For most people working at the Dubai International Film Festival this year, there were not one, but two festivals taking place. Such was the frenzy around the Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol world premiere, with Dubai hosting a junket for international press just days before the stars - Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Anil Kapoor, Paula Patton - took to the red carpet, that by the time the credits rolled, many felt that that was it.
But it wasn't, and MI4 - for all the (often-justified) hype - was just one of 171 films that have screened since last Thursday, films that have crossed various spectrums of emotions and cultures. We've had opportunities to laugh out loud, thanks to Kermit and co in The Muppets movie; to reflect on one of the most important regional figures of our time, with the outstanding documentary The Price of Kings - Yasser Arafat; to engage in a little Academy Award rumour mongering, with Alexander Payne's acclaimed family drama The Descendants, and Michelle Williams's turn as the screen siren in My Week With Marilyn. There's even been the chance for a little toe-tapping, with the nightly outdoor musical screenings by The Walk on the JBR beach.
Special attention this year was given to the cinema of Germany, with a good selection of titles in the scheduling and at least one notable attendee. At the gala screening of Three Quarter Moon, about a bad-tempered taxi driver who learns to cherish life again, Werner Herzog, credited with boosting the German film industry in the 1970s, was awarded a lifetime achievement award.
"Dubai is a dream invented by a poet; it is a poetry that all of a sudden materialises," said the illustrious filmmaker, whose latest documentary Into the Abyss was screened on Wednesday.
Closer to home, another lifetime achievement award went to the Egyptian acting titan Gamil Rateb, dedicating his award to those who died in his country's recent revolution.
"It is a very important event for Egypt, and all Arab countries," said the veteran, who famously appeared alongside Omar Sharif in Lawrence of Arabia.
While they may not attract the same headlines, the festival's biggest achievements often lie behind the scenes, linking regional filmmakers to producers and financing, while also providing a platform for emerging talent.
At this year's Film Connection awards, numerous projects were handed the funds to help get them off the ground. Among the winners was the Palestinian thriller Eyes of a Thief, the forthcoming second feature from the director of Pomegranates and Myrrh, Najwa Najjar, which received US$25,000 (Dh91,813) from the festival's own purse. Poetically, Pomegranates and Myrrh - which went on to win numerous awards around the world - received its world premiere in Dubai in 2008.
"I hope we can start filming in the summer," said Najjar.
Financing was also distributed to regional filmmakers looking for support to help finish their projects, with the festival's Enjaaz post-production funding of up to $100,000 awarded to five new Arab films. Although the programme was only launched in 2009, testaments to its success lay in the 14 Enjaaz-funded films jostling for space in this year's festival schedule.
"We're delighted that earlier Enjaaz-supported projects are now screening at DIFF," said Shivani Pandya, the festival's managing director.
Supporting a film project from start to completion is one thing, but a concern often levied on local cinema is the lack of distribution, with regional productions not given the opportunity to find an audience.
To fill this void, a new initiative was launched at the festival offering a financial incentive to distributors who pick up Arabic films from the programme and ensure their release within a year.
With up to $60,000 in prize money available, it's likely next year's festival will feature numerous award candidates. The efforts of local festivals such as DIFF to promote regional films were noted at a panel talk featuring Emirati filmmakers.
"I don't expect DIFF to do any more than what they're doing," said Mohamad Hassan, who wrote the script for Sea Shadow, Nawaf Al-Janahi's Emirati feature which premiered at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival in October. "As a filmmaker, it's down to you, your drive and your passion."
Noujoum Al Ghanem, whose 2010 film Hamama took the special Jury Prize at last year's event, said that there shouldn't be a ceiling on possible avenues for help.
"But without film festivals, the view of filmmaking through the media wouldn't be where it is now."
With the eighth edition of the festival now having drawn to a close, the next 12 months should see a flurry of activity from those who have benefited from its offerings.
And with Herzog - and even Tom Cruise himself - hinting at possible future film activity in the emirate, DIFF 2012 could see just as much mayhem as the festival did this year.
