Award-Winning Emirati Horror Film ‘HOBA’ Acquired for US Distribution

Dark Sky Films has acquired US distribution rights to ‘HOBA’, the Emirati psychological horror thriller directed by Majid Al Ansari, one year after the film’s theatrical release in the UAE.

Produced by Image Nation Studios and Spooky Pictures, the Arabic-language film premiered internationally at Fantastic Fest, where it won Best Horror Feature. It subsequently screened at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival and Busan International Film Festival.

‘HOBA’ stars Emirati actress Bdoor Mohammad as Amani, a wife and mother whose family life is disrupted when her husband returns home with a second wife, Zahra, played by Saudi actress and filmmaker Sarah Taibah. Zahra is pregnant with his first son, while Amani remains in the family home with her daughter Noor as increasingly disturbing events begin to unfold. The film blurs psychological and supernatural horror as Amani becomes convinced that Zahra is concealing something sinister.

“I wanted to make a horror film where the fear comes not only from what may be lurking in the darkness, but from the emotional upheaval happening inside the family,” Al Ansari said. “HOBA is rooted in a world and culture I know intimately, but the feelings of betrayal, fear and a mother fighting to protect her family are universal.”

The cast also includes Iman Tarik, Jasem Alkharraz and Samira Al Wahaibi. Following its local theatrical release in October 2025, ‘HOBA’ became the highest-grossing Emirati horror thriller in the UAE.

The film marks Al Ansari’s return to feature directing following his debut ‘Zinzana’ and his work on the Netflix series ‘Paranormal’. It is also the first Arabic-language feature produced through the partnership between Image Nation Studios and Spooky Pictures, whose previous productions include ‘Watcher’, ‘Late Night with the Devil’ and ‘The Plague’.

Dark Sky Films will announce the film’s US release plans at a later date.