Butheina Kazim: Redefining Independent Cinema and Cultural Leadership in the Middle East

Sometimes known as the city of skyscrapers or the capital of luxury, Dubai is becoming home to burgeoning arts and culture due in large part to trailblazers like Butheina Kazim. She is the founding member of Cinema Akil, Dubai’s first art house cinema, revolutionizing the country’s cultural landscape with the inclusion of independent and alternative cinema. Valuable contributions to the arts other than cinema include television, radio, and documentary filmmaking. Butheina’s tale is that of passion, creativity, and the will to bring diverse voices forward.

Butheina Kazim launched the Cinema Akil in the year 2014 to fill the cultural gap in Dubai’s entertainment scene. It is unlike mainstream cinemas around this city; it is rather a haven for cinephiles who yearn for something more than blockbuster films. It showcases selected independent, foreign, and classic films that would not normally reach the audience in the Middle East. This is a cinema that is to become at once a place of culture, bringing together eclectic persons who seek to see, through different eyes, via the medium of film. Cinema Akil started with a series of pop-up screenings all over Dubai, finding its eventual permanent home in Alserkal Avenue-a bustling arts area within the city. Indeed, eclectic cinema was programmed as inclusively ranging across the world from documentaries to retrospectives, even in the experimental works. Such eclectic sense of programming has made Cinema Akil a beacon to those seeking alternative narratives and voices, placing it as a critical player in the region’s cultural dialogue.

Long before founding Cinema Akil, Butheina Kazim had already begun her journey into the world of cinema and culture, by returning from studies in New York to the UAE and launching a career in television and radio. It was her work in the media that laid the ground for later pathways; it was through this medium that she gained the resources and insight through which she could survey and shape the UAE’s cultural landscape. As much as Butheina is dedicated to activism, so cinema is. She has conceptualized global cinema pop-ups to bring independent films to new audiences and create areas of cultural exchange. This does not go unnoticed, and she has been invited onto several prestigious international film festivals as a jury member, shaping the global conversation on cinema.

Butheina Kazim’s journey into the world of cinema and culture began long before she founded Cinema Akil. After completing her studies in New York, she returned to the UAE and embarked on a career in television and radio. Her work in media laid the groundwork for her later ventures, providing her with the skills and insights needed to navigate and influence the cultural landscape of the UAE. Butheina’s passion for cinema is matched by her dedication to advocacy. She has curated cinema pop-ups on a global scale, bringing independent films to new audiences and creating spaces for cultural exchange. Her work has not gone unnoticed; she has been invited to serve as a jury member at several prestigious international film festivals, where she has helped shape the global conversation around cinema. In 2010, Butheina produced the short documentary “Letters to Palestine,” an evocative exploration into identity, belonging, and resistance. This film gained international acclaim because of its touching storytelling and capturing of almost all the complexities involved in the Palestinian experience. The project testifies to Butheina’s commitment to using cinema as an agency for social change and her belief in the power of storytelling to bridge divides.


Butheina Kazim has been recognized through a number of major contributions in the field of the arts. Her work has been underscored by prizes that praise cultural effectiveness, both in the UAE and worldwide. These awards are a testimony to a leadership of vision and an ability to translate passion for the arts into concrete and impactful projects, crossing across diverse audiences. Cinema Akil, under Butheina’s mentorship, has taken this role: gone from being an influencer of Dubai’s cultural scene into one of the greater Middle East film scenes. The cinema has hosted a wide range of film festivals, film discussions, workshops, etc., and in the process creates a pool of filmmakers, critics, and independent film enthusiasts. This results in a grassroots-powered platform in which ideas are shared, and creativity is celebrated in all forms.