The Gulf Film Festival plays a major role in promoting the region’s film industry, the festival’s director has said. Speaking at the opening ceremony on Tuesday, Masoud Amralla Al Ali said that the six-day festival is helping form “an intimate bond with talents participating in it”. The fesitival, now in its fifth year, is screening a collection of films at the Grand Festival Cinemas in Dubai's Festival City. All screenings are free to the public.