The Middle East Film and Comic Con, which returns to Dubai World Trade Centre this weekend, turns six this year, which makes it something of an elder statesman of the local pop-culture calendar.
It has gone from strength to strength in the past five years, attracting ever more impressive and high-profile guests.
In the past two years alone, the line-up included Star Trek legend William Shatner, X-Files star Gillian Anderson, Back to the Future’s Christopher Lloyd and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays Jamie Lannister in Game of Thrones.
In fact, the event has perhaps become a victim of its own rapid growth and success – when the guests for this year’s event were announced, there was something of a social-media backlash over a perceived dip in star power.
There was particular criticism for what some saw as an over-promotion of “internet celebrities” whose sole contribution to the pop-cultural melting pot is seen by many as an ability to attract followers on Instagram or Snapchat.
The organisers have clearly been listening. Over the weekend they announced some major last-minute additions to their line-up:Kevin Smith, Clerks and Chasing Amy director, podcast presenter and comic-store owner, who will appear in a live video link; actor Anthony Mackie, who plays Falcon in The Avengers and Captain America movies; and WWE wrestler Kane.
These additions should help ease some of the criticisms, but MEFCC co-founder Arafaat Ali Khan is not disheartened by the outcry. He is proud of the line-up, which also includes two key stars from two of the highest-rated TV shows, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.
“Looking at the whole picture, guests, activities and everything, I’m really happy with the list,” he says of this year’s event.
"If you compare it with other years, all right, I'll grant you that 2015 was a special year, with William Shatner, Gillian Anderson and [Marvel's Agent Carter star] Hayley Atwell all in the same year – but this year more than holds its own."
Timing is everything when it comes to securing big-name guest stars.
“We just got lucky in 2015 that those people were available,” says Ali Khan.
“People don’t realise that availability is a major factor. They’re really busy people. Last year we had Nikolaj, Christopher Lloyd and Nick Frost, Spaced and Shaun of the Dead star .
“This year we’ve got Kevin Smith headlining and Anthony Mackie – we’ve got an Avenger, that’s amazing.
“We’ve got Game of Thrones covered with Liam Cunningham (who plays Ser Davos Seaworth on HBO’s fantasy drama), The Walking Dead covered with Josh McDermitt (who plays eccentric Eugene Porter in the zombie drama), sci-fi with Cas Anvar (The Expanse) and Greg Grunberg (Heroes, Star Wars), some great Arabic voice actors, and a Bollywood-turned-Hollywood star with Pooja Batra, in terms of celebrities.
"On the comics side we've got the key artist for Harley Quinn, Chad Hardin, Green Arrow's Otto Schmidt, Simone Bianchi, who's famous for his work on Wolverine with Marvel, and another 30 international artists, which is the biggest number we've ever had – almost double our previous best.
“Looking at the line-up I’m really proud, and I’m not just saying that because it’s our event.”
The statistics from previous events show that MEFCC is about much more than celebrity guests, he says.
“The fact is there’s actually a relatively small handful that come to get the big-celebrity autographs and photos,” he says. “It’s a few thousand, maybe up to 10, but then we have another 50,000 to 60,000 people who come just because it’s such an amazing show.”
To this end, the 2017 event has an expanded festival area featuring music, entertainment and food trucks.
There are also the usual video-games zones and competitions, the Novo Cineclub, which will host screenings – including exclusive previews and the latest trailers – workshops, the cosplay competition and more exhibitors than ever.
“We’ve had to create more exhibition space because of the increased number of smaller and mid-tier companies who want to exhibit but can’t afford to build a big stand,” Ali Khan says.
“All the floor space is sold out, with a waiting list for cancellations. The International Artists Alley sold out more than a month ago.”
Another key aspect of the event is its focus on regional artists, writers, filmmakers and other creative talent.
“We’ve got the biggest regional line-up to date, because we have to if we want to continue to grow,” he says. “One day, if we keep going for another 15 or 20 years, we’ll have had every big celebrity out there, so where do you go then?
“Keeping it relevant, locally, is vital if we want to keep growing exponentially like we have every year since we started out.
“People don’t just come for celebrities, they come for the experience, for the atmosphere – it’s intoxicating.”
• MEFCC is at Dubai World Trade Centre from Thursday to Saturday (April 6-8). Single-day tickets start at Dh100. www.mefcc.com
cnewbould@thenational.ae