The Dubai International Film Festival was founded in 2004. It is held under the auspice of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE as well as the Emir of Dubai. The festival is a non-profit cultural event that attracts thousands of cinema lovers as well as actors, directors, producers, screenwriter and other film industry professionals from all over the world. Despite not being on FIAPF’s A-list, the Dubai International Film Festival is considered one of the prime film industry events.
The program of the festival showcases feature films, shorts and documentaries from around the world, including a number of world premieres. For instance, the 2015 edition of the festival screened a line-up of over 120 new and exciting films. One of the main goals of the DIFF is to introduce a wide audience to the best films from the Arab world and beyond, focusing on new talent and original filmmaking.
The DIFF became a competitive festival in 2006. It hosts a competition for feature films, documentaries and short films originating from the UAE and the Arab world. The films compete for the prestigious Muhr Awards given out in four main categories: Muhr Feature Awards (Best Muhr Fiction Feature, Best Muhr Non-Fiction Feature, Special Jury Prize, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress), Muhr Short Awards (Best Muhr Short, Special Jury Prize), Muhr Gulf Short Awards (Best Muhr Gulf Short, Special Jury Prize), and Muhr Emirati Awards (Best Muhr Emirati Feature, Best Muhr Emirati Short, Best Emirati Director).
Alongside competitive and non-competitive screenings, the festivals hosts the Dubai Film Market established in 2007. The market is a unique platform designed to promote Arab cinema in the Middle East region and internationally. Since its inception, the DFM has supported over 300 projects, helping them to find new audiences and to receive critical acclaim.
The market runs concurrently with the festival and includes the co-production market Dubai Film Connection, Cinetech (a film sales platform), Enjaaz (a post-production and production support program), exhibition stands, the Dubai Distribution Program aimed at independent filmmakers, and the Forum with a rich program of panel discussions, workshops, masterclasses and case studies.
Photo: dubaifilmfest.com
