Sharjah Art Foundation announces the launch of Sunday Cinema Club, a new addition to its year-round public programme. The weekly film club promotes shared viewing, discussion and learning, bringing together families, film enthusiasts and wider community audiences over the summer. The initiative is designed as three thematic segments highlighting child-friendly animated features, pioneering sci-fi films and significant works of Arab cinema. Each screening is followed by either a talk or a workshop expanding on the film’s cinematic language, historical context and social theme. 

By bringing together diverse cinematic traditions and perspectives, Sunday Cinema Club highlights film’s capacity to spark curiosity, foster dialogue and connect audiences across generations and cultures.

Taking place at 3:00 pm every Sunday from 5 July to 30 August 2026 at the Photography Gallery in Al Manakh, Sharjah, the programme also marks the latest activation of this recently opened venue as a space for public engagement and learning. 

Summer of Wonder: Animated Fantasies for Children and Families
5–19 July 2026

The opening series presents three acclaimed animated films that take audiences on a wondrous journey where transformation and time travel become a vehicle for understanding the self and the world. Featuring Song of the Sea(2014) by Tomm Moore; Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds (2023) by Benoît Chieux; and Mirai (2018) by Mamoru Hosoda, this family-friendly series shows us how imagination can help navigate emotions or overcome challenges.

Lunar Visions: Sci-Fi Films in the Space Age
26 July–9 August 2026

This three-film series demonstrates how international filmmakers expanded the possibilities of cinema in their respective eras to imagine the moon long before humanity set foot on its surface. Spanning three decades of innovation, the films include A Cosmic Voyage (1936), Vassili Zouravlev’s pioneering Soviet-era film renowned for its ambitious depiction of lunar travel; the Egyptian cult classic Journey to the Moon (Rihla Ila Alqamar) by Hamada Abdel Wahab (1959); and Stanley Kubrick’s groundbreaking masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

Uprooted Realities: Identity in Postcolonial Arab Cinema
16–30 August 2026

Delving into notions of belonging and displacement, this final series examines how camera composition and mise-en-scène articulate complex personal experiences. The series features West Beirut (1998) by Ziad Doueiri, a coming-of-age story set during the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War; Omar Gatlato (1977) by Merzak Allouache, a celebrated portrait of post-independence Algeria; and The Time That Remains (2009) by Elia Suleiman, a semi-autobiographical reflection on Palestinian history and everyday life.

All screenings are free and open to the public. Seating is limited and registration is recommended. 

For more information and to register, visit sharjahart.org.  

About Sharjah Art Foundation

Sharjah Art Foundation is an advocate, catalyst and producer of contemporary art within the Emirate of Sharjah and the surrounding region, in dialogue with the international arts community. The Foundation advances an experimental and wide-ranging programmatic model that supports the production and presentation of contemporary art, preserves and celebrates the distinct culture of the region and encourages a shared understanding of the transformational role of art. The Foundation’s core initiatives include the long-running Sharjah Biennial, featuring contemporary artists from around the world; the annual March Meeting, a convening of international arts professionals and artists; grants and residencies for artists, curators and cultural producers; ambitious and experimental commissions and a range of travelling exhibitions and scholarly publications.

Established in 2009 to expand programmes beyond the Sharjah Biennial, which launched in 1993, the Foundation is a critical resource for artists and cultural organisations in the Gulf and a conduit for local, regional and international developments in contemporary art. The Foundation’s deep commitment to developing and sustaining the cultural life and heritage of Sharjah is reflected through year-round exhibitions, performances, screenings and educational programmes in the city of Sharjah and across the Emirate, often hosted in historic buildings that have been repurposed as cultural and community centres. A growing collection reflects the Foundation’s support of contemporary artists in the realisation of new work and its recognition of the contributions made by pioneering modern artists from the region and around the world.

Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree and supported by government funding, grants from national and international nonprofits and cultural organisations, corporate sponsors and individual patrons. Hoor Al Qasimi serves as President and Director. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.

About Sharjah

Sharjah is the third largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, and the only one bridging the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Reflecting the deep commitment to the arts, architectural preservation and cultural education embraced by its ruler, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Sharjah is home to more than 20 museums and has long been known as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates. It was named UNESCO's Arab Capital of Culture for 1998 and the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2019.

 

Media Contact

Alyazeyah Al Marri    
alyazeyah@sharjahart.org
+971 (0)6 5444113