Cinema Akil will host the 2021 iteration of the Reel Palestine Film Festival. Mohamed Somji / Seeing Things
Cinema Akil will host the 2021 iteration of the Reel Palestine Film Festival. Mohamed Somji / Seeing Things
Cinema Akil will host the 2021 iteration of the Reel Palestine Film Festival. Mohamed Somji / Seeing Things
Cinema Akil will host the 2021 iteration of the Reel Palestine Film Festival. Mohamed Somji / Seeing Things

Reel Palestine Film Festival returns to Cinema Akil in 2021


Katy Gillett
  • English
  • Arabic

Independent cinema buffs will be pleased to hear the Reel Palestine Film Festival is set to return for a seventh time from January 22.

The community-driven event, which is run by volunteers, is a collaboration between Reel Palestine and art house movie theatre Cinema Akil. It aims to bring the best of cinema from Palestine and its diaspora to audiences in the UAE.

Reel Palestine Film Festival will run for nine days in 2021. Courtesy Reel Palestine
Reel Palestine Film Festival will run for nine days in 2021. Courtesy Reel Palestine

Stories of love, family, joy, heartbreak, dancing and the creative spirit of humanity are promised this year, as films by international award-winning directors, as well as up-and-coming first-time filmmakers, will be screened for nine days. This includes more than 25 narrative and documentary features, plus short films, in genres such as science fiction and romantic comedy.

Feature films on the programme include 200 Metres, directed by Ameen Nayfeh, which tells the story of Mustafa and his wife Salwa, who live 200 metres apart in villages separated by a wall.

Then there's Between Heaven and Earth, by Najwa Najjar, which revolves around the divorce of a couple who live in Ramallah.

Meanwhile, documentary Mayor, by director David Osit, follows Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah during his second term in office. Another documentary, Stranger at Home, tells the story of exiled Palestinian artist Kamal Boullata.

There are also a range of short films on the agenda. This includes nine by renowned Palestinian filmmakers under the title Reflections from Palestine during Covid-19.

What else is on the agenda?

The festival is about so much more than film. There will also be a souq, in collaboration with Kave at Alserkal Avenue, where people can peruse stalls by local vendors and enjoy workshops, such as embroidery and jewellery making, as well as an authentic Palestinian breakfast on select days.

Radio Alhara, a community radio project by artists, musicians and DJs that began in Bethlehem and Ramallah, will also be streaming daily at Cinema Akil.

Finally, Gulf Photo Plus will also be exhibiting the works of Yazan Kopty, who collaborated with filmmakers Dima Srouji, Milena Desse and Vivien Sansour in a series of conversations that connect archival images of Palestine with contemporary film.

For the full programme and screening times, click here.

Safety measures

Cinema Akil has implemented strict safety measures to keep festival-goers safe this year. This includes reducing the capacity of the cinema to 30 per cent, a maximum of 40 people.

Other measures include the cinema room and its seats being disinfected daily, a two-metre distance being kept between patrons, mandatory mask wearing, contactless payments and online ticket purchases, and bathrooms being disinfected after every use.

FINAL SCORES

Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs

(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)

Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs

(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)

Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)

Friday

Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)

Valencia v Levante (midnight)

Saturday

Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)

Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)

Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)

Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)

Sunday

Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)

Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)

Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)

While you're here
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

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Ticket prices

General admission Dh295 (under-three free)

Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free

Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets