Abu Dhabi Film Festival diary, day 6

Behind the scenes with the festival stars.

Lily Cole stars in The Moth Diaries.

Those who might like a taste of the film festival experience without leaving home could do worse than simply dress up in a fancy outfit, run a red carpet beside the sofa and set a camera flash to go off in their face every three seconds. OSN has teamed up with the festival to show the cream of the crop of short films that have been screened at the festival over the years. The shorts are being shown every Thursday and Friday evening at 8pm on OSN Movies Festival, followed by a double-bill of feature-length films.

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The festival's VIP gift room, where well-known people (and even people you probably don't recognise) can go and get stuff for nothing, has a very structured approach: the more famous you are, the more you can have. Most visitors left happy with the contents of their goodie bag(s), but one individual was so angry at not making the top tier (and no, you probably wouldn't be able to put a name to the face), that he (or she) phoned up later to complain about not receiving a free BlackBerry PlayBook like the top level A-listers. The word "spoilt" springs to mind.

But the lounge did come to one attendee's aid. Our sources reveal that while Topher Grace arrived safe and sound in Abu Dhabi, his luggage didn't, and the actor visited the lounge seeking help in finding something to wear.

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Todd Solondz might not be the first person you'd expect to break into song, his films touching on the somewhat less joyous aspects of life. But after he said that as a child he would sing along to The Sound of Music, one member of his masterclass audience at the Fairmont asked if he might like to give a quick rendition. Happily, the US director declined. "One of the things I love about getting old is that you're not so deluded," he said.

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Lily Cole, the red-haired British model-turned-actress who has been in the capital for the Middle East premiere of the Gothic tale The Moth Diaries, now plans to focus her energy on films. "I haven't been modelling for the last four to five years. Right now, I'm doing a film in London, so we'll see what happens with that." Cole plans to draw on the history of art degree she earned from Cambridge University, having graduated in June.

"For me, art is art, you know? Whether it's paintings, or books or films. Having studied art, I really know that I want to do this for the rest of my life. Even though I might not need my degree for the purpose of a CV, I can at least bring what I've learnt with me," she said.

* Saeed Saeed, Alex Ritman and Mary Louise Olson