European Film Festival Abu Dhabi 2026 in Abu Dhabi

Gloria (Italy)- 1h 46min

• In 1800, at a girls' school in Venice, isolated and supposedly mute domestic servant Teresa discovers the joy that music can bring, teaming up with a group of talented girls. 

A Real Job (France)- 1h 40 mins

• Benjamin, a PhD student in need of money and under the pressure of his parents, becomes a substitute teacher in a middle school. Without any experience and faced with a weakened institution, he discovers the difficulties of the profession. 

Elvis Starling (Slovenia)- 1h 31 mins

• Elvis (14), misunderstood by the world, swears by comics, chemistry and Hana, the most beautiful girl in school. His life changes completely when his parents divorce and he shares a home with his mother, younger sister and grandmother. 

The Village Next To Paradise (Austria) – 2HRS 12m

• A newly formed family confronts challenges while pursuing individual goals and facing the intricacies of modern life, relying on love, trust, and resilience to guide them. 

Close Your Eyes (Spain)- 2h 49 mins

• A famous Spanish actor, Julio Arenas, disappears while filming a movie. Although his body is never found, the police conclude that he has suffered an accident at a cliff by the sea. Many years later, the mystery is brought up once more by a TV program that tries to evoke the actor, offering as a scoop images of the last scenes in which he participated, shot by his close friend, director Miguel Garay. 

The Taste of Freedom (Ukraine)- 1 hr 57 mins

• A young cook runs away to pursue her dream of becoming a chef at a prestigious restaurant in the city. Though when she stumbles upon a cookbook from 1929, authored by the legendary chef Olga Franko, her life takes an unexpected turn. 

Kensuke’s Kingdom (Luxembourg)- 1 hr 25 mins

• Young Michael, shipwrecked on a remote island, must adapt to life alone. Over time, he feels another presence, learning that this world is home to both unimaginable danger and beauty.  

The Secret of Pin-Up Island (Romania)- 1 hr 47 mins

• An AI-driven, cutting-edge therapy revolutionizes depression treatment for women. Alesia's subconscious embarks on a virtual journey where reality and fantasy intertwine, forcing her to confront past demons to reclaim her mental health. 

Superpowers for your mind (Netherlands)- 1hr 32 mins

• Lev, an insecure boy, leads a dull life with annoying parents who restrict him. However, everything changes when his cool, rebellious grandma shows up at his doorstep and sweeps him away on an exciting adventure to discover his own superpowers. 

Runner (Lithuania)- 1 hr 27 mins

• Marija (27) is on a frantic search for her boyfriend, cut loose during his latest psychotic episode. Armed with patience and love, she chases random clues through the city. A story of sacrifice and the achievement of total freedom. 

The Theft of the Caravaggio (Malta)- 1h 30 mins

• Orpheus wakes to discover a priceless Caravaggio painting stolen from St. John's Cathedral in Valletta while under his watch. With the city on edge, a detective is brought in from Washington to aid the local police in solving the case. 

Invincibles (Czechia)- 2 hrs

• A passionate coach and manager drives the whole country crazy in an underrated sport during the World Para Ice Hockey Championship. With a consistently sold out arena and fantastic atmosphere, emotions are everywhere. 

Lakelands! (Ireland)- 1h 40 mins

• After an attack on a night out, Cian, a young Gaelic footballer, struggles to comes to terms with a career-ending injury. Lakelands follows him as he undertakes a search for his own identity in a small town in the midlands, where Gaelic football is a religion and identity is defined by what you can do on the pitch. 

Stelios (Greece)- 2h 12 mins

• Legendary Greek singer Stelios Kazantzidis, a Pontic refugee child who overcame challenges through talent and resilience, exploring his music, relationships, hardships, and devoted fanbase. 

The Queen and the Smokehouse (Poland)- 1 hr 5 mins

• As she confronts her health issues, Miecia, the owner of an iconic Polish smokehouse, comes face to face with the consequences of a lifetime devoted to work. 

Oug (UAE) - 10 mins

• A childless Emirati couple set to buy a gift for their newborn nephew, only to find themselves caught between family expectations and social pressure to have children. When the husband's overbearing mother arrives unannounced, buried tensions rise to the surface.

• Set in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah, the film follows the Hebsi, Shehi, and other tribes whose traditions, from stone homes to the Nadba call, have endured for centuries. It reveals civilization not as cities or monuments, but as the stories, rituals, and bonds carried across generations.

• Namoos traces an Emirati woman’s first competitive camel race through fragments of memory and motion.

• Two childhood friends meet seemingly to catch up, but one of them is carrying a secret that changed the others life in ways he never knew.

By car: There are many ways to reach your destination including heading northwest on 18th Street/Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street, slight left toward Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street, and making a sharp left onto Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street. GPS navigation is highly advised.

By public transportation: You can easily reach your destination by taking buses 24, 23, 41, or 42 to the Shk. Rashid Bin Saeed St / Hamdan St bus stop, followed by a four-minute walk.