In a region where hospitality and generosity are very much part of the Arab “marhaba”, or welcoming spirit, gifts are common at high-profile events.
The 13th Dubai International Film Festival, which began last Wednesday and runs for eight days, is no exception, with its VIP gift lounge.
Established at the 2012 festival, the space is a luxury retreat for actors, dignitaries and other celebrities. Located within Madinat Jumeirah, it is open from noon until 8pm each day.
“It’s a chill-out space where celebrities can hang out in between their press junkets and red-carpet engagements,” says Katherine Raso, who spearheads the lounge and is the co-founder of Global Communications Agency.
“The concept comes from North America, where every major film festival or awards ceremony – from the Oscars to the Emmys – would have a VIP gift lounge. We worked for a number of years at the Toronto Film Festival before bringing the idea here.”
As high-profile members of the music, film or fashion industries, Raso’s VIP visitors are used to being showered with designer goods. Diff’s stellar line-up of stars can walk away with up to Dh7,000 worth of freebies.
“This year’s list looks great, with the likes of Melanie Griffith, Bill Nighy, Ranveer Singh and Samuel L Jackson attending,” says Raso.
“Some of our favourite Arab stars will be there, too, as well as many we have met over the years, including Hend Sabry, Laila Eloui and Khaled Abol Naga.”
Seventeen brands will be showcased this season, and products are rotated every two years to allow fresh ideas to shine.
One of the new regional inclusion this year is bags by the label Native. The hand-finished pieces, designed and made in the UAE, are crafted from ethically-sourced exotic leathers including python, ostrich and crocodile.
Food always proves popular with gift-lounge visitors, too, and making its debut this month is confectioner Boutique Le Chocolat, which has creating personalised, edible works of art for celebrities.
“There’s also Balqees Honey from Yemen, which is an all-natural product in a variety of flavours,” says Raso. “The benefits of honey are much talked about by health practitioners and gurus, and Balqees already has a fan in Elle Macpherson.”
Statement jewels are synonymous with film premières, and The O Jewelry in Abu Dhabi will try to tempt ladies with its selection of 18 -carat-gold designs, set with diamonds and precious stones.
Cate Blanchett discovered visual artist Shamsa Al Omaira’s brand when she attended Diff in 2012 and 2013, and visited her boutique to buy more items.
This year, Diff’s VIP lounge will also host Shamma Medical Center, to ensure everyone looks picture-perfect and ready for their close-up.
“What can we say?” says Raso. “There’s Botox and mesotherapy – just in time for [the] red carpet.”
After a jam-packed week of press conferences, screenings, gala dinners and high-profile Diff parties, the celebrities will no doubt be in need of a little rest and relaxation. Catering to their every whim, the lounge has just the thing, in the form of an exclusive seven-night hotel stay.
“Jumeirah Holidays will be offering celebrities the chance to be among the first guests to stay at the newly opened Jumeirah Al Naseem resort,” says Raso.
She always focuses on local and regional companies when curating the gift areas for the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and Diff, and is acutely aware of the commercial power of celebrity endorsement.
“The coverage linked to celebrities is worth quite a bit and now, with social media, you have situations where celebrities are posting their own images from the lounge,” she says.
“For example, when Priyanka Chopra posted some images of different brands from our lounge, the shots reached about seven million followers, clocking up 76,000 likes in just 24 hours.”
Over the past four years, the GCA team has had the opportunity to get to know a few stars of stage and screen a little better – especially those who choose to visit the lounge more than once during their Dubai trip.
“American actor and singer Terrence Howard came to the lounge every day as it was his escape from [the] hustle and bustle,” says Raso.
“Then there was actor Michael B Jordan, and all of his crew, who came and basically took over the lounge. They left with new suits, new nails and even a skydiving session.
"And there was also actor Richard Dreyfuss, who told us long tales about all of his experiences on-set in the movie Jaws. Wrestling with a fake shark did not sound like fun."
• Diff runs until December 14 in the Madinat Arena, Madinat Theatre, Vox Cinemas Mall of the Emirates and The Beach, JBR, Dubai. Tickets cost from Dh30. For more information, visit www.dubaifilmfest.com
rduane@thenational.ae
