I was first invited in 2010 to cover the Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF). Under new management headed by former San Francisco International Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival artistic director Peter Scarlet, the fourth edition of the festival was widely regarded as a success thanks to a solid selection, a hike in ticket sales and attendance and positive press, signaling the birth of a major powerhouse in the budding Arab film industry.

The ADFF commenced in 2007 as the Middle East International Film Festival in an attempt to challenge the culture dominance of Dubai. The festival struggled for an identity, initially positioning itself as an international film showcase in a young city with no film industry. That focus, however, changed with the arrival of Scarlet two years later to position the festival as a prominent hub for nurturing and showcasing Arab film and a platform for presenting the best of world cinema to Arab audiences.

From that point onward, Abu Dhabi attracted the best, most high-profile productions in the region and from around the world. Boasting a slew of awards for competing films totaling $1 million, an aggressive acquisition policy of Arabic and international films that left its competitors in the dust and a generous fund for Arab cineastes, Abu Dhabi was rapidly becoming the biggest festival in the region, edging out its fierce rival Dubai, which saw its stocks sharply fall last year after poor film programming and extensive budget cuts that resulted in the axing of the co-production platform Dubai Film Connection, the cancellation of various important sections and the slashing of the number of awards.

All of a sudden, it was all over. On May 7, the film world woke up to the shocking news of the festival’s termination. No justifications were made by the Media Zone Authority (twofour54, ADFF's governing body) and the festival released no statement. In fact, most of the staff was not informed of the closure, and some found out on the day of the announcement.