The Korean Film Festival Abu Dhabi returns to Manarat Al Saadiyat from 25–27 September with six free screenings covering drama, action, crime and supernatural horror. Tickets are free, but visitors must reserve a place in advance through the festival website.
Presented by the Korean Cultural Centre in the UAE with Manarat Al Saadiyat, the programme is titled Still Human. The films look at how people hold on to dignity and connection during crisis, danger and change. It is a fairly broad brief, which is useful when the schedule includes both a haunted grave and a fight to build a railway station.
Korean Film Festival Abu Dhabi: films and showtimes
The opening film is Miracle: Letters to the President, a 2021 drama about a teenager and his rural community campaigning for a railway station. It screens on Friday, 25 September at 7pm.
Saturday begins with Don’t Buy the Seller at 2pm, a 15+ thriller about an online marketplace scam that turns into stalking and harassment. Noryang: Deadly Sea, a historical action film about Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s final naval battle, follows at 4.30pm. Exhuma, the supernatural horror film starring Kim Go-eun and Choi Min-sik, screens at 7.30pm.
The final day starts with The Point Men at 4pm on Sunday, 27 September. The thriller, starring Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin, is inspired by the 2007 hostage crisis in Afghanistan. Picnic closes the festival at 6.30pm, following two older women returning to their hometown and confronting old friendships and family tensions.
Booking the Abu Dhabi screenings
Admission is free for all six films, but prebooking is required. Check the Korean Film Festival website for reservations and any ticketing updates before travelling to Manarat Al Saadiyat. The programme is a useful addition to Abu Dhabi’s September culture calendar, alongside Animenia Abu Dhabi 2026 at Manarat Al Saadiyat and the Studio Ghibli exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat.
The full programme and film details are reported by The National, which confirms the screening dates, times and age rating for Don’t Buy the Seller.
Which films are best for horror fans?
Exhuma is the festival’s supernatural horror choice, while Don’t Buy the Seller offers a grounded thriller about online fraud, stalking and cyber harassment.
Can younger viewers attend every screening?
No. Don’t Buy the Seller is listed as 15+. Check the booking information for any updated age guidance before reserving seats.
Should visitors reserve before arriving at Manarat Al Saadiyat?
Yes. The screenings are free, but admission is by prebooking, so visitors should reserve through the festival website before travelling.
