Dubai International Film Festival is to return on December 8, 2027, marking a revival 10 years since it was last held.
Mona Al Marri, director general of the Government of Dubai Media Office, announced the return at the Arab Media Summit, describing it as a major step in developing the film industry.
The festival was launched in 2004 and ran annually until 2017, becoming a major platform for Arab filmmakers alongside its international screenings.
“Today we bring back the festival, but we don’t bring the past,” Al Marri said. “The region today is different and filmmaking is different.”
She said the UAE would continue to invest in creators and attract creative talent. Looking back at the first 14 festivals, she described the event's role as bringing filmmakers together, opening doors for hundreds of Arab talents and films, and establishing the UAE on the international film map.
“It’s a new step towards developing the film industry,” she said.
On the event's return, Emirati filmmaker Ali Mostafa told The National: “This is incredible news – not just for filmmakers and the industry, but for Dubai. The festival was such an integral part of the city’s cultural calendar. It brought everyone together and its return feels hugely significant.”
Supporting Arab cinema
During its original run, the festival gave Arab filmmakers a place to showcase their work, compete for awards and meet the producers, financiers and distributors who could help their films reach wider audiences. Its industry programmes also provided funding for projects at various stages of development.
Its Enjaaz fund provided post-production support to films such as Omar and Wadjda, helping Arab productions reach completion.
Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad’s Omar went on to open the 2013 festival and win the Muhr Arab Feature award. More than 100 Arab movies featured in that year’s 174-film programme, placing work from across the Arab world alongside major international releases.
Emirati filmmakers benefited, too. In the same year, Cate Blanchett presented Waleed Al Shehhi with the $100,000 IWC Filmmaker Award for Dolphins, helping him bring his project to the screen. The Muhr Emirati competition offered a dedicated showcase for UAE directors, while Dubai Film Connection provided grants for Arab film projects.
International premieres and global stars
The festival also became a destination for major international films, hosting world and Middle East premieres alongside its Arab programme. George Clooney brought Michael Clayton to open the 2007 event, while later opening films included Ang Lee’s Life of Pi in 2012. Star Wars: The Last Jedi closed the festival in 2017.
Its guests included Omar Sharif, Blanchett, Patrick Stewart, Shah Rukh Khan and Morgan Freeman, bringing Hollywood and Indian cinema stars to an event that also celebrated filmmakers from across the Arab world.
One of its most prominent moments came in December 2011, when Tom Cruise attended the world premiere of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, which opened the eighth festival. The film had been partly shot in Dubai the previous year, with Cruise performing the Burj Khalifa stunts, climbing, running across and rappelling down the exterior of the world’s tallest building.
The premiere brought the production back to Dubai, giving festival audiences an early look at a Hollywood blockbuster in which their city played a central role. It was a high-profile demonstration of Dubai’s growing involvement in international cinema, both as a filming location and a venue for major film launches.
At the last festival to be held, in December 2017, 140 films from 51 countries were screened, with 13 by Emirati directors selected for their world premieres.
