5 Dubai Film Festivals you Have to Experience.
With so many Dubai film festivals going on, you may want to get your tickets early! Remember to take along a fellow film fan or filmmaker to enjoy one of these events. When it comes to the Dubai video production community, festivals are essential, so here are our top picks:
1. The Dubai International Film Festival
Location:
35V2+8Q
Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Contact:
+971 4 363 3456
Head to what is perhaps the biggest and most important film festival in the Arab region. This event will feature the best in short and feature-length films created by some of the most talented and cutting-edge filmmakers in Dubai and across the world. Held every two years, it’s a non-profit event with an emphasis on showcasing Arab culture and art, and produced by the Dubai Entertainment and Media Organization. Be it a Bollywood blockbuster or Oscar-winning movie like The Theory of Everything, award-worthy films are screened here. The festival has been nurturing relationships with world-renowned organizations like The Academy Awards, BAFTA, and The Golden Globes.
2. The Ocean Film Festival
Location:
Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa
67M7+C9
Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Contact:
Both film fans and filmmakers will have the chance to attend the festival which celebrates everything ocean. The only catch is, you must be a fan or filmmaker living in the United Arab Emirates. Films screened are ocean-related—exploring undersea beauty, sea life, and the future of our planet’s waters. It costs nothing to get in, and food/drink are available for purchase once you’re there. If you have an ocean-themed film between 5-7 minutes, or can create one, this is a prime event to showcase your work—and it doesn’t have to be documentary-style, though it could be. It can be a musical, comedy, or just about anything your imagination can conjure, as long as it’s related to the ocean. Awards and prizes are handed out.
3. Korean Film Nights
Location:
Warehouse 68, Alserkal Avenue
Al Quoz Industrial District
Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Contact:
Brought to you by the Korean-Arab Society for a two-day event in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, this Dubai film festival brings you seven films total–four award-winning Korean films that are subtitled in English, and three that are Arab-themed. The gathering hopes to build bridges between the two cultures via film, a universal language.
4. Middle East Film and Comic Con—Arab Film Studio
Location:
Dubai World Trade Centre
Sheikh Zayed Rd
Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Contact:
+971 (0) 4 407 2438
This event embarks on a unique approach to screening films at film festivals: Rather than theaters with large audiences, these are small, intimate screenings where an audience of 2-4 people handpicks its own films from a wide selection based on their preferred genres and tastes. The films are all products of The Arab Film Studio, which is responsible for providing vast resources to local and international filmmakers—from funding, to education, to hands-on filmmaking experience in the form of workshops, conferences, and class study. The comic con is a culmination of the efforts put forth by the studio and the filmmakers who’ve participated in its programs. Besides films, you can expect other events like cosplay, games, fan art, and competitions/awards.
5. White Oryx International Short Film Festival
Location:
Conference Centre
Block 1 – Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP)
Dubai 73000 – United Arab Emirates
Contact:
tel:+971 04 429 0772
Organized by The School of Media and Communication—Dubai Campus, this festival aims to present the best of filmmaking in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. It acts as a springboard to launch emerging and seasoned filmmakers alike, particularly young or just beginning in film. This is an educational, as well as professional opportunity, with some non-competitive programs. This is one of the biggest venues for short films in the UAE, so you can expect some award-winners to debut here or have an encore screening. Besides film, there are workshops, collaboration opportunities, and an atmosphere that encourages networking with fellow filmmakers.
With so many Dubai film festivals going on, you may want to get your tickets early. Remember to take along a fellow film fan or filmmaker to enjoy one of these events.