Applications now open for Emirates Film Festival 2026

What began 12 years back as a “creative outlet” in the aviation industry has been recharged and onwards to 2026, “storytellers” worldwide may now partake in that “creative outlet” for the polyphony the UAE has institutionalised, via its National Strategy for the Cultural and Creative Industries of 2021.

- Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Regardless of age and whether a dreamer or a revered icon in the global film industry, which the World Intellectual Property Organisation, had projected to “surpass $34 billion, driven by a production rebound” this 2025, applications are now open for the “Emirates Film Festival - EFF 2026.”

“We are placing a special emphasis on stories rooted in the UAE and the Arab World. But, the door is also open to the diversity of voices from Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and beyond,” said Ron Awa on Thursday.

The founder/chairman/chief executive officer of one of the UAE's pioneering independent film projects, with roots in the Emirates Group, added: “The festival was born from a grassroots movement. It is now ready to take its place on the global stage.”

“We envision a movement where diverse voices can be heard, stories can be celebrated, and new talent can be discovered,” said chief operating officer Amal Bint Mubarak who enunciated the “EFF mission.”

Among the Emiratis immersed in the industry as a filmmaker/actress/producer and the “Dubai Shorts International Festival” creator, Mubarak stressed that the reinvigorated EFF 2026 “carries forward the same spirit of discovery and inclusivity that defined its earlier years.”