How It Works.
Fill In the Form
Tell us about the film and the filmmaker: title, category, synopsis, running time, language and subtitles, and who made it.
Share a Private Screening Link
Paste a private Vimeo or YouTube link, or a download link to the film. The jury watches it privately. Nothing is made public.
Post With AFFD Required
Your AFFD visual I submitted my film to AFFD is made for you with your film title and your name. Download it, post it on your Instagram in collaboration with @asian.filmfestivalofdubai, and paste the link of your post in the form. Never show an excerpt of your film: it stays a Dubai premiere.
Jury Viewing and Selection
The jury panel watches every film. Selected filmmakers are informed in private, then send the screening file, poster, photos and subtitles.
Find Your Category.
One category per film. Category winners get their own red carpet premiere.
- 01
Short Films
Fiction and animation. Under 30 minutes.
- 02
AI Films
Films made with generative AI tools, with a declaration of the tools used. Under 20 minutes.
- 03
Docu-Films
Documentary and non-fiction. Under 60 minutes.
- 04
Feature Films
Fiction features. 60 to 120 minutes.
Rules and Eligibility.
Please read before you submit
Entry Is Free for All
There is no entry fee, for any category.
Which Films Can Enter?
Independent short films, AI films, documentaries and feature films from Asia and from filmmakers around the world. The festival is the Asian Film Festival Dubai, and the INDIE line-up premieres in Dubai on 1 to 4 February 2027.
Films completed on or after 1 October 2025.
Dubai Premiere Rule
INDIE films are Dubai premieres: the film should not have been screened in Dubai before the festival. Screenings at festivals elsewhere, or online, are welcome.
The form asks whether the film has been shown before. Your answer is recorded for the jury.
One Category per Film
Choose one category for each film. To enter more than one film, send a separate submission for each. One email can send up to five films.
Post With AFFD
Every filmmaker posts the AFFD visual “I submitted my film to AFFD” on Instagram in collaboration with @asian.filmfestivalofdubai and pastes the link of the post in the form. The post never shows a clip, still or footage from the film, so that it stays a Dubai premiere.
Language and Subtitles
English subtitles are required for any dialogue that is not in English. Tell us in the form which language is spoken and whether the film already carries English subtitles.
Rights and Ownership
You confirm that you own or control all rights in the film: images, music, actors and any other material. You keep ownership of your film. By submitting, you allow AFFD to use short clips and stills from the film, and photos you provide, to promote the festival and the film.
AI Films: Declaration of AI Tools
For AI Films, the form asks which AI tools were used, and what was written, directed, edited or performed by people. This is part of the selection.
Your Screening Link and the Screening Format
Send a private Vimeo or YouTube link, or a download link to the film (a password is welcome). Keep it available until the end of the selection. Selected films then send their screening file, poster, photos and subtitles by 29 December 2026.
Screening file for selected films: ProRes 422 HQ (a DCP is also accepted).
Confidentiality
Your film is seen only by the AFFD team and the jury. If your film is selected, please keep it confidential until the public announcement of the INDIE line-up.
Selection and Feedback
The jury views the films and selects the INDIE line-up. Selected filmmakers are informed in private. We cannot give feedback to films that are not selected.
Joining Us in Dubai
We would be delighted to welcome the team of each selected film to the festival. We kindly ask that at least two members of the team, for example the director and the producer, join us in Dubai for the screening. Travel and accommodation are arranged and covered by the film team.
If a selected team is unable to travel to Dubai, the place in the line-up is offered to the next film in the jury's ranking.
Key Dates.
- Submissions open
- Submissions close
- Selected filmmakers informed, in private
- Selected films send screening file, poster, photos, subtitles
- Public announcement of the INDIE line-up
- INDIE Dubai Premieres
Judging Criteria.
What the jury looks at in every film.
- Vision and storytelling. A clear voice and a story that holds the audience.
- Craft. Direction, image, sound, editing and performances.
- Originality. A fresh point of view, form or subject.
- Impact on a festival audience. How well the film would play in a cinema in Dubai.
- AI Films only: human creative authorship. The creative choices made by people, and the thoughtful use of AI tools.
Submit Your Film.
Takes about ten minutes. Have your private screening link ready. One form per film.
Submissions open on 10 November 2026.
The form opens at midnight, Dubai time (UTC+4). Entry is free for all. Read the rules and get your private screening link ready in the meantime.
Thank you, .
Your film is submitted. The jury will watch it privately. Please keep your screening link available until the end of the selection.
Need your visual again? Open it with your film title.
Take a screenshot of this reference. Selected filmmakers are informed in private on 12 December 2026.
Another film? Your details stay filled in.
Good to Know.
Does It Cost Anything to Submit?
No. Entry is free for all, in every category.
Can I Submit More Than One Film?
Yes: up to five films from one email. Send a separate submission for each film, each in its own category.
Do I Have to Post on Instagram?
Yes. Post the AFFD visual “I submitted my film to AFFD” on your Instagram in collaboration with @asian.filmfestivalofdubai, then paste the link of your post in the form. Please never show a clip or still from your film in the post.
Does My Film Keep Its Rights?
Yes. You keep ownership of your film. We only ask to use short clips, stills and the photos you provide to promote the festival and the film.
Who Sees My Film?
Only the AFFD team and the jury, through your private link.
Will I Get Feedback?
Selected filmmakers are informed in private. We cannot give feedback to films that are not selected.
Who Do I Contact?
Write to submission@affd.ae, or reach the AFFD team on the AFFD Instagram.