Cinema Akil

Cinema Akil Cinema Akil is the UAE’s first and only independent cinema platform that brings quality films from across the world to the audiences in the UAE.
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About Cinema Akil
Cinema Akil is the UAE’s first and only independent cinema platform that brings quality films from across the world to the audiences in the UAE. Showcasing directors and filmmakers across decades, Cinema Akil aims to create awareness and interest in film and the cinematic arts while amplifying the exposure of international films to a regional audience. Launched in 2014 as a nomad

ic cinema, Cinema Akil has held over 75 pop-up cinemas attracting over 85,000 attendees in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah In 2022, Cinema Akil also held its first-ever regional pop-up in Doha during the World Cup followed by a popup in Al Ula, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2023. In September 2018, Cinema Akil opened its first permanent location in Al Quoz, Dubai making its flagship home the GCC’s first arthouse cinema which has been brought to you in partnership with Alserkal. In November 2023, Cinema Akil in 25hours Hotel Dubai opened its purpose-built space as a seasonal outdoor outpost acting as a public cinema and multipurpose venue in Dubai One Central. The independent cinema has grown to launch the UAE’s first-ever Arab Cinema Week in 2022 to celebrate Arab Cinema and has also hosted global film festivals to bring innovative cinematic artworks from the lands of Hong Kong and Italy here in the GCC region. Cinema Akil is a member of the Network of Arab Alternative Screens (NAAS) which includes members from the MENA region such as Metropolis in Beirut, Zawya in Cairo and Cinematheque du Tangier in Morocco. www.cinemaakil.com // Facebook - Cinema Akil // Instagram -



حول سينما عقيل
سينما عقيل هي الدار السينمائية المستقلة الأولى والوحيدة في دولة الإمارات، وهي تُقدم عروض أفلام عالمية مميزة للجمهور في دولة الإمارات. وتهدف سينما عقيل، التي تعرض أهم أعمال وإبداعات المخرجين وصنّاع الأفلام لعقودٍ طويلة، إلى تعزيز الوعي والاهتمام بالأفلام والفنون السينمائية وتقديم الأفلام العالمية إلى الجمهور في المنطقة. تأسست سينما عقيل عام 2014 كسينما متنقلة، وكانت تضم تحت مظلتها أكثر من75سينما مؤقتة تجتذب ما يزيد عن 85 ألفاً من الحضور في دبي وأبوظبي والشارقة. وفي سبتمبر 2018، افتتحت سينما عقيل أول موقع دائم لها في منطقة القوز بدبي، مما جعلها أول دار سينما على الإطلاق في دول الخليج العربي بالشراكة مع السركال أفنيو، في نوفمبر 2023، افتتحت سينما عقيل في فندق 25 آورز دبي تحت اسم "سينما عقيل في ٢٥ ساعة" وهي مساحة خارجية تعمل بشكل موسمي كسينما عامة وكجناح متعدد الأغراض في دبي وان سنترال. وتطورت السينما المستقلة لتحتفي بالسينما العربية من خلال إطلاق أسبوع السينما العربية في عام 2022 لأول مرة في دولة الإمارات، كما استضافت مهرجانات سينمائية عالمية لتقديم أعمال سينمائية مبتكرة من هونج كونج وإيطاليا في دول الخليج العربي. وأقامت سينما عقيل أول سينما مؤقتة إقليمية لها في الدوحة خلال بطولة العالم لكرة القدم 2022. وتُعتبر سينما عقيل عضواً في شبكة الشاشات العربية البديلة ناس، التي تضم أعضاءً من منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا مثل ميتروبوليس في بيروت وزاوية في القاهرة وسينماتك طنجة في المغرب.

الموقع الإلكتروني: www.cinemaakil.com // فيسبوك - Cinema Akil // إنستاجرام - CinemaAkil@

13/06/2026

Sudanese community, this one is for you.

Director Suzannah Mirghani has a special message for you... and trust us, you’ll want to hear it. 👀

After a standout run during Arab Cinema Week, Cotton Queen returns by popular demand.

Set in a Sudanese cotton farming village, the film follows a teenage girl as she confronts modern development and tradition while fighting for her community and self-determination.

A moving story rooted in Sudan, carried by remarkable performances, and one of the most talked about films of the festival.

If you missed it the first time, don’t miss it again.

🎟️ Now screening for a limited time.

The first screening of Do You Love Me filled every seat, followed by a live Q&A with director Lana Daher 🎥Missed it? Thi...
13/06/2026

The first screening of Do You Love Me filled every seat, followed by a live Q&A with director Lana Daher 🎥

Missed it? This is your second chance.

Join us on June 14 for another full-house screening experience and an exclusive post film Q&A with Lana Daher! 🎤 Be part of the conversation, hear directly from the filmmaker, and experience the film with an engaged audience.

Seats are limited. Don’t wait until it’s sold out again.

13/06/2026

What if everything you remember is incomplete?

What if the archive is full of gaps?

What if the people who lived through it remember it differently?

DO YOU LOVE ME by Lana Daher doesn't offer easy answers. Instead, it sifts through decades of home movies, found footage, and forgotten fragments, assembling a portrait of Beirut that is as contradictory, beautiful, and fractured as memory itself.

This is the film everyone has been talking about! 🚨

Now screening at Cinema Akil in Alserkal Avenue

We’re doing it again.🎥 On JUNE 18, Do You Love Me by Lana Daher screens as part of one of its always FULL HOUSE screenin...
12/06/2026

We’re doing it again.

🎥 On JUNE 18, Do You Love Me by Lana Daher screens as part of one of its always FULL HOUSE screenings.

And this time, it’s followed by something different.

TALK TO STRANGERS, an invitation to stay in the room, turn to the people beside you, and actually speak to them.

Because a packed cinema is one thing.
But a packed cinema that talks to each other is another.

No pressure. No scripts. Just show up.
And stay a little longer than usual.

🎟️ Link in bio or box office.

Missed them the first time around? Or ready to watch them again? 👀Following a week of packed screenings during Arab Cine...
12/06/2026

Missed them the first time around? Or ready to watch them again? 👀

Following a week of packed screenings during Arab Cinema Week, a selection of audience favourites returns to our screens this weekend alongside a new release.

Showing this weekend:

• Do You Love Me by Lana Daher
• A Sad And Beautiful World by Cyril Aris
• My Father and Qaddafi by Jihan K.
• Cotton Queen by Suzannah Mirghani
• Power Ballad by John Carney

Whether you’re catching up on a film you missed or revisiting one that stayed with you, there’s still time to be part of the conversation.

🎟️ Tickets and showtimes available on our website and box office!

IT SOLD OUT DURING ARAB CINEMA WEEK. NOW YOU HAVE ONE LAST CHANCE. ⏳🚨If you missed My Father and Gaddafi during its pack...
12/06/2026

IT SOLD OUT DURING ARAB CINEMA WEEK. NOW YOU HAVE ONE LAST CHANCE. ⏳🚨

If you missed My Father and Gaddafi during its packed and sold out screenings at Arab Cinema Week, this is your moment.

🎬 ONE SPECIAL SCREENING ONLY
📅 This Saturday, June 13

A deeply personal and powerful documentary by Jihan K., "My Father and Qaddafi" Documentary follows the filmmaker’s search for answers about her father’s mysterious disappearance under Muammar Gaddafi’s regime. Blending family history with political memory, the film uncovers a story of loss, resilience, and the pursuit of truth.

One of the most talked about films of Arab Cinema Week returns for a special one time screening.

Seats are limited. Don’t miss your chance to experience this extraordinary film on the big screen.

🎟 Book your tickets now before they sell out!

12/06/2026

The final curtain has fallen on Arab Cinema Week Volume 5. 🎬

Over the past week, our screens were filled with stories of memory, love, resilience, identity, and belonging. From packed houses and sold out screenings to thought provoking conversations, the festival brought filmmakers and audiences together, reminding us of cinema’s power to connect us across borders and experiences.

From Beirut to Khartoum, from intimate documentaries to deeply moving works of fiction, the festival showcased stories from across the Arab world stories that will continue to resonate long after the credits rolled.

While Arab Cinema Week has come to a close, the journey doesn’t end here. A selection of films from the programme will continue screening with us in the coming weeks.

Visit our website to explore what’s still showing and plan your next visit.

Thank you for being part of this chapter.

11/06/2026

A full house during Arab Cinema Week and still filling seats. Due to high demand, A Sad and Beautiful World by Cyril Aris continues its run!

A tender, quietly devastating portrait of love, loss, and everything in between.

Headsup .. tickets are running fast! 🎟️

Sold out. Sold out. Sold out.Some films find an audience.Some films create a moment.Following overwhelming demand during...
11/06/2026

Sold out. Sold out. Sold out.

Some films find an audience.

Some films create a moment.

Following overwhelming demand during Arab Cinema Week, Do You Love Me by Lana Daher continues at Cinema Akil from JUNE 12! 🎥

Built from 70 years of found footage, home movies, and archival fragments, the film reconstructs Beirut through memory, absence, and everything that official histories leave behind. Intimate and expansive at once, it is a work that doesn't simply document a city it confronts the way we remember it.

This is the film people have been talking about.

The film people have been returning to.

The film people couldn't get tickets for.

Now it's BACK.

And on June 14, audiences will have the opportunity to stay for a special Q&A with director Lana Daher following the screening.

🎟️ Link in bio or box office.

What happens when your biggest break belongs to someone else?Coming soon to Cinema Akil, by John Carney is a sharp, fu...
11/06/2026

What happens when your biggest break belongs to someone else?

Coming soon to Cinema Akil, by John Carney is a sharp, funny, and irresistibly music-filled comedy-drama about talent, ambition, and the messy business of recognition.

When a washed-up wedding singer shares an original song with a fading boy-band star, he doesn't expect it to become the hit that revives the other man's career. But as success takes off and credit disappears, admiration turns into obsession, sending both men down an increasingly unpredictable path.

Packed with humour, heart, and John Carney's signature love of music, Power Ballad asks a deceptively simple question: who owns a song, and what are we willing to sacrifice to be heard?

Address

Warehouse G59
Dubai

Opening Hours

Tuesday 18:00 - 22:00
Wednesday 18:00 - 22:00
Thursday 18:00 - 22:00
Friday 18:00 - 22:00
Saturday 15:00 - 22:00
Sunday 15:00 - 22:00

Telephone

+971569951225

Website

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