This Week In Dubai: Jaden and Willow Smith, Star Trek Casting Call

Dubai Summer Surprises continues in all of its’ splendor, this week with Jaden and Willow Smith having performed in the city. Additionally, thousands of people turned out for a casting call for the film Star Trek Beyond, while Showcase Gallery continued its exhibition of work by James Harvey and Zimbabwean artists Chimuti, Pepa, and Dombo.

Jaden and Willow Smith

Photo Credit: Visit Dubai

Jaden and Willow Smith, the son and daughter of award-winning actors Will and Jada Smith, performed live at The Dubai Ball on Thursday night. The National interviewed the two teenagers, reporting that the duo is hoping to make a movie in the UAE. In fact, they’re keeping quite busy with plans for three music albums in addition to the movie and their work on their fashion brand.

Jaden and Willow Smith will also be showing off their new MSFTS fashion brand at the Dubai Summer Surprises Kids Fashion Fest on Saturday.

Star Trek Beyond Casting Call

Thousands of hopeful people showed up at Dubai Studio City this week to try out for a role on Star Trek Beyond. The movie is scheduled to start shooting next month in and around Dubai, although not many details about it have been released. The three-day casting call lasted Tuesday through Thursday, with those auditioning fans lining up on Tuesday around 9 a.m., even though the session didn’t start until 2 p.m., according to The National.

Submersion Series 1 at Showcase Gallery

Showcase Gallery continued hosting Submersion Series 1, an exhibition featuring photos by James Harvey. Harvey uses his lens to catch the emotions and reactions which come to the surface when people interact with water. Harvey’s work is on display through the end of the month.

Photo Credit: Showcase Gallery

Also at Showcase right now are pieces by three artists from Zimbabwe. Using wood, paper, and stone, Chimuti (Holly Hudson), Pepa (Helen Teede), and Dombo (Leonard Sezhendo) explore various topics. Hudson’s pieces are mirror frames called “Through the Looking Glass and featuring hand-carved wood showing the bark and also the interior grain of the wood. Her inspiration was Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Teede explored the essay “Scribble (writing power)” by Jacques Derrida using mixed media, and Sezhendo focuses on family bonds through his sculptures.