Al Ain International Film Festival
Cinema of the Future
Founded in 2019 · Al Ain, UAE
Event Creation & Management
Six Editions. Created, Organized and Managed by Cinema Vision Films.
Official Organizing Company
Since its launch in 2019, Cinema Vision Films has been the official organising company of the Al Ain International Film Festival, creating and managing all six editions of an annual non-profit event that brings UAE, Arab and international cinema together in Al Ain, and that grew from a national platform into an international meeting point for filmmakers, audiences and industry professionals.
Running under the slogan “Cinema of the Future”, the company delivers the whole festival: feature, short and documentary competitions, public screenings at cultural and heritage venues, workshops and training for emerging filmmakers, panels and discussions, and the hosting of actors, directors and industry guests, alongside the partnerships, travel and logistics behind all of it.
- 2019 Established
- 6 Editions Organised
- Local to International Festival Growth
What Cinema Vision Delivers in Every Edition
Overview
An annual, non-profit festival from Al Ain
The Al Ain International Film Festival is an annual, non-profit event founded in 2019 by Emirati filmmaker Amer Salmeen Al Murry, built to give Emirati and emerging filmmakers a real platform and to place Al Ain on the international festival map.
Cinema of the Future
- Since its first edition, the festival has worked to support emerging talent, strengthen the film industry and encourage production, connecting Emirati cinema with regional and international audiences through competitions, screenings and workshops, and bringing cinema into the cultural setting of Al Ain.
Al Jahili Fort, the festival stage
The record
Six Editions of Cinema
From a local launch in 2019 to an established international standing, every edition organised and managed by Cinema Vision Films.
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2019
30 April – 3 May
First Edition
Launched under the slogan “Cinema of the Future,” the first edition established a new platform for Emirati, Gulf and emerging filmmaking talent, with six competition strands and a full programme of films and activities. It opened with The Treasure 2.
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2020
22 – 25 January
Second Edition
The festival returned to the historic Al Jahili Fort for its opening and closing ceremonies. Fifty four films competed, with fifteen world premieres and ten awards, and the edition welcomed leading Arab and Gulf film personalities.
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2021
23 – 27 January
Third Edition
Held through the exceptional conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the third edition adapted its screenings and activities around safety measures and virtual elements. Entries grew sharply to 378 submissions, new opportunities opened for students and UAE residents, and cultural exchange expanded through cooperation with the European Union.
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2022
23 – 27 January
Fourth Edition
Forty seven films competed as the festival continued its focus on Emirati, Gulf and emerging cinema. Workshops, lectures and panel discussions expanded the professional programme, and a cooperation agreement with Krakow Film Festival deepened the festival’s international outreach.
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2023
6 – 11 February
Fifth Edition
A turning point: the festival formally gained international status and introduced the International Falcon Feature Competition. Sixty six local, regional and international films were presented, African cinema was celebrated as a major guest programme, and the festival represented Al Ain at the Cannes Film Market.
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2024
4 – 8 February
Sixth Edition
The sixth edition continued the festival’s international direction under the theme Green Cinema, connecting environmental awareness with film through new sustainability-focused programming. Local, Gulf, Arab and international films competed, marking five years of growth and six editions delivered.
World Cinema
From the World’s Festival Circuit to Al Ain
Across six editions, Al Ain International Film Festival connected audiences in Al Ain with films travelling through international festivals, opening nights and curated world-cinema programmes. What began with Cinema of the World developed into a broader international programme and, from the fifth edition, the Falcon International Feature Film Competition.
Opening films, award-winning discoveries and international competition titles brought cinema from across the Arab world, Europe, Africa and Asia to Festival screens in Al Ain.
Selected Films
- You Will Die at Twenty
- Heliopolis
- The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic
- Feathers
- Saint Omer
- Rebel
- Holy Spider
- Last Film Show
- White Plastic Sky
- Whispers of Fire & Water
- Gondola
International Relations
Building Bridges Through Cinema
From the Festival’s earliest editions, founder and Festival Director Amer Salmeen Al Murry worked to connect Al Ain with filmmakers, festival leaders and cultural institutions beyond the UAE. Agreements, jury participation and international market presence expanded the Festival’s network and created new channels for film exchange, professional dialogue and cultural cooperation.
From early partnerships in India and the Gulf to European cultural programming, Krakow, Cannes and Kazan, these relationships helped move Al Ain International Film Festival from a new local platform toward an increasingly international presence.
- 2019 New Delhi + Saudi Festival Partnerships
- 2021 European Cultural Cooperation
- 2022 Krakow Agreement
- 2022 Krakow International Jury
- 2022 Cannes Film Market
- 2023 Kazan Cooperation
Archive
Ceremonies, Screenings and Guests
Programme
The Festival Experience
Six things every visitor and participant finds across each edition of the festival.
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Film Competitions
Feature, short and documentary films compete across several official categories every edition.
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Public Film Screenings
Public screenings run throughout the festival across multiple venues in Al Ain.
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Workshops & Training
Hands-on training and workshops give emerging filmmakers real production experience.
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Panels & Discussions
Discussion sessions bring together industry specialists and international guests.
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Stars & Guests
Actors, directors and industry guests take part throughout the programme.
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Cultural & Heritage Venues
Festival events are hosted at heritage sites such as Al Jahili Fort.
Development
From Al Ain to the International Festival Circuit
Across six editions, the festival grew from a local platform into a stop on the international festival map.
- Local
- Gulf
- Arab
- International
- International cultural partnerships built across successive editions
- Cooperation with European cultural partners
- A cooperation agreement with Krakow Film Festival
- Festival presence at the Cannes Film Market
- Cooperation with international festival partners
- including Kazan
- The fifth edition formally gained international status
Founder
Amer Salmeen Al Murry
Founder & Festival Director
Emirati filmmaker Amer Salmeen Al Murry founded the Al Ain International Film Festival in 2019 and led its growth across six editions.
The festival was founded with a clear objective: supporting Emirati filmmakers and emerging talent, and establishing Al Ain as a recognised location on the international festival map.
Under his leadership, the festival’s local, Gulf, Arab and international programme expanded, its international partnerships and cultural exchange developed, and its presence reached the Cannes Film Market.
The fifth edition marked a major step as the festival formally moved to international status, and by the sixth edition he was publicly described as the festival’s President and Artistic Director.
Discover the Festival
Discover the Festival
The festival’s own website carries its latest news and full programme.