts at the Emirate Palace.
I then realized that booking shifts was the easy part and the real work would begin. We were given sleek black t-shirts and official badges, that we could not go anywhere without (that gave me an immense feeling of professionalism). Working in Emirates Palace, I could feel the excitement and energy as the entire place was buzzing with chit chat, flashing cameras and a celebrity every now and then. Opening night was the definitely the best night for me; I got lucky enough to be placed on the red carpet and greet guests as they entered, and even though it was hot and sticky welcoming the celebrities made it all worth it! After standing and greeting guests for three hours, I made my way to the volunteer office where we got to hang out during our breaks. The next big night for me was volunteering at the award ceremony, and this was because of the celebrities and members of press that I was able to meet and talk to.
If there’s anybody that deserves special thanks it would be Bianca Arkeen, Head of Volunteer Department, at the festival. It was an honour working with her especially since she was the reason behind the successful organizing and placing of each volunteer. The Abu Dhabi Film Festival will always be a special memory for me as it brings together local and international press and stars. And we met so many of them on the red carpet in the capital.
By Alia Yousseff
