2022-05-06 To 2022-06-04
Eid Mubarak! Our May program begins with our latest Pop-up on May 4, along with Berklee Abu Dhabi, presenting a cine-concert experience at Louvre Abu Dhabi. Back by popular demand, the return of A TALE OF LOVE AND DESIRE, by Leyla Bouzid, which first made its regional debut at FrancoFilm Festival 2022. May 13 marks the start of the Italian Film Week with…..
2022-04-01 To 2022-04-30
Ramadan Mubarak! It’s a busy time at Cinema Akil this April with three upcoming film releases, Brother’s Keeper by Ferit Karahan on APR 2 and the UAE premiere + Q&A of Ely Dagher’s The Sea Ahead on APR 3. We will also be screening Youssef Chahine’s iconic film from 1958, Cairo Station as of APR 6 as a Ramadan special!
2022-03-03 To 2022-03-23
This March throughout the Dubai arts season, Cinema Akil presents a 3-week retrospective of Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige’s films including the premiere and exclusive GCC release of Memory Box..
2022-01-28 To 2022-02-06
Bayt Presents the 8th Edition of Reel Palestine Film Festival
Reel Palestine returns for its eighth edition from January 28th – February 6th, 2022, collaborating with our long-term partner Cinema Akil, the GCC’s first arthouse cinema. The festival will premiere films from Palestine and its diaspora by award-winning international directors and up and coming first-time filmmakers, featuring intimate stories of exile, resistance, and the love that encapsulates the human experience when identifying with separation and restrictions to survive and thrive.
2021-10-29 To 2021-11-06
Organised by Nida Ghouse and Surabhi Sharma
October 29 – November 6, 2021 at Cinema Akil
Is sound supplementary to the image in cinema? Does it have to be? Or can sound and image each have their own volition while sharing the space and time of the film? Comprising fiction, documentary, and experimental cinema from the mid-twentieth century to the present, this film programme traces the arrival of sound reproduction technology to the Indian subcontinent and its continued reverberations into the present.
2021-06-18 To 2021-09-25
This summer we invite you to travel through time in our biggest classics program yet! We’re throwing it back to the 1960s through the 1990s with some of the most iconic films that defined the era. From sci-fi, horror, mafia, romance – the program has it all. Catch your all time favorite and discover timeless classics on the big screen all summer long. Follow us into the dark.
2021-03-05 To 2021-03-11
In collaboration with the Embassies of France, Switzerland, Canada Luxembourg, and Belgium in the United Arab Emirates, join us for the 11th edition of FrancoFilm Festival kicking off on March 5, 2021. The annual festival aims to celebrate the French language through cinema. The 11th edition of FrancoFilm Festival echoes the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN’s 2030 agenda with a lineup that raises awareness around topics central for a sustainable world ranging from gender equality, to climate action and decent work and economic growth. The Festival, running until March 11, will feature regional premieres across genres including critically acclaimed drama, documentary, comedy and animated feature films opening with the award winning Red Soil by Farid Bentoumi.
2020-11-19 To 2020-11-26
In collaboration with the Goethe Institute Gulf-Region, this fall, film lovers will see the first edition of the GULF GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL. Screening groundbreaking new German language movies, ranging from art-house films to box-office hits, and from children’s matinees to late-night movies, this star-studded event invites an audience of all stripes.The GULF GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL will kick off with UNDINE by Christian Petzold, one of Germany’s most beloved auteurs. The film premiered at this year’s Berlin Film Festival and is a 21st century makeover of the old folk tale of the water nymph who will kill her lover, should he ever betray her. The opening film is followed by GUNDERMANN by acclaimed director Andreas Dresen.
2020-09-04 To 2020-10-01
THIS SUMMER, TRAVEL THROUGH THE BIG SCREEN.
As the Suhail star marks the end of those hot summer nights, Cinema Akil Traveller makes its final stop in Germany in a program of eclectic adventure from 4th September to 1st October. Cinema Akil presents Next Stop: Germany, in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Gulf-Region.
2020-08-07 To 2020-09-03
THIS SUMMER, TRAVEL THROUGH THE BIG SCREEN. In this very unique summer season, Cinema Akil takes you on a journey through the big screen with a summer-long series of timeless classics, contemporary favorites celebrating the joy of travel. The exclusive program starts on the 26th June and continues throughout September 2020 and will travel through the screen to different destinations through its country focus. Following Journey to Italy, the first part of the sunkissed journey through Italy which ran 26 June – 6 August 2020, Cinema Akil starts a new chapter in Voyage to France which will run from Friday 7th August to Thursday 3rd September 2020 .
2020-06-26 To 2020-08-06
THIS SUMMER, TRAVEL THROUGH THE BIG SCREEN.
In this very unique summer season, Cinema Akil takes you on a journey through the big screen with a summer-long series of timeless classics, contemporary favorites celebrating the joy of travel. The program starts on the 26th June and continues to September 2020 and will travel through the screen to different destinations through its country focus.
2020-01-17 To 2020-01-25
First held in 2015, the not-for-profit and volunteer-based organization, Reel Palestine, has grown with 81 screenings, over 12,000 attendees, 5 film festivals to date, and 2 international curated pop-ups held in various arts and cultural spaces within the UAE and internationally.
2019-12-06 To 2019-12-14
Hardly any genre is as ephemeral as dance. Like the body of the dancer it is not made for eternity. Film freezes dance in time. But conserving dance is not the only rationale behind the genre of the dance film, which encompasses films as different as the classic Hollywood dance films of the 40s and 50s, the disco movies of the 80s, Bollywood Films, biopics about the life of dancers and films made by choreographers. Cinema Akil, Sima Dance Company and the Goethe-Institute invite you to a weeklong of dance films.
2019-11-25 To 2019-12-03
Cinema Akil & Sole DXB come together for the 5th year in a row to present a film program of four incredible stories of music, culture and legacy. The film program will begin at Cinema Akil on November 25th with a pre-screening of the film Vibrations tracing the steps of Kuwaiti director, Zahed Sultan, on his journey to do a recording project in Jamaica.
2019-11-08 To 2019-11-16
In loving memory of Agnes Varda – a pioneer of the French New Wave cinema, Cinema Akil and Institut Français bring you a retrospective on Agnès Varda’s work presenting: Varda by Agnès, Cléo from 5 to 7, The Gleaners and I and La Pointe Courte across two weekends.
2019-11-22 To 2019-11-23
Organized and co-hosted by the Korea-Arab Society and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Dubai, sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. Cinema Akil is hosting the Dubai edition of KOREAN FILM NIGHTS.
The program will present four award-winning contemporary Korean films: Exit and House of Hummingbird, Underdog and Granny Poetry Club. All KFF films are in Korean subtitled in English.
2019-10-11 To 2019-10-17
Alternativo Latino, a one week celebration of Latin American cinema, is back again from October 11th to the 17th at Cinema Akil. The program aims to explore and express the nuances in the vast physical, emotional and socio-political landscapes across Central and South America.
This year, the program kicks off with award-winning Director Jayro Bustamante’s latest film, The Weeping Woman (La Llorona), a dramatic thriller reckoning Guatemala’s bloody civil war inspired by the famous Latin American folktale of “La Llorona.” The program will continue with the Colombian drama Litigante by Director Franco Lolli. The film opened the Semaine de la Critique at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. In Litigante, we see how Silvia balances being a single mom, her mother’s fight with cancer and a corruption scandal.
2019-09-27 To 2019-10-05
In collaboration with the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture – AFAC, Cinema Akil is proud to host the UAE’s first AFAC Film Week, a selection of contemporary feature narratives, documentaries, and shorts from 5 countries across the Arab region.
The AFAC Film Week program includes A KASHA, a romantic drama directed by Sudanese filmmaker Hajooj Kuka; WHAT COMES AROUND, a documentary by Lebanese-Egyptian director Reem Saleh highlighting the strength in community support in one of Cairo’s poorest neighborhoods; Soudade Kaadan’s powerful Syrian drama THE DAY I LOST MY SHADOW; Tunisian feature documentary RAILWAY MEN directed by Erige Sehiri; and the Libyan documentary FREEDOM FIELDS by Naziha Arebi, which follows the journey of a group of women who, in spite of the political climate and their differences, join together to form Libya’s first female football team. Two special screenings of TWENTY EIGHT NIGHTS AND A POEM by Lebanese Director Akram Zaatari, a documentary on photography, memory and culture will also be on the program, in addition to five short films from Lebanon, which will close the film week under the section “Lebanon in Focus”..
2019-08-23 To 2019-08-31
In collaboration with the Goethe Institut in Dubai, August ends with Straight out of Berlin – Berlin has been the backdrop and the star of many movies from early silent flicks over cold war spy thrillers to dramas about the fall of the wall and the reunification.
Join us for a series of films that show the changing face of the German capital including the 1987 Cannes winning WINGS OF DESIRE, BERLIN BOUNCER, a documentary exploring the nightlife of Berlin in the late 1980s, and the comical GOODBYE LENIN!
All screenings taking place at Cinema Akil will be ticketed. Tickets will be available for sale at Cinema Akil’s box office and www.cinemaakil.com. Tickets are 52.5 (VAT included).
2019-08-09 To 2019-08-10
Can’t resist the cuddly fluffiness yet don’t understand why cats are so weird?
Come join us to find out, or simply enjoy the sight of adorable paws on our special Cat Weekend with lots of fun and meow. Bring your loved ones of all ages. Your instant purr fix is right here with CATVIDEOFEST and so much more!
All screenings taking place at Cinema Akil will be ticketed. Tickets will be available for sale at Cinema Akil’s box office and www.cinemaakil.com. Tickets are 52.5 (VAT included).
2019-07-05 To 2019-07-13
Frame of Mind: Turkey brings together compelling contemporary narrative and documentary films from recent years, celebrating and building upon the strong cinema traditions of Turkey. The week-long special program will feature award-winning films by some of the country’s most prominent filmmakers, who stand out with their distinct visual style and artistic voice. These powerful independent works come to Dubai for the first time, introducing new perspectives and new ways of looking at some of the most poignant realities of our time, including award-winning THE WILD PEAR TREE, SAF and SIBEL, as well as DESTINY – where one’s decision can change their lives forever.
All screenings taking place at Cinema Akil will be ticketed. Tickets will be available for sale at Cinema Akil’s box office and www.cinemaakil.com. Tickets are 52.5 (VAT included).
2019-06-07 To 2019-06-15
Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Cinema Akil present the first ever Studio Ghibli Week!
To all our anime-fanatics and cartoon lovers; join us for your all-time favorite Ghibli films, presenting 8 Japanese animations from June 7 to 15.
The week is set in motion with PRINCESS MONONOKE – the first animated feature film to win Best Picture in the Japan Academy Prize. Followed by SPIRITED AWAY, a 2001 Japanese coming-of age fantasy, and Hayao Miyazaki’s “breakthrough film” and the adorable MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO – just to say a few…
Don’t miss this walk down memory lane and reunite with your childhood favorites!
All screenings taking place at Cinema Akil will be ticketed. Tickets will be available for sale at Cinema Akil’s box office and www.cinemaakil.com. Tickets are 52.5 (VAT included).
2019-04-03 To 2019-04-13
Italian Film Week in the Emirates (IFWE 2019) is a cooperation between the Italian Cultural Institute in Abu Dhabi and Cinema Akil and it marks the debut of the Institute’s cultural activities in the UAE.
IFWE brings together a unique and diverse selection of contemporary Italian cinema, never screened before in the UAE, highlighting real and surreal stories from the stirringly diverse cinematic landscape of Italy. From Giovanni Pastrone’s silent classics restored by the National Museum of Cinema and accompanied live by Stefano Maccagno, Furio Di Castri and SME quartet, to Gabriele Mainetti’s “They Call Me Jeeg”, a dystopian take on a superhero film, the Venice Film Festival awarded, immersive Velvet Underground biopic “Nico 1988” to Matteo Garrone’s Cannes conquering “Reality”, this is a week you won’t want to miss.
2019-03-01 To 2019-03-09
French language has no border! Francofilm festival returns for its 9th edition by highlighting French-Arabic co-production. This new approach will offer the audience the opportunity to discover an independent and eclectic film program.
Rendez-vous at Cinema Akil in Dubai and Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi for a visual linguistic parenthesis.