The Dubai International Film Festival (also known as DIFF) is a global film festival which takes place every 2 years. It is a not for profit cultural event, allowing it to be a true celebration of cinema. Typically the festival will show more than 100 films each year, and it will also show a host of premieres for feature films, shorts and documentaries. 

According to the Dubai Media Office, the organisers of the event, “Diff has established Dubai as a world-class destination in the film and content industry. It serves as a platform to promote cultural understanding between the region and the world, as well as the development of the local and regional film industry, giving the opportunity to many ambitious film makers to shine".

Since the festival started 14 years ago, more than 2,000 films have been screened with 500 films from the Arab world. The festival has helped more than 300 films from the region be created end to end, raised funding and partnership for a further 140, supported hundreds of talented Arab filmmakers through the Festival’s Muhr Awards, and grown tourism across the city - the festival has had a huge impact on the local economy too. 

There are many with scenes which were filmed in Dubai, including The Force Awakens and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. We have pages about many of the sequels to these films, including Mission Impossible: Fallout, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.