The opening night of the Middle East International Film Festival had quite a few surprises for both fashion fans and hardcore movie buffs. Organized and hosted by Abu Dhabi, and currently in its third year, the festival's opening gala last Thursday saw several rising Egyptian stars grace the red carpet along with Oscar winners and A-list celebrities. Fashion, of course, took center stage as it does at any festival opening; and surprisingly, it was the Egyptian stars who stood out. Hend Sabry walked the carpet in a white one-shouldered gown dotted with golden sequins styled in circular orbs. The dress evoked an angelic, ethereal look befitting Sabry who is always elegant, refined and understated in her wardrobe choices. Basma walked with costar Sherif Ramzy and Lebanese actress Cyrine Abdel Nour in a visually complicated yet nevertheless beautiful dress. Composed of a long black lace body, it flowed into a slight train behind her and underneath was a mini dress of sorts. An almost perfect number had the hemline of the mini dress been slightly longer. The effect though with the added beads on the front, satin detail and padding on the shoulders was sophisticated and interesting in theory. Basma attracted a lot of attention for both her smile and fashion choices, but the red shoes would have been better replaced with black to keep the attention on the dress. Hilary Swank walked the red carpet in the only easily identifiable designer dress. Like her Oscar winner compatriot Halle Berry, Swank wore Elie Saab. Although Swank could always pull off particularly demure long-sleeved dresses, and Saab has created outstanding red carpet numbers for dozens of celebrities, this dress was a flop that night. Slightly too big for Swank, the dress made her look like she was playing dress up in her mother's wedding down. It was too complicated for such a petite figure such as Swank's, but her bashful smile and endearing demeanor somewhat suited the childish appearance. Demi Moore as ever, caused quite a stir as she walked down the carpet. Regal and appropriate to her age, Moore wore a black strapless number with just a bit of kick. The dress's slit in the front revealed a golden lining which matched that of her clutch, and a few choice accessories (a diamond ring, cuff and what appeared to be a Bedouin inspired necklace) was perfect for the occasion.
