Nelle ultime edizioni Middle East Now ha invitato a Firenze alcuni dei più importanti registi, attori, produttori e opinion makers del cinema mediorientale. Ecco alcuni degli ospiti speciali del festival:
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi and actress Leila Otadi @ Middle East Now 2010
Iranian Directors Bahman Ghobadi and Babak Amini @ Middle East Now 2010
Arab Israeli actor Norma Issa @ Middle East Now 2011
Lebanese director Danielle Arbid @ Middle East Now 2012
Guy Davidi, Israeli director of 5 Broken Cameras
Palestinian writer, intellectual and actress Suad Amiri
Iranian photographer-artist Newsha Tavakolian and American photo-journalist Kate Brooks
Iraqi director Mohamed Al-Daradj, Iraqi General Consul in Italy Mr. Ali Sh. Ahem, British Producer Isabelle Staed
Mayor of Florence Matteo Renzi