The Dubai International Film Festival and Abu Dhabi-based production company Image Nation have launched a campaign to support Arabic films and the Arab film industry.

Support Arab Cinema, which was announced at the opening of the 2015 DIFF on Dec. 9, is targeting movie audiences in the Arab World to encourage them to watch more Arab films in cinemas.

The campaign, which will continue after the festival is over, is also targeting Arab filmmakers, actors and actresses, as well as the festival's international attendees, to encourage them to become ambassadors for the movement. They can use their social media platforms to help spread the word through the hashtag #SupportArabCinema .

The purpose of the movement is to raise awareness about Arab films, which as Image Nation's marketing manager points out, are often underrated among viewers when compared to their Hollywood counterparts, even though they are produced with the same quality and often receive critical acclaim.

“Arab films are increasingly made with the same quality as Hollywood productions and are often seen competing on an international level. But for this to continue audiences must go and watch them," Abeer Abu Shmeis, who is heading the campaign, said, according to Image Nation's official press release .

“The Support Arab Cinema campaign aims to raise awareness about all the brilliant Arab movies out there and to boost viewership in cinemas. In turn, this creates more demand and allows more to be made."

In addition, the movement also aims to highlight the significant role Arab films play in shattering the stereotypical representations of the Arab World often presented by Hollywood and instead reflecting the true nature of the region, which makes supporting them ever more important.

Prominent Palestinian director of the Academy Award-nominated films "Paradise Now" and "Omar," Hany Abu-Assad, is among the Arab filmmakers who have announced their support.

“I’m very pleased to support this great initiative. It takes long months of continuous work to produce and direct a feature film that tells our true story, without prejudice and stereotypes, to the regional and international audiences," said Assad, who has been outspoken about the importance of Arab cinema as a cause.

"I encourage everyone to go and watch Arab films in cinemas to be able to maintain the level we have reached in recent years, and to ensure the continuity of this beautiful art. Cinema is a great tool to deliver our messages in a civilized way to the whole world."