Dubai’s film showcase been critical these past 15 years to the development of Arab cinema, so much so that Abdulhamid and Masoud were the first recipients of the “Arab Personality of The Year Award” given out by The Hollywood Reporter and the ACC at this year’s Berlinale. But that entire support apparatus could now collapse following the shocking announcement that this December’s edition has been cancelled in favour of a new biennial format starting in 2019. Tellingly, the release did not name any of DIFF’s current management team. The Arab film industry holds its breath.