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Filmmakers in Dubai will have just two days to write, shoot, and edit a short film when the 48 Hour Film Project returns to the city from 27 to 29 November 2026. The competition brings together filmmakers of different experience levels to make an original film against the clock, with each team working from a set of creative elements revealed at the start of the weekend.
The Dubai edition is open to teams of beginners, hobbyists and established filmmakers. According to the organizers, there is no limit on team size, and the registration fee covers the entire team rather than individual participants.
The event gives filmmakers, actors, writers, editors and other creatives a chance to collaborate under the pressure of a fixed deadline. Each completed film must run between four and seven minutes, excluding the required slates and up to one minute of end credits.
How the 48-hour challenge works
At the start of the competition, each team receives a randomly assigned genre, along with a required character, prop, and line of dialogue. These elements must be incorporated into the finished film, ensuring that the creative work responds to the same challenge across participating teams.
The clock covers the filmmaking process from writing and shooting through editing and submission. Teams can organize their cast and crew, scout locations and prepare or test equipment in advance, but the filmās creative work must take place during the competition weekend.
A representative from each team must attend the kickoff. The projectās general rules describe a Friday evening start and Sunday evening finish, with the exact submission deadline provided through the team dashboard. The Dubai event page has not yet confirmed a public kickoff venue or detailed local schedule, so participants should check the official page and their registration information for updates.
The competition also requires cast and crew to volunteer. Teams must secure the necessary permissions and releases for their work.
Registration fees and deadlines
The published Dubai fee schedule lists three registration periods:
- Early bird: AED 700 per team, through 5 November.
- Regular: AED 800 per team, through 22 November.
- Late: AED 1,000 per team, through 26 November.
Registration is available through the official Dubai event page.
Rory McLoughlin is the Dubai city producer. Filmmakers with questions about the local edition can contact the organizers at dubai@48hourfilm.com.
What filmmakers can and cannot prepare
The format allows teams to bring together their creative collaborators before the weekend begins. They can also find locations, arrange equipment and make logistical plans ahead of time. Once the competition starts and the required elements are announced, teams develop and produce their films within the allotted window.
The projectās rules restrict the use of generative artificial intelligence to create material such as scripts, music, images, visual effects or footage. Certain assistive technical tools used in post-production are permitted, subject to the projectās disclosure and rights requirements. Filmmakers should review the full filmmaking rules before taking part.
A route to international screenings
Films are assessed on artistic merit, technical merit, and compliance with the assigned elements. Under the competitionās published judging criteria, artistic merit accounts for 45% of the Best Film score, technical merit for 30% and adherence to the assignment for 25%.
The winning film from Dubai will screen at Filmapalooza 2027, the 48 Hour Film Projectās international gathering of city winners. The Dubai organizers say the event is scheduled for March 2027, with films also eligible for selection for a screening at the Cannes Film Festivalās Short Film Corner. Selection for that screening is separate and is not guaranteed for every city winner.
The project also includes audience voting at local premiere screenings.
Bringing Dubaiās filmmaking community together
Ahead of the competition, the organizers held a team-building and registration gathering with Like Minds on 4 November. The gathering gave prospective participants an opportunity to connect before the filmmaking weekend; it was separate from the competition kickoff.
The 48 Hour Film Project has an earlier history in the city. Its Dubai archive records a 2019 edition, when A Moment by estetico was named Best Film and advanced to Filmapalooza 2020. The 2026 edition returns with a new organising team and another opportunity for Dubaiās filmmakers to make a short under the projectās distinctive time limit.
For registration, updates and the latest local information, visit the 48 Hour Film Project Dubai page or follow @dubai48hourfilmproject on Instagram.
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