Celebrating six consecutive years in Dubai, the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation will once again take place from November 6–8, showcasing six standout films. Bringing fresh perspectives and compelling stories from Hong Kong to the Middle East, this year, for the first time, it will include select outdoor screenings at Cinema Akil, 25 Hours Hotel, where guests can watch the movies under the stars, with the evening breeze and Dubai’s stunning skyline as the ultimate backdrop. The films will also be showcased at Cinema Akil,  Aleska Avenue for an original viewing experience.

With tickets priced at AED 67.20 per person and available online via www.cinemaakil.com, this year’s programme features six diverse Hong Kong films spanning dark comedy, urban romance, animation and high-octane action, reflecting the creativity, versatility and distinctive spirit of Hong Kong cinema. It kicks off on 6th November with the screening of Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024), directed by Soi CHEANG. A monumental triumph, it succeeded not only at the box office, becoming the second highest-grossing domestic release in Hong Kong history, but also swept eight awards at the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards. With breathless choreography and a deeply resonant nostalgic sensibility, the film serves as a dazzling homage to the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema. It vividly resurrects the gritty, fiercely alive spirit of the long-demolished Kowloon Walled City, captivating audiences in Hong Kong and worldwide.

From Hong Kong to Dubai: A Quintet of Contemporary Hong Kong Cinema Arrives

Five fresh cinematic stories from Hong Kong will also be showcased at this year’s Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation. On November 7th, Dog Day Evening (2026), directed and written by MAK Tin Shu, will screen at Cinema Akil, Alserkal Avenue at 4 pm, with the lead character, Takky (played by Yukki TAI), attending for a post-screening Q&A. Driven to extremes by a frustrating subscription issue, he storms into the customer service department and takes hostages, triggering a chaotic chain of events involving panicked executives and police negotiators. The film, which marks the feature directorial debut of award-winning screenwriter MAK Tin Shu, blends a social satire with black comedy to critique the frustrations of everyday urban life.

At 7 pm on the same day at The Yard at Alserkal Avenue, enjoy Jackie Chan’s all-time classic, Police Story (1985), under the Dubai night sky, showcasing the enduring charisma of Hong Kong cinema and plunging audiences straight into its exhilarating, practical action and legendary, bone-breaking stunt work shot without stunt doubles. Embodying the spirit of Hong Kong filmmakers that film scholar David BORDWELL famously described as “All too extravagant, too gratuitously wild,” the film captures a golden era of Hong Kong cinema when physical daring, gravity-defying choreography and relentless kinetic energy collide.

The last screening on 7th November will be at 9 pm at Cinema Akil, Alserkal Avenue, for the brand-new Dead End (2026), a feature debut by Isabella LAM Lok-hin, premiered just months ago at the Busan International Film Festival, selected for the Vision- Asia section. The psychological and mysterious thriller centers on a computer programmer whose ordinary life is violently upended. When a mysterious teenager suddenly appears claiming to be his brother, he is forced to confront long-buried trauma of the tragic, haunting past.

Then on 8 November at Cinema Akil, Alserkal Avenue, the visually breathtaking ‘made in Hong Kong’ animation Another World (2025) will kick off the afternoon with its screening at 4 pm. Directed by Tommy NG Kai Chung, who poured seven dedicated years of craftsmanship alongside his team into its production, the film unfolds in the ethereal space between life and rebirth, exploring the theme of death, anger, and grief. Marking a triumphant, breathtaking milestone for contemporary Hong Kong animation on the global stage.

Finally, at 7 pm on 8 November at Cinema Akil, Alserkal Avenue, The Dating Menu (2026), directed by Amos WHY and Frankie CHUNG, will close the festival. The film captures the essence of romance in modern urban cities, where people fall in love digitally, fate is determined by an algorithm, and romance is often processed like fast food: quick, disposable, and immediately replaced. The male protagonist, Link, a chef who works at an omakase restaurant and is skilled in preparing Japanese, Western, and Chinese all kinds of dishes that showcase the creativity Hong Kong cooks, and the city’s culinary diversity. It captures the resilient spirit of Hong Kong people and cinema through the universal language: food.

Butheina Kazim, Founder of Cinema Akil, looking forward to the event, saying, “Six years in, and this partnership still surprises us, as does Hong Kong cinema itself. This edition of the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation takes the films out of the theatre and into the open air, with Police Story beneath the Dubai sky. At the same time, the rest of the line-up reminds us how restless and inventive Hong Kong filmmakers remain. We are grateful to carry this tradition forward, year after year, bringing Dubai and Hong Kong closer, and continuing to inspire film lovers across the region.”

The event is presented by the Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA) in collaboration with Cinema Akil, the UAE’s first and only independent arthouse cinema. The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation 2026 is financially supported by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDAHK), the Film Development Fund (FDF), and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai (HKETO).