Everything You Need To Know About The Dubai Film Festival

It’s almost time for one of Dubai’s most anticipated events of the year: the Dubai International Film Festival. Bringing together some of the biggest filmmakers in the region, exclusive screenings and a series of awards, this is the biggest happening in the city when it comes to film. The 14th edition of the event will take place from December 6–13, and Dubai is already buzzing with excitement.

Every year, the Dubai International Film Festival brings to the city some of the biggest stars from around the globe and screens much-anticipated international and Arabic films. This has become one of the city’s staple events and has residents and visitors counting down the days for its beginning. DIFF 2016 hosted A-listers such as Maria Bravo, Eva Longoria, Melanie Griffith, Anastacia and more – and the 2017 edition of the event won’t be any different.

The event’s panels take place in DIFF HQ, in Souk Madinat Jumeirah – one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. This is a great chance to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in the film industry. This year’s panels will cover topics such as Different Reality, Finance and (Co)Production, and Art & Craft. This is a unique way for film lovers to grasp a deeper understanding of cinematography from the best producers and filmmakers from around the world.

Another guest of honor at the event will be Cate Blanchett. The Oscar winner is a IWC Brand Ambassador and will take part in the jury for the award that celebrates aspiring Gulf Filmmakers. The winner for this award will receive US$100,000.

The festival offers screenings all over the city, where the public can purchase tickets to watch the best documentaries and films from the region and globally. Perhaps the movie that has DIFF most excited is the gala screening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The film is expected to close the festival and will hopefully bring some famous faces to Dubai.

Other big American movies that will be shown in gala screenings are James Franco’s The Disaster Artist and Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water. Tickets are available to the public in bundles, where ticket holders can watch movies all over Dubai in the regular screenings, or purchase tickets for the gala screenings. People can even purchase the Red Carpet Gala package for an opportunity to mingle with the biggest names in film.