Photos: The Red Carpet at the Dubai International Film Festival's Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the 9th Dubai International Film Festival brought out all the stars of the Arab world and beyond last night. Celebrating the launch of this year's festival in their finest attire, tens of celebrities walked the red carpet, including Cate Blanchett, Freida Pinto, and the creators behind "Life of Pi," who were smiling wider than usual that night, as their film's screening opened the annual festival.

Earlier this month, many Egyptian stars boycotted the recently wrapped Cairo International Film Festival for political reasons. In Dubai, this was not the case. Many Egyptian actors showed up, including Ragaa El Gedawi, wearing a lovely floral gown, who said that she decided to attend not in spite of but because of current events in Egypt, in order to get a break from the gloom.

Sahir Abdel Qader, head of Cairo's film festival, attended the opening night, as well as Hani Ramzy, who made a lot of pit stops on the red carpet to greet fans and press. Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, alongside his wife, TV presenter Bousy Shalaby, walked the red carpet, having been presented the festival's lifetime achievement award.

Superstar Hassan Hosny, actress Nermen El Fiqi, director Ahmed Shafik and actress Sherine also walked the red carpet, pausing for the photographers and short interviews. After Sherine came the crowd-pleasing Ameer Karara and Shereen Adel.

Representing Lebanon at the event were singer Walid Tawfik and the beautiful Cyrine Abd Elnour, who undeniably stood out among her colleagues on the red carpet.