Raw emotion, bold ideas and indie brilliance light up Abu Dhabi’s Manarat Al Saadiyat this week
Forget explosions and happy endings – CineMAS 2025 has officially landed in Abu Dhabi, and it’s rewriting the script on what a film festival can be.
Running until 1 June at the ever-cool Manarat Al Saadiyat, this weeklong indie film experience is bursting with stories that cut deep, challenge norms, and get people talking.
And let’s be real – we need more of that.
This isn’t your average red-carpet affair. CineMAS is where cinema meets conscience, and every screening feels like a mini revolution.
View this post on Instagram
Each day of the festival is themed, thoughtfully curated by regional talents who know exactly how to punch through the noise and say something that sticks.
The schedule break down CineMAS 2025
View this post on Instagram
Monday kicks things off with ‘Moral Frictions’, a double feature curated by the trio behind Triplets on Set. It’s a raw dive into crumbling institutions through the eyes of worn-out educators. The films? The Teacher’s Lounge and About Dry Grasses. Expect a mental whirlwind.
Tuesday’s ‘Hidden Truths’ is all about what we don’t say out loud. Curated by Arab Film Studio, this emotionally charged short film series peels back the layers of everyday Emirati life – touching on everything from grief to cultural silence. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll probably text your mom.
Midweek, ‘Earth, Unmuted’ steps in with a climate wake-up call, thanks to The Climate Tribe. Invisible Demons and Honeyland paint a powerful, uncomfortable picture of environmental crisis that’s already unfolding – right now, in our own backyard.
Thursday brings ‘Ancestral Echoes’, a quiet, moving tribute to memory and heritage. Films like Rituals: Memories of a Wedding and The Way of Our Ancestors whisper forgotten truths straight to your heart.
Come Friday, it’s time to feel the pressure. ‘Pressure Point’ – curated by Like Minds – dives into identity, work, and loss with a dynamic pairing: Mandoob, a gripping Saudi noir, and the offbeat charm of Be Kind, Rewind.
Saturday’s ‘Double Lives’ shifts gears into darker territory – corruption, fractured identities, moral grey zones. These stories crisscross Algiers and Hong Kong, where nothing is quite what it seems, and loyalties are on a knife’s edge.
You might also like: Umm Al Emarat Park hosts Desert Storm challenge
And just when you think it can’t get more intense, Sunday’s finale, ‘Futures on Hold’, delivers a knockout trio of Arab films examining displacement, uncertainty, and identity in crisis. Expect goosebumps from To A Land Unknown, Thank You for Banking with Us, and Happy Holidays.
But CineMAS isn’t just about what’s on screen. The festival is alive with panel talks, collaborative dinners, creative networking spaces, and unexpected moments that spark long after the credits roll.
Think DINE W/ME, Creative Circle, and the Like Minds Gatherings – spaces where filmmakers and fans become part of something bigger.
So if you’re craving cinema that doesn’t just entertain but moves you – this is your moment.
CineMAS 2025 is here, and it’s telling stories that matter. Tickets here!
Running until 1 June at Manarat Al Saadiyat
Follow Yalla for all the latest news