CineMAS 2026 runs from 18 to 24 May 2026 at Manarat Al Saadiyat.
The programme includes UAE short films and international features.
Highlights include Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, Sirat and Promised Sky.
The week-long alternative film festival takes place on Saadiyat Island.
Abu Dhabi’s alternative film scene takes centre stage this May, as CineMAS 2026 returns to Manarat Al Saadiyat with a seven-day programme dedicated to independent cinema, local storytelling and shared acts of watching.
Running from 18 to 24 May 2026, the festival is built around shifting “Zooms”, moving from the wider cityscape to more intimate, inward and imaginative ways of seeing. While the wider programme includes video walks, short-form showcases and live experiences, the heart of CineMAS 2026 lies in its film screenings, which bring together UAE filmmakers, acclaimed international directors and timeless cinema.
The screenings begin on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, with The Vile (HOBA). Directed by Majid Al Ansari, the 2025 UAE feature follows Amani, whose peaceful life as a wife and mother is disrupted when her husband brings home a second wife, unleashing mysterious dark forces inside their household. The Arabic-language film will screen with English subtitles, followed by a Q&A with acclaimed actress Bdoor Mohammed.
Local storytelling comes into focus on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, with a curated selection of UAE short films presented in collaboration with Arab Film Studio. The line-up includes Bundle of Joy by Majed Alzuabi, Umi by Ahmad Almulla, Itch by Fahad Al Suwaidi, Forthcoming by Aiham AlSubaihi, Thoub by Raihana Alhashmi, Made of Clay by Fayssal Bin Sahli, Shame by Fatima Al Mansoori, Umm Salama The Matchmaker by Mariam Alawadhi, Why Is My Grandfather’s Bed In Our Living Room? by Sarah Alhashmi, Mum by Mariam Alawadhi, Osha’s Gift by Hind Abdullah, and It’s Not About Ketchup by Nasser Saeed.
A second shorts programme follows on Thursday, 21 May 2026, curated by Abdulrahman Al Madani and supported by the Embassy of France in the United Arab Emirates. The award-winning selection includes Oug by Abdulrahman Al Madani, Yathoom by Hana Kazim, A Small Dream by Sarra Alshehhi, The Battle by Eman Alsayed, Noor by Thabit AlMawaly and Unsaid by Mansour Ahmed. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the directors.
CineMAS then turns to its international feature programme. On Friday, 22 May, audiences can watch Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, Jim Jarmusch’s 2025 film. Winner of the Golden Lion for Best Film at Venice, the drama follows estranged siblings forced to confront old tensions and reconsider their relationships with emotionally distant parents.
On Saturday, 23 May 2026, Sirat brings audiences into the mountains and deserts of southern Morocco. Directed by Oliver Laxe, the film follows a father and son searching for Mar, a missing daughter and sister, amid raves, fading hope and a journey into the wilderness. The film has received two Oscar nominations and the Jury Prize at Cannes.
The final day, Sunday, 24 May 2026, begins with Promised Sky by Erige Sehiri. Set in Tunis, the French and Arabic-language film follows Marie, Naney and Jolie as they shelter Kenza, a shipwreck survivor, creating an unconventional family shaped by crisis, care and reinvention.
CineMAS 2026 closes at Taparelle with a screening of Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid. The 1921 silent classic will be accompanied by a live DJ performance from Amin Fari, blending cinema and sound in an intimate setting. It offers a fitting finale to a festival that asks audiences not just to watch, but to look more closely.
Where: Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Cultural District, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
When: 18 to 25 May 2026
Contact: https://tickets.abudhabiculture.ae