One step into the convention and you have entered a whole new world. The place is covered with row after row of shops filled with all kinds of merchandise — comic books, posters, costumes, shirts — you name it, they have it. The convention hall has even housed its own zip line. You have entered the fifth annual Middle East Film and Comic Convention.

Photograph by Dominique Joaquin

Between April 7 and 9, guests of all ages walked around the Dubai World Trade Center wearing everything from everyday casual shirts and jeans to the most intricate and detailed costumes, ready for the annual cosplay competition. Fans of anime, cartoons and movies gathered in awe at the sight of all the costumes and merchandise. Artists, local and international, sold an astounding variety of paintings, posters, pins, dolls and more.

The Game Zone, bridging the two sides of the convention, hosted the Overwatch League in which teams face off in a game of Overwatch. Participants played at an arena-like stage. Their screens were projected for audiences, while two commentators chattered and cheered on a separate platform. It felt like watching a traditional sporting event.

Photograph by Dominique Joaquin

As an alternative for gaming, the convention hosted an enormous WWE wrestling hall where people could play and pose for photos. The dodgeball tournament was popular with the kids and in the Battle Park nearby, older players tackled an obstacle course in the style of Call of Duty. Apart from multi-player games, there was also a Magic Planet arcade with its own 4D spaceship game, racing seats and the usual money-stealing claw machines. If you thought kids’ arcade games had age restrictions, the cheering groups of grown men and women filling the neon-lit hall would have convinced you otherwise.

At the center of the hall stood the official Geek Nation store. This store and its competitors were, for many, the selling point of the Comic Con. No one leaves the convention empty-handed. Visitors rummaged to find merchandise as tokens of their fandom. Whether it was figurines or T-shirts they wanted, they yelled and rushed to find the best deals. Unlike in commercial stores, the array of branded products filled shelves from bottom to top. The shopkeepers and artists were admired for their vast inventory of merchandise.

Behind Geek Nation were two sections called Comics Village and Manga Town. If you wanted to go from the village to the town, the zip line was one way to cross, shortening a journey of a mere five minutes by foot.

This year’s MEFCC brought quite a few film and comic world celebrities to Dubai. Among them were Anthony Mackie, Liam Cunningham, Greg Grunberg and Josh McDermitt, all hosted by the MBC satellite TV channel. They could be spotted at the Meet the Stars booths or met for a hefty price at signing or photo sessions.The convention also held panel discussions at the IMAX Novo Cinemas that played exclusive screenings and trailers.

Photograph by Dominique Joaquin

If the inside started to feel stuffy, the festival square was just outside. The outdoor square had a stage, a cosplay tent and different food trucks and booths. The outdoor seating area with the grass carpet was packed. The roof over the area sheltered the audience from the harsh sun at midday while music energized the resting crowd. Later in the night, the cosplay competition took center-stage. Advertised as legendary, this event does lives up to its hype. During the day, eager fans jump at the chance to take pictures with their favorite characters brought to life. Through cosplay those under the costumes and masks, convincingly live out their favorite characters for the day. Baymax, inflatable T-Rexes, Iron Man and Naruto all made an appearance. Some people even took a spin on characters; MEFCC is possibly the only place where you can find Deadpool in a kandura and ghutra. One day is not enough to enjoy all that the convention offers, but that short peek into the world of the impossible and incredible keeps visitors coming back every year for more.