But the real stars – four goats - made its grand appearance towards the end of the evening. While the guest including – Eva Mendes, Orlando Bloom, Naomi Watts, Maggie Q – was more than happy to pout and pose, it was the cute goats who won the hearts over.
The reluctant goats with a red bow around their neck, were dragged by the organisers onto the stage just before the start of the closing night gala film, unleashed a riot of laughter.
The humorous episode was a fitting end to the 10-day festival which had a potent mix of serious, light-hearted and dramatic films.
Though movie buffs, who had gathered to watch Grant Heslov’s paranormal comedy Men Who Stare At Goats, secretly hoped that the stars of the movie would turn up as surprise guests, the quirky twist did not go unnoticed.
As MEIFF’s executive director Peter Scarlet puts it: “Since the stars of the closing night gala The Men Who Stare At Goats are busy shooting , why not invite some goats who stare at men?” The closing night gala film is led by the likes George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and Ewan McGregor.
Meanwhile, the red carpet which was rolled out for the stars prior to the goat’s guest appearance, were filled with Hollywood heavy-weights.
Actress Eva Mendez expressed her excitement at her maiden Middle Eastern visit.
“It’s wonderful to be out here. I love the weather and you will see a lot of me from now on,” said Mendes. She was joined by the charming Naomi Watts, the magnificent Maggie Q and the Pirates Of The Caribbean star Orlando Bloom. Arabic industry was adequately represented with an array of glamorous filmmakers and stars. Egyptian heartthrob Khalid Abol Naga was vociferous in waving his approval at this year’s MEIFF.
“There is great amount of Arab presence in the festival this year.
Everyone did a great job and it surpassed all my expectations,” said Khalid. The auteur of Son Of Babylon Mohamed Al Daradji was equally thrilled about the festival. His moving tale about the Kurdish grandmother and her search for her missing son created quite a stir in the festival.
“It’s the first time that Son Of Babylon has been screened publicly and it is amazing that everyone enjoyed it. The public approval is a matter of honour for the entire crew.”
The curtains to the 10-day festival drew to a close with a proverbial bang. A mother-of-all-parties at the palatial Emirates Palace terrace brought the cinematic fest to the finish line with a flourish.
