The celebrities of Abu Dhabi's red carpet

The photographer Fabrice Dall'Anese returns to the Abu Dhabi Film Festival – and to M magazine – for the second time.

The Ides of March star Evan Rachel Wood and friend, shot at Al Asayl Stables.

Nothing says luxury quite like the world of film. The celebs, the clothes, the high life and the glamour. Last week we were treated to a glimpse of this world when the Abu Dhabi Film Festival celebrated its fifth year.

The Marseille-born photographer Fabrice Dall'Anese, who has shot the Venice, Cannes and Rome film festivals for Vanity Fair magazine, has created a sumptuous photo essay for us all to enjoy of the stars who graced the red carpet at this year's Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

Dall'Anese, who has shot some of Hollywood's biggest names, including George Clooney and Scarlett Johansson, says: "What I enjoyed this year was the fact that the people I photographed were linked to the films and not just brought in for their presence. I think this is a sign that the festival is maturing. It really felt like a very eclectic and high-end event. Some of the films, of course, had already premiered at Venice, Cannes or Toronto, which is always a sign of quality."

As Dall'Anese points out, this year's festival was less about big names and more about quality cinema, with a special focus on Swedish films. Highlights that visitors will remember include the magical outdoor screen at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr hotel, as well as the Q-and-A with Marjane Satrapi after the screening of her award-winning film Chicken with Plums, along with the emotionally charged Iranian film A Separation, which had audiences mesmerised.

Dall'Anese, who covered the Abu Dhabi Film Festival for the second time this year, hopes to be back again. "I loved the fact that this festival was like a crossroads of influences from across the world," he says. "It was a bit like an airport. People from all over the globe come in, tell their stories and then go on with their lives. There was a constant flow of influences from the region and outside the region from as far afield as Chile and France. The passion and enthusiasm behind the work screened was almost tangible."