A landmark in radical political cinema and one of the most visually ravishing films ever made, this legendary hymn to revolution was the product of an ambitious collaboration between the Soviet and Cuban film industries, I Am Cuba unfolds in [ ... ]
Jameel’s Summer Cinema, organised in collaboration with The Culturist Film Club and curated by Hind Mezaina, ia a season of free-to-attend films about cities, archives, and the ways we live and remember together. The four short films this evening explore ideas [ ... ]
Carol Kane is extraordinary as a Jewish immigrant arriving in late 19th-century New York with her young son Yossele (Paul Freedman) to join a husband (Steven Keach) who she hasn’t seen in three years. He's embraced the new world and [ ... ]
Another of Cinema Space’s free-to-view classics, this one a restored version of the Oscar-winning Jules Verne story: Kirk Douglas, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre are shipwrecked, taken captive by the mysterious Captain Nemo (James Mason) on his submarine Nautilus. Wavering [ ... ]
Characteristically powerful social drama of the British working class from Ken Loach. This wrenching, intimate family drama exposes the dark side of the so-called 'gig economy; an unrelenting work schedule, a ruthless supervisor and the needs of their two teenage [ ... ]
The 12th Edition of SIFF takes place 6 to 11 October at VOX Cinemas in City Centre Al Zahia with what looks like a strong lineup – 76 films (chosen from 1,740 submissions!) representing 26 countries. South Korea is participating [ ... ]
Guatemalan auteur Jayro Bustamante’s transfixing fusion of folklore, magical realism and searing political commentary was inspired by the real-life indictment of the authoritarian Efraín Ríos Montt for crimes against humanity. A notorious, indignant, ageing former military dictator, Enrique stands trial [ ... ]
It doesn't get much better than the original if you want a psychological thriller dripping with suspense. Janet Leigh stars as Phoenix secretary Marion Crane, absconding with a small fortune of her employer’s money; she takes a wrong turn in [ ... ]
This French-language musical drama has a famed French conductor performing in the United States returning to his home in France for his mother's funeral. An old friend calls round with a diary that belonged to their old teacher; reading it [ ... ]
Gratifyingly, this does exactly what it says on the tin (or rather, in the title): the world of railroad baggage handlers Chick Young (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur Grey (Lou Costello) is turned upside down when they receive a strange shipment [ ... ]
Action-packed tongue-firmly-in-cheek adventure. Deep in the Egyptian desert, a band of explorers searching for long-lost treasure have accidentally unearthed and resurrected a 3,000-year-old Egyptian priest. Adventurer Rick O' Connell (Brendan Fraser) pairs up with librarian (?) Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) and [ ... ]
Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch) is an idealistic new high-school teacher. She seems to have connected with her Year 8 students, who are engaged and eager to learn in her maths class. But something is bubbling underneath the surface, and she’s [ ... ]
Studying away from home has given Fifi (Manar Shehab) a new sense of autonomy, but waking up in a hospital room after minor car accident in Jerusalem and surrounded by her family she will have to decide how much of her [ ... ]
As part of its current SILA: All That Is Left To You exhibition, Maraya Art Centre is hosting two film screenings that extend the exhibition's exploration of Palestinian memory, resistance, and cultural legacy. The Wanted 18 is a film about [ ... ]
After a successful debut in 2024, SCHLiNGEL returns to Abu Dhabi. It's an international film festival for children that has been running since 1996 in Chemnitz, Germany, showcasing the most exciting new productions for young people. The Abu Dhabi edition [ ... ]
SCHLiNGEL Abu Dhabi's return continues with a full day of films for the young, taken from the international film festival for children that has been running since 1996 in Germany. All films with dialogue have English subtitles. There are three [ ... ]
This moving animated feature was deservedly selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The story centres on a woodcutter and his family; they find a small girl in the forest who has been thrown [ ... ]
As part of its current SILA: All That Is Left To You exhibition, Maraya Art Centre is hosting two film screenings that extend the exhibition's exploration of Palestinian memory, resistance, and cultural legacy. Carol Mansour's documentary features 12 Palestinian women [ ... ]
This 49-minute documentary, shot on location in Al Dhaid, provides an intimate portrait of the world of Bedouin culture – camel racing, falconry, the unseen life rooted in the desert. The protagonist Abdulaziz Al Tunaiji trains camels for the nation’s [ ... ]
Founded by filmmaker and curator Nawaf Al Janahi in 2020, Cineolio‘s mission is focused on promoting short films and expanding their audience reach internationally. Its Cinenights screening series presents a diverse selection of short films on the big screen, celebrating [ ... ]
Colonna's debut features brings an interesting angle to the mafia movie: Le royaume shows the Corsican underworld through the eyes of the 15-year-old daughter of a clan head. Caught up in a war between rival factions and on the run, [ ... ]
Kiarostami wrote and directed this deceptively simple but highly affecting film about a journalist posing as a city engineer who arrives in a Kurdish village to document the locals' mourning rituals in anticipation of the death of an old woman. [ ... ]
The last in NYUAD Arts Center's fall film season, a series which explores history, identity, and belonging through Arab and international cinema, while offering audiences the chance to engage directly with filmmakers is inspired by the childhood of Saudi writer-director-producer [ ... ]
Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual celebration of indie/experimental cinema returns for its eighth edition from 14 to 23 November 2025 with an expanded lineup of films, talks and artist development programmes. Screenings and events will take place at Mirage City Cinema, [ ... ]
Alain Delon swashbuckler. At the time of the French Revolution, a masked bandit called the Black Tulip robs the rich and helps the poor. It’s all good fun, and Delon proved his acting chops by playing both the Tulipe Noire [ ... ]
This Senegalese satirical comedy, written and directed by Ousmane Sembène as an adaptation of his own novel, finds a corrupt government official cursed with crippling erectile dysfunction upon the day of his marriage. He comes to realise it's connecting with [ ... ]
Animated musical comedy about Paulette's attempts to make things right with her unfairly accused daughter Linda (it was the cat that did it). So she'll cook chicken with peppers for Linda, despite not knowing how to cook and being hampered [ ... ]
This first festival of its kind by Fujifilm Middle East, created with Cinema Akil and Gulf Photo Plus, aims to "foster bold ideas, nurture fresh perspectives, and champion the next generation of storytellers". More than 2,000 submissions were whittled down [ ... ]
The fifth edition of the only film festival in Dubai "exclusively dedicated to screening short films focussed on motorcycles" (it expanded in 2025 to London and is planned to launch in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur next year). It kicks off [ ... ]
The first feature film to be directed by a Sudanese filmmaker, this historical romance tells of the beautiful Tajouj whose cousin publicly declares his love for her in a song. The traditions of the tribe decry such an act and [ ... ]
Capra's classic snow-laden tearjerker (five Oscar nominations) has James Stewart as a struggling banker (!) who becomes so disillusioned with his small-town life that he contemplates suicide. Fortunately his trainee guardian angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), is able to intervene and [ ... ]
The best film version of Dickens' novel? Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine, obviously having a lot of fun) is visted on Christmas Eve by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Together with kind, humble Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog) [ ... ]
A warm-hearted and thoughtful holiday story of three lonely, shipwrecked people who find support in the most unlikely of places. A curmudgeonly teacher (Paul Giamatti) is forced to remain on campus at a New England prep school over Christmas to [ ... ]
A tale as old as time gets the Disney treatment, with added lustre from a newly restored print of this family-friendly animation: the beast (an enchanted prince, of course) tries to win the love of the young and beautiful Belle [ ... ]
The RP Social returns for "an afternoon of great food, familiar faces, and engaging conversations around this year’s must-see films". Always a good meetup, and since this time it's in the afternoon there's more chance for kids to get involved [ ... ]
Reel Palestine returns to Cinema Akil for its 12th edition, running from 23 January to 1 February,. The programme this year has 29 screenings, including two Academy Award–nominated titles, reflecting the breadth of contemporary Palestinian cinema across fiction, documentary, and [ ... ]
One of the best films about Picasso, a documentary that captures his creative process by using novel filming techniques. The artist produced around 20 drawings and paintings specifically for the film, using inks and paints that bled through the paper, [ ... ]
This year’s film programme as part of the Jameel’s Night School 2026 has five shorts exploring how neighbourhoods and other places endure over time. through ways of property markets, political erasure, and the whim of human interest. The screening will [ ... ]
The UAE premiere of Annemarie Jacir’s full-length historical drama, shortlisted for this year’s Academy Awards and one of the two films selected for the inaugural Sharjah Film Platform Feature Fund. As villages across Palestine rise against British colonial rule in [ ... ]
The regular Alliance Française ciné-apéro evening (a glass of wine and canapés before the screening) this month features this well-reviewed legal drama film starring Daniel Auteul, who also co-wrote and directed it. Jean Monier is a disillusioned lawyer, appointed to [ ... ]
This adventure-ish drama, written as well as directed by Shahad Ameen, follows Saudi grandmother Sitti travelling from Taif to Mecca to perform Hajj with her two granddaughters, 12-year-old Janna and 18-year-old Sarah. But before they reach their destination, Sarah disappears, [ ... ]
The classic Studio Ghibli / Hayao Miyazaki animated fantasy – young girl inadvertently enters the world of kami (spirits of Japanese Shinto folklore). Almost universally praised and frequently appears in Best Films lists. Part of the Movies Under the Stars [ ... ]
Wes Anderson at his best: outlandish humour, artistic sensibilities, genuine filmic expertise, slightly kitschy ... The madcap adventure is breathlessly entertaining and is graced by an excellent actors' ensemble, with Ralph Fiennes in particualr having a great time stretching his emotional [ ... ]
Live action animated comedy featuring a mouse that gets adopted by a (human) family. A fun family film, with a great cast (Geena Davis and Hugh Laurie as the parents, Michael J Fox voicing Stuart). Part of the Movies Under the [ ... ]
Leaving the disorder and pollution of Beirut, Soraya and Walid have built an idyllic life in the mountains for the family. All seems to be going well until a supposedly ecological landfill is constructed right next to their property ... [ ... ]
Founded by Emirati filmmaker and curator Nawaf Al Janahi in 2020, Cineolio‘s mission is focused on promoting short films and expanding their audience reach internationally. Its Cinenights screening series presents a diverse selection of short films on the big screen, [ ... ]
A special Ramadan film screening of Zainab Shaheen's debut feature, a coming-of-age story that doubles as a love letter to the landscapes of the UAE. Suhail is a young Emirati with autism, living alone in the Fujairah mountains after his [ ... ]
Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania has created a docudrama that reconstructs the horrifying true story of five-year-old Hind Rajab as she is bombarded by the Israeli army in Gaza in 2024. Rajab survived the original assault by the IDF, which [ ... ]
An animated fantasy drama with no dialogue that tells the story of a man shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. His attempts to escape are foiled by what turns out to be a giant red hawksbill sea turtle; she turns into [ ... ]
A special screening of Zainab Shaheen's debut feature, a coming-of-age story that doubles as a love letter to the landscapes of the UAE. Suhail is a young Emirati with autism, living alone in the Fujairah mountains after his father shuns [ ... ]
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