MAD Solutions is proud to announce that the critically acclaimed feature film COTTON QUEEN will officially launch its theatrical release across the UAE starting Thursday, June 11th.
 
Audiences can experience this vital piece of contemporary Arab cinema at the country's premier theater locations. This release is part of CineMAD, a pioneering pan‑Arab film season launched by MAD Solutions to bring festival‑celebrated Arab films to cinemas across the region.
 
Cinema AKIL — the GCC’s first independent cinema platform — will also host exclusive screenings in partnership with MAD Solutions, bringing this award-winning masterpiece to the heart of the region's arthouse community.
 
The full list of participating premier theater locations includes:
●     Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall
●     VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates
●     VOX Cinemas – Yas Mall (Abu Dhabi)
●     Roxy Cinemas – City Walk
●     Roxy Cinemas – Al Khawaneej
●     Cinema Akil – Alserkal Avenue
 
The feature directorial debut of Russian-Sudanese writer and director Suzannah Mirghani, COTTON QUEEN arrives in the Gulf following a stellar international run. The film celebrated its world premiere at the prestigious 82nd Venice International Film Festival before going on to capture the coveted Golden Alexander for Best Feature Film at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
 
Set against the sweeping landscapes of a remote cotton-farming village in Sudan, COTTON QUEEN is a politically charged, magical realist coming-of-age story. The narrative follows Nafisa, an intelligent and sensitive teenager caught between the comforting weight of heritage and the jarring onset of modernity. Raised on her grandmother Al-Sit’s fiery tales of historical resistance, Nafisa finds herself thrust into a modern corporate struggle when a young businessman arrives with a development plan centered around genetically modified cotton seeds.
 
Beyond its compelling narrative, COTTON QUEEN carries immense real-world weight. Originally scheduled to shoot entirely on location in Sudan, production was forced to relocate to Egypt following the outbreak of the 2023 conflict. Made over an intense 25 days and cast entirely with Sudanese refugees, the final product stands as a deeply emotional, living testament to displacement, creative survival, and the unyielding spirit of Sudanese women.
 
The film boasts an exceptional global crew. It is lensed by the prolific Director of Photography Frida Marzouk (the visionary behind this year's Cannes Un Certain Regard opener PROMISED SKY), scored by acclaimed composer Amine Bouhafa (AISHA CAN’T FLY AWAY, ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA), and edited by the powerhouse trio of Amparo Mejías, Simon Blasi, and Frank Müller.
 
COTTON QUEEN features a stellar ensemble cast starring Mihad Murtada as Nafisa, alongside Rabha Mohamed Mahmoud, Talaat Fareed, Haram Bisheer, Mohamed Musa, and Hassan Mohi El Din.
 
The film is a major global co-production involving Germany’s Strange Bird GmbH, Jip Film und Verleih, and Storming Donkey Productions; France’s Maneki Films; Palestine’s Philistine Films; Egypt’s Film Clinic and MAD Solutions; Qatar; and Saudi Arabia. It is produced by Caroline Daube and Didar Domehri, and co-produced by Annemarie Jacir, Ossama Bawardi, Jessica Khoury, Mohamed Hefzy, Alaa Karkouti, and Maher Diab.
 
Secure your seats for the opening week screenings by purchasing your tickets directly through the respective theater platforms today.
 
Suzannah Mirghani is a celebrated Russian-Sudanese filmmaker. Her acclaimed short film AL-SIT, currently streaming on Netflix Middle East, won the prestigious Canal+ Award at Clermont-Ferrand in 2021, among numerous other international accolades. Her recent shorts include VIRTUAL VOICE (2021 Tribeca Film Festival) and KAMALA IBRAHIM ISHAG: STATES OF ONENESS (2022), commissioned by Serpentine Galleries.