Since its inception, Cinema Akil has redefined independent cinema in the UAE, offering a carefully curated selection of films that challenge, inspire, and captivate audiences.
At the heart of this cultural movement is Butheina Kazim, the visionary founder behind the region’s only arthouse cinema.
With the recent launch of Cinema Akil’s second outpost at 25hours Hotel Dubai, Kazim continues to champion cinematic storytelling, fostering a deeper appreciation for films beyond the mainstream. In this conversation, she shares her insights on the evolution of the film industry in the region, the growing appetite for independent cinema, and what this exciting expansion means for the future of film culture in the UAE.
Tell us what you’re currently working on.
Cinema Akil 25Hours launched in November 2023, and we’ve now had a full season of that and are doubling down on activating that space. It’s something that’s continuously keeping us busy, both in terms of an activation space and primarily as a cinema. It has very different dynamics from the first Cinema Akil, and it attracts a very different audience, which is exciting for us. The partnership with 25Hours Hotel has also been great and has influenced the way we think about transient audiences as opposed to the resident base that we used to rely on at Al Serkal Avenue. Our visitors there are more transient and are often less familiar with Cinema Akil already, so that has been different for us, but it’s been very exciting. We’re trying a lot of different things, different types of programming, and we are also using the space and an events venue. It’s a very exciting time to be in this location, and there will definitely be a lot more happening around that district moving forward, so we’re very happy to be there and to see it grow.
How are you differentiating between Cinema Akil 25 Hrs and Cinema Akil Al Serkal Avenue?
There is obviously a common denominator – we’re still an arthouse cinema, we’re still focused on independent, alternative classics, but we do consider the fact that it’s a public screening space and that they do have very different audiences. At 25Hours, we consider what audiences coming to visit Dubai might want to see or be surprised to see when coming here and staying at the hotel. We want to leave people with a memory. We believe that you could watch a film while visiting Dubai, and it could define your entire experience. Our focus on regional cinema remains very important, as well as considering the dynamic of public cinema screenings in an area that is still currently an office district. We consider what mindset people might be in when they come to us and how we can extend a sanctuary escape for them, but still within the realm of the kind of programming we’re interested in. We show a lot of classics and cult films. It was built as a design-forward space, so we also consider this in our offering. We focus on films that are lifestyle, fashion or music focused, or even if it’s a cult film, perhaps something that has a useful or interesting contribution to those sectors. And then, finally, we also show films that continue to take risks in their format. These are films that we might have shown at Cinema Akil as part of a festival, but by showing them here, it gives audiences a chance to miss what they might have missed out on previously. We are also opening our doors to new partners that do things in that district, allowing us to further expand our offering and our partners to use our screen in different ways. This is something we are trying to do more of, and I don’t think we have seen the full capacity of the space yet. We are also expanding our screenings and programmes across the Gulf, which is an exciting opportunity we want to pursue.
We know you recently spoke at the Berlinale – tell us about this experience and what you shared with the audience.
I am personally very busy with a lot of festivals and opportunities to talk and interact with others in the industry on a global scale. I just came back from the Berlinale, where I participated in a conference called Cinema Vision 2030, which is organised by the independent exhibitors’ network across Europe. It was a full day of discussing the best practices in the industry and looking at the future of cinema as well as trends and changes affecting the industry. It was a great experience.
What is the current vision for Cinema Akil as a physical space and also as a brand?
We have always been about collaboration. We want to continue to do what we do and continue to be welcoming and thriving and obviously adapt to the changes both on the industry side and the community side. Al Serkal Avenue is not what it used to be when we first opened in terms of its growth and its changes, and that partnership has been at the heart of our longevity and our plans. We are here to stay, and we’re doubling down on our programming that started off as experiments and is now our core cornerstone of what we do. Arab Cinema Week, for example, will soon be going into its fourth volume, and it’s a great opportunity for us to celebrate cinema in the region. We have key programming throughout the year that have become very successful, so we will be aiming to keep those intact and grow them.
We also want to continue with and grow our pop-ups. We have one currently in Abu Dhabi at the Public Biennale, the first of its kind to happen in the capital. It’s extremely aligned with our vision and our connection to public engagement and celebration of public space as a congregation. So, we are holding a multi-part series of screenings across different venues in the city in response to the public art commissions there.
We also have a collaboration with L’ECOLE Van Cleef & Arpels. This is our third collaboration with them, and we are currently running our third edition of the Jewel of Cinema programme.
We intend to explore how cinema can be a part of everyday life. We are working towards this goal while keeping the core of our business healthy. We are always looking for new collaborations and partners and are exploring exciting ways to use cinema and cinematic language to bring spaces or festivals to life.
With so many openings and constant changes in Dubai, how do you ensure you stay relevant and popular with your platform?
There is a slightly insane modus operandi at play, and the way we do things is different from that of a typical arthouse cinema. A typical art house would engage with a theatrical programme throughout the year, and that’s how they connect with their visitors. We do things very differently here. We’re constantly part of different scenes and conversations. Cinema is our core, but we believe that cinema influences everything in life, so we’re able to touch all of these sectors – music, fashion, culture, design, architecture history – through our spaces and our activations. So, I think that really defines what Cinema Akil is about. Our thirst and need to contribute to things that are outside of our realm and be part of something bigger than us.
What’s the biggest challenge?
Cinema is not the most lucrative industry. There is the curiosity that drives us to do a lot of different things, but there’s also a financial need to ensure we continue to be sustainable. We have to do a lot of different things that, typically, a theatrical space wouldn’t necessarily have to do. We are self-funded and self-sustaining, and I think there has been a creative challenge in that, but it remains a challenge. There is also constantly changing legislation that we have to consider.
We would love to offer film workshops or courses, but we can’t do everything all at once. So one of the biggest challenges is really wanting to be an authentic representation to the societies we are part of, but we are on the receiving end of a larger eco-system that defines what gets made, what gets told and what is giving privilege. And still on the other hand, our focus is on this region, and our bigger mission is to create a space for our stories of this region to be told and treated with respect, and there are still a lot of challenges that are beyond us in terms of allowing films to be made and distributed etc.
What do you think has changed in the film industry in this region, and how is it seen on a global level?
Having people from this region in decision-making capacities in places where they can influence what stories get told and who gets a space is helpful. There is a lot more awareness and conversation around it, and I think at least in our lifetime as Cinema Akil, we’ve seen the conversation change, and we’ve seen a younger generation born into that. They really embrace it fully, and diversity is no longer something that has to be ticked off a checklist but more something that is part of the richness of being, and I think that’s important. We need to keep pushing in that direction and also resist the inclination and hardship that comes with this. In our capacity, it’s about programming the films that we take a bet on or push forward because we believe in them.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt throughout your career?
I’m still learning! Looking back, it’s almost ten years since I did the first Cinema Akil pop-up, and I think the lesson would be to have a certain trust in an intuitive process that I didn’t necessarily employ at the beginning of the journey. You can’t keep employing the same approach of doing things when you’re in start-up mode or when you’re more developed as an organisation. So trust in your own mistakes.
As a successful female entrepreneur, what advice would you give women who are worried about following their dreams?
Stop listening to advice and stop asking for it; just do your thing! Nobody is doing everything right, and we are always seeking validation, which, yes, can be a beautiful thing that we should lean into, but sometimes it overtakes us, and it becomes disempowering to need a reference point constantly. So don’t listen to advice too much; sometimes you must go with your gut.
Who is a woman who inspires you?
I have a thing for women above the age of 75! Artists, creators, filmmakers, storytellers, even just everyday women. They have a certain sense of knowledge, and they’re past the questioning and comparisons. They have it figured out. So, I like to look at those women for inspiration.
There are many inspiring women from the world of cinema who have reinvented themselves over and over again through different stages of their lives. They are ocean-like. There are also women here on earth and around me everywhere I look. I categorise these women as the women of the sisterhood. The women that lift each other up in order to progress. We create opportunities for each other, build together, and reach out when help is needed. I think there is a particular type of woman that practices this in every step, and I have been very lucky to be around so many of them.
What would you still like to achieve?
There’s so much! I still feel like we’re at the beginning of the journey. I would love to continue to build spaces in different forms. I would love to see how cinema can become central to different environments both nomadically and permanently. That is our expansion plan. It’s about how we listen, how we connect with communities, and how we bring people together. Al Serkal Avenue today is nothing like it was in the beginning; the community happened, and that’s what we believe is how we can start with other projects.
I would also love to take on more concerts and work with musicians and also see what other extensions the cinema can try out, whether it’s concerts, design spaces, placemaking, or bringing people together in many different ways. Integrating cinema into urban planning and community environments is also very interesting to me, and that’s something we continue to be engaged in.
What else is in the pipeline for 2025?
There will be more of 25Hours programming, which will continue to run until April, and then the second wave of that will start in October. We have our regular programming at Cinema Akil Al Serkal Avenue. We have Arab Cinema Week coming up. We have the Franco Film Festival and the Hong Kong Film festival. A summer of classics is a rare opportunity to see films on the big screen that you might not usually get to see. We do have some interesting F&F collaborations happening through our partner Project Chaiwala and we’re going to have more of those coming up.
