The Venue · 2026
The Venue
The 2026 awards are presented at Belcanto, on the rooftop of Dubai Opera, before an invited audience of one hundred.
Belcanto · the rooftop of Dubai Opera
The Room
Belcanto, at Dubai Opera
Belcanto occupies the rooftop of Dubai Opera in Downtown Dubai. The dining room seats guests beneath two crystal chandeliers, facing a stage used through the year for opera and live jazz.
The restaurant is taken entirely private for the evening: the dining room, the stage, the bar and the open-air terrace facing the Burj Khalifa.
Attendance is limited to one hundred guests — the jury, the 2026 winners, festival partners and accredited press.
The awards & the juryThe Evening
How the evening runs
Reception, dinner and the awards presentation all take place in the same room, beginning at 6:00pm.
01
The reception
Guests are received on the open-air terrace with a welcome drink, facing the Burj Khalifa. Valet parking is provided at the Dubai Opera entrance.
02
The dinner
Guests are called through from the terrace and seated at the table. Dietary requirements are arranged with the venue ahead of the evening.
03
The performance
Belcanto’s resident band and singer play the room through dinner — grand piano, double bass, a repertoire that moves from standards to the small hours.
04
The presentation
Sixteen 24-karat gold Clapboards handed over on stage, with the winning work playing across the room’s screens as each name is read.
In Pictures
Inside Belcanto
The main room under the chandeliers, on a full night.
Belcanto · the rooftop of Dubai Opera
28 & 30 November
Screenings, panels and workshops
Belcanto hosts the awards ceremony on 29 November. The venues for the screening day on 28 November and the panels and workshops on 30 November are announced by 15 September 2026, alongside the full program.
Getting There
Belcanto, Dubai Opera
Address — Belcanto, rooftop level, Dubai Opera, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, U.A.E. Open in Maps
Doors — 6:00pm, and on into the night.
Parking — complimentary valet for all guests at the Dubai Opera drop-off.
Metro — Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station on the Red Line, then a short walk through the Opera District.
Access — the gala is a private event. Attendance is by invitation: the jury, the 2026 winners and Official Selection, festival partners and accredited press.
Dress code — to be confirmed with the invitation.
Submit your film
The final deadline is 20 October 2026. Selections are announced 12 November.