The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) Chairman Abdulhamid Juma and Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali received the inaugural Arab Cinema Personality of the Year Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Presented by the Arab Cinema Center in collaboration with The Hollywood Reporter, the award was given in recognition of DIFF’s impact on the development of regional cinema.

Commenting on the award, Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “It’s a true honour for DIFF to be selected for this award and a special moment as we prepare to enter our fifteenth edition. Over the past fifteen years, we have been lucky enough to support the regional film industry through a period of immense growth.”

The award was presented to Abdulhamid Juma and Masoud Amralla Al Ali by Alaa Karkouti, MD of MAD Solutions who founded the Arab Cinema Center, and Alex Ritman of The Hollywood Reporter.

DIFF’s Artistic Director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said: “The increasing role that Arab cinema is playing in the global film industry is a true testament to the incredible talent in the region. Supporting the next generation of Arab filmmakers sits at the heart of DIFF and we are excited to embark on our fifteenth edition later this year, which will share the latest and greatest of regional cinema with the world.”

Organised by MAD Solutions in 2015, Arab Cinema Center is an international promotional platform for Arab cinema, which aims to provide the filmmaking industry with a professional window to connect with counterparts from across the globe. In addition to the award, Arab Cinema Centre announced at DIFF 2017 that it will host its second annual Critics Award during the Cannes Film Festival in May 2018 to recognise the best in Arab Film production.