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Dubai International Film Festival to return in December 2027 after decade-long break

thenationalnews.com · 4h · first reportShare

Dubai International Film Festival is to return on December 8, 2027, marking a revival 10 years after 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 step in developing the film industry. The festival 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 festival’s first 14 editions, she described its role in 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