Story thread · 6 reports / 5 sources

'The global stage is coming back' with return of Dubai International Film Festival

thenationalnews.com · 9h · first reportShare

After hearing that Dubai International Film Festival would return, Nayla Al Khaja held a call with fellow filmmakers to work out what they could make in time. Could they shoot a short film? Could they somehow get a feature ready? The festival is returning on December 8, 2027 , after a decade-long absence, and Al Khaja and her peers suddenly had something to work towards. “Do you know when you watch a film and it’s like a massive plot twist? It felt like a plot twist when they announced Dubai International Film Festival,” the Emirati filmmaker tells The National . “I think all of us filmmakers were shocked. “But what’s even more exciting is that it ignited this old fire inside us. “It’s a bit tight for a feature film, but I think we’re all very keen to create something for the festival.” Diff launched in 2004 and ran for 14 editions until 2017. Alongside major international premieres and visiting stars, it gave filmmakers from the UAE and across the Arab world somewhere to show their wo