The famed Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), which has seen both regional and top international stars walk the red carpet over the years, is all set to make a comeback! Returning to the UAE in December 2027, the festival will see more focus on Arab cinema and also nurture the next generation of filmmakers.
Announcing the festival’s return at the ongoing Arab Media Summit, Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, said the 15th edition would carry forward the festival’s legacy while opening a new chapter for cinema in the region. The new edition of the festival will open on 8 December 2027, an official press statement said.
Al Marri recalled that the festival was launched in 2004 with a clear vision of making Dubai a gateway for Arab cinema to the world, bringing together filmmakers and cultures from across the region and beyond. Over 14 editions, it became one of the region’s leading film platforms, creating new opportunities for hundreds of Arab filmmakers and films and helping establish Dubai on the global film map.
Al Marri said the festival was returning not to recreate the past, but to build on its legacy and reflect the changes taking place across the region and the rapid evolution of the film industry. Its first edition in this new chapter will focus on celebrating Middle Eastern cinema and talent, giving the region’s stories and creative voices a platform to reach wider audiences and global markets.
She said the festival would go beyond film screenings to create an industry platform that connects filmmakers with producers, talent with investors, and ideas with markets, while opening the way for new partnerships and projects to emerge from Dubai and reach the world. She noted that as Dubai’s media sector has evolved under the Dubai Media Council, the festival’s return is a natural step in a new phase of developing the city’s film and production sector and building a more competitive and influential creative economy.
Al Marri said the ambition extends beyond organising a successful festival to supporting the development of the film industry, nurturing a new generation of talent and providing a platform for Arab stories to reach global audiences.
The festival will showcase outstanding films and emerging and established creative voices, with a particular focus on stories from the region. Its programmes and initiatives will also bring together filmmakers, producers and industry stakeholders to explore new projects, industry trends and opportunities for collaboration.
Hesham Sultan Al Olama, CEO of the Dubai Films and Games Commission, said the festival would bring fresh momentum to the film industry in Dubai and the wider region, create new opportunities for filmmakers and strengthen the international reach of regional cinema.
He added that the Commission would work closely with partners and the creative community in the UAE, the region and internationally, with further details to be announced in due course.
