The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) is the leading film festival in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Since its inception in 2004, the festival has served as an influential platform for Arab filmmakers and talent at an international level, by spearheading the cinema movement in the region.
The DIFF has established itself as a major international festival, while continuing to serve as a premier showcase event for Arab cinema, and contributing to the development and growth of the regional industry.
DIFF’s pioneering initiatives such as the Muhr Awards and Dubai Film Market have enriched professional experiences in the region, while also raising the profile of regional works on the world stage. The festival has left an indelible impression on its guests, industry professionals and viewers, through its events, workshops, seminars and principal mandate of presenting the finest selection of cinema from all over the world. DIFF is a frontrunner in promoting better cultural understanding through creative achievements in film.
Submissions from all around the world are welcome. In addition to the large selection of Arab cinema, the festival’s programme is varied, diverse and equally inclusive of films originating from countries with emerging cinema movements and those with more established traditions of filmmaking.
The festival presents unprecedented opportunities to filmmakers from the region, as it provides them an excellent platform to premiere their films to a significant gathering of international industry professionals and media.
Taking into account the entire filmmaking process, DIFF has launched initiatives that support directors at every stage of the production cycle.
Filmmakers from the Arab world can present their projects, when in a stage of development, or a work-in-progress to key international industry figures at the Dubai Film Connection.
Arab, Asian and African filmmakers can submit their films to participate in the festival’s Muhr competition that presents 31 awards and more than US $575,000 in prize money.