The big-name stars attending Diff 2016

Samuel L Jackson, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Hemsworth, and Andie MacDowell are amongst the clutch of celebrities attending the glitzy event.

Samuel L Jackson will be taking part in an In Conversation session on Friday December 9. Anthony Harvey / Getty Images

The red-carpet gala events at Diff are always big favourites with fans, with eager autograph hunters gathering hours in advance hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars before the movie starts.

In addition, personal appearances by celebrities talking about their work are also incredibly popular.

This year's guest list is headlined by Hollywood legend Samuel L Jackson (Pulp Fiction, The Avengers), who will be taking part in an In Conversation session on Friday. He will also receive a Diff Lifetime Achievement Award, as will reclusive Bollywood actress Rekha, and multi-award-winning French-Lebanese composer Gabriel Yared.

Other guests taking part in public discussions or appearing at gala screenings of their films include British actor Bill Nighy (Underworld, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), who will be promoting his new film, Their Finest, a romantic comedy-drama set during the Second World War, which also stars Gemma Arterton and Richard E Grant.

Westworld stars Jeffrey Wright and Luke Hemsworth will be talking about the critically acclaimed HBO sci-fi drama. Also appearing will be Andie MacDowell (Groundhog Day, Footloose), Melanie Griffith (Working Girl), Will Poulter (Maze Runner, The Revenant) and former Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, who returns to host her annual charity gala at Diff.

Arabic celebrities are always well represented, particularly when their films have a gala screening or premiere. So expect to see cast members from Solitaire and The Preacher walking the red carpet, as well as the cast and crew of The Worthy, the only Emirati film that will get a gala at Madinat Arena this year.

Bollywood celebrities love a glitzy occasion, too, so with the world premiere of Befikre on Friday, we could see director Aditya Chopra and some of the cast, including Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor.

If you cannot make it to the red carpet to see your favourite stars, you can keep tabs on the celebrities on TV. Local broadcaster OSN has announced that the E! Entertainment channel will be producing its first-ever locally produced show from this year’s festival.

E! Beyond the Red Carpet: Dubai International Film Festival will be hosted by regular E! host Giuliana Rancic, who will appear alongside local co-hosts and share all the latest news and gossip.

• Beyond the Red Carpet will premiere on E! (OSN channel 213) at 10pm on Monday