Ten years later, DIFF returns

Dubai's Film Festival reopens its doors with bigger ambitions for Arab cinema

DUBAI:

After a decade-long hiatus, the Dubai International Film Festival is set to return on December 8, 2027, with organisers promising a new chapter focused on Arab cinema, Middle Eastern filmmakers and the development of Dubai's wider film and production industry.

The announcement was made on Thursday by Mona Ghanem Al Marri, vice chairperson and managing director of the Dubai Media Council, during the Arab Media Summit. She outlined a revamped format combining screenings, industry discussions and opportunities for creative professionals.

The revived festival is expected to provide directors, producers, actors and writers with a platform to present their work, meet investors and build connections with international markets. Emerging talent will also be highlighted as part of the effort to strengthen the region's film business.

Al Marri said the festival would carry forward DIFF's legacy while responding to changes across the region and the rapid evolution of the global film industry. The ambition, she said, extended beyond staging a successful event to nurturing talent and taking Arab stories to wider audiences.

The planned return will mark the 15th edition of DIFF, which began in 2004 and ran for 14 editions before being abruptly shuttered in 2018. Organisers at the time said the festival would be postponed until 2019 as part of a major overhaul.

Founded as a platform for regional and international cinema, DIFF grew into a significant event for Dubai and the wider Middle East. It championed Arab filmmakers while bringing international films, industry figures and stars to the city, helping establish Dubai as a meeting point for the regional film community.

Its industry initiatives included the Dubai Distribution Programme, Dubai Film Connection and Enjaaz Fund, which provided post-production support to regional projects. Among the films supported by Enjaaz was Haifaa Al-Mansour's 'Wadjda', which went on to win an award at Venice.

When the festival was placed on hiatus, organisers said DIFF had hosted almost 2,000 screenings featuring around 500 films from the Arab world. It had also helped more than 300 regional films reach completion and facilitated funding or partnerships for another 140 projects.

The festival further said it had supported more than 200 Arab filmmakers through its Muhr Awards and contributed to tourism in Dubai. These achievements form a substantial part of the legacy that organisers now intend to revive rather than simply reproduce.

For Emirati filmmaker Ali F Mostafa, however, DIFF's return carries a deeply personal significance. Mostafa premiered his landmark film 'City of Life' at the festival in 2009, an experience he credits with helping establish his identity and career as a filmmaker.

"I have been praying for the return of the festival since it closed," Mostafa told the local media, adding that he hoped DIFF would return to its "exact glory and grandeur". He described the festival as an important form of soft power for the UAE.

Mostafa also recalled the international standing DIFF achieved during its earlier run, saying he believed the festival had ranked among the world's top 10 film festivals during its 14-year history. He said its return should aim to regain that international stature.

The filmmaker's enthusiasm is particularly tied to the opportunities DIFF created for local cinema. His 'City of Life', which followed the intertwined lives of three Dubai residents, premiered at the festival during a period when the event was giving increasing international visibility to filmmaking from the UAE.

Mostafa's next film, 'City of Life 2', is already complete, meaning he does not intend to hold it until the festival returns in 2027. Nevertheless, he said he expected to have another film ready for DIFF's new edition.

"I will have a movie ready for DIFF 2027! DIFF returning to UAE is the best news ever," he said, underlining the continuing emotional connection between the festival and filmmakers who came of age during its original run.

Hesham Sultan Al Olama, CEO of the Dubai Films and Games Commission, said the return would bring fresh momentum to Dubai and the wider region's film industry. He said it would create new opportunities and strengthen regional cinema's international reach.

The commission, he added, would work with partners and the creative community in the UAE, across the region and internationally, with further details of the revived festival to be announced later.

DIFF's new chapter is therefore being presented as more than a return to an old festival calendar. Its stated purpose is to combine the cultural role it established over 14 editions with practical industry support, giving regional filmmakers stronger avenues to audiences, investors and global markets.