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UAE Cinema: Film Festivals, Screenings, Archives and Research

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 The RAF open-air cinema in Sharjah, c.1943-44 (site of the Al Mahatta Museum), Akkasah.org

Repertory film screenings in the UAE are fairly scarce and often seasonal. We highly commend the work of the volunteer-run, and expertly programmed, CinemaSpace (Abu Dhabi) and that of artist and film curator Hind Mezaina, who has programmed at Louvre Abu Dhabi, Manarat al Saadiyat, and Alliance Française (Dubai) among others, as well as filmmaker Nawaf al Janahi's initiatives.

Venues

We've created a spreadsheet of cinemas, cultural centres, and universities that screen repertory film, sorted by Emirate, including links to websites and social media. Many of these are seasonal, so we recommend signing up for newsletters.

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Film Festivals

Many film festivals have come and gone, most notably the Abu Dhabi and Dubai international film festivals, but new ones appear each year and we have documented both current and defunct festivals in a spreadsheet containing the following data:

  • Emirate

  • Start Year

  • End Year (if defunct)

  • Month (if still active)

  • Hyperlink to festival website

  • Links to social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X)

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Archives​​


Articles and Research

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Museums/Exhibits


If we've missed a screening venue or film festival, please submit a form and we will add to the spreadsheets. 

If you have any questions about RepCinema, please contact us at contact@repcinema.com or for archives/UAE related questions: contact@jasminesoliman.com 

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