The tabbies at DTTF

Shorn of glitz and glamorous stars (barring the fleeting appearance of Robert De Niro), the Doha Tribeca Film Festival was all business from the word go.

Marty (Martin Scorsese) and Bob (De Niro) were the kingpins of the festival, but tabloid! is tempted to hand out a few awards too:

Most Accessible Star — Sir Ben Kingsley

The DTFF is a four-day festival, but we spotted him more than five times during that period. Charming as ever, Kingsley was everywhere. The recipient of the Doha 21st Century Leaders Awads made celeb-spotting easy.

Most Lovable Filmmaker — Mira Nair

Her opening night film, Amelia, is set in the soaring skies, but the award-winning filmmaker was down-to-earth personified. Polite as ever, she lived up to her reputation of being a people person.

Most Cheeky Star — Abhay Deol

"I think you should get a better video camera," was his response to our request for a videoclip. Naturally my attempt at explaining the difference between GN online videos and broadcast television was met with a bemused look. Who said actors need to be fast on the uptake?

Best Director At Flight-Risk — Martin Scorsese

"I have a flight to catch to LA," was his oft repeated phrase as he addressed the panel discussion on short films. But his toothy smile negated it all.