The Dubai film festival has announced that the 6th edition will take place from December 9-16.

The 6th edition will build on the success of the 2008 festival which boasted 66 countries showcasing 181 films, including The One Man Village and Amreeka, which screened at the Berlinale and Sundance Film Festivals respectively.

It also successfully launched the Dubai film market and its state-of-the-art Cinetech platform.

DIFF’s Chairman, Abdulhamid Juma, commented, ‘Our fifth edition was a milestone for us, and we are thrilled that there was such an enthusiastic response to our programming and initiatives. With every year we have introduced new elements to enhance the overall festival experience, providing the best in international cinema culture for our UAE audiences, who have backed the festival since the beginning. We look forward to another promising December.’

2009 will see a repeat of last year’s inaugural Dubai Film Market which will continue to run parallel to the festival in December this year.

Other recent developments such as The Muhr Awards for Excellence in Arab Cinema as well as its sibling prize in 2008, the Muhr AsiaAfrica Competition, which awarded more than $500 000 in prize money last year, will also continue to run in 2009.

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