Calendar

CLOSING NIGHT: VOY! VOY! VOY! directed by OMAR HILAL Screening followed by Q&A with director
Jul
18

CLOSING NIGHT: VOY! VOY! VOY! directed by OMAR HILAL Screening followed by Q&A with director

Featured
VOY! VOY! VOY! / OMAR HILAL

With Muhammad Farrag, Nelly Karim, Bayoumi Fouad

Based on an incredible true story, Voy! Voy! Voy! relates the hilarious tale of Hassan, an Egyptian man who dreams of escaping poverty in Cairo, and fakes a visual impairment in order to join a team bound for the Blind Football World Cup in Poland.

Join us for a Q&A with director Omar Hilal following the screening.

Date: THURSDAY JULY 18, 2024

RT: 100 mins.

Director: OMAR HILAL

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HOLLYWOODGATE directed by IBRAHIM NASH'AT - Screening followed by Q&A with director
Jul
17

HOLLYWOODGATE directed by IBRAHIM NASH'AT - Screening followed by Q&A with director

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HOLLYWOODGATE / IBRAHIM NASH'AT

When the United States withdrew from its 20-year “forever war” in Afghanistan, the Taliban retook control of the ravaged country and immediately found an American base loaded with weaponry—a portion of the over $7 billion in US armaments still in the country. Unprecedented and audacious, director Ibrahim Nash’at’s Hollywoodgate spends a year inside Afghanistan following the Taliban as they take possession of the cache America left behind—and transform from a fundamentalist militia into a heavily armed military regime.

Date: WEDNESDAY JULY 17, 2024

RT: 89 mins

Director: IBRAHIM NASH'AT

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THE TEACHER directed by FARAH NABULSI
Jul
16

THE TEACHER directed by FARAH NABULSI

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THE TEACHER / FARAH NABULSI

With Saleh Bakri, Muhammad Abed El Rahman, Imogen Poots

A Palestinian school teacher struggles to reconcile his risky commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students and the chance of a new relationship with a volunteer worker. The Teacher is the directorial feature-film debut of Farah Nabulsi, a Palestinian-British filmmaker born, raised, and educated in the UK, whose debut short film, The Present, won a BAFTA Award and was nominated for an Oscar.

Date: TUESDAY JULY 16, 2024

RT: 115 mins.

Director: FARAH NABULSI

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REBEL directed by ADIL EL ARBI AND BILALL FALLAH
Jul
15

REBEL directed by ADIL EL ARBI AND BILALL FALLAH

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REBEL / ADIL EL ARBI AND BILALL FALLAH

With Aboubakr Bensaihi, Lubna Azabal, Tara Abboud

Having made a Hollywood splash with Bad Boys for Life (2020) and its newly released sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the directorial duo Adil and Bilall turn their collective eye toward the turbulent Middle East with Rebel, a family drama in which two Muslim Belgian brothers struggle with radicalization. Hoping to turn his life around as his drug-dealing past closes in, Kamal leaves Belgium to help war victims in Syria, but is forced to join ISIS on the battlefield. Back home, radical recruiters target Nassim, promising to reunite him with his older brother, while Leila, their devout mother, fights to protect her younger son. Punctuated with musical sequences, Rebel audaciously examines the corrupting allure of violence.

Date: MONDAY JULY 15, 2024

RT: 135 mins.

Directors: ADIL EL ARBI AND BILALL FALLAH

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INSHALLAH A BOY directed by AMJAD AL RASHEED
Jul
14

INSHALLAH A BOY directed by AMJAD AL RASHEED

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INSHALLAH A BOY / AMJAD AL RASHEED

With Mouna Hawa, Haitham Alomari, Yumna Marwan.

The debut feature by director Amjad Al Rasheed, and the first-ever Jordanian film to premiere at Cannes, Inshallah a Boy tells the story of Nawal, who faces destitution after the sudden passing of her husband. In order to protect her daughter and save her home from an exploitative brother-in-law taking advantage of Jordan’s patriarchal inheritance laws, Nawal pretends to be pregnant with a son—a deception that grows harder to sustain as time passes, leaving her with a difficult path toward self-determination.

Date: SUNDAY JULY 14, 2024

RT: 113 mins.

Director: AMJAD AL RASHEED

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HAJJAN directed by ABU BAKR SHAWKY
Jul
14

HAJJAN directed by ABU BAKR SHAWKY

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HAJJAN / ABU BAKR SHAWKY

With Abdulmohsen Alnemr, Alshaima'a Tayeb, Ibrahim Al-Hasaw

In the highly competitive world of Bedouin camel racing, Ghanim dreams of seizing victory in the annual Great Safwa Race to honor his legendary grandfather, known as Hajjan—“The Jockey.” After tragedy strikes when Ghanim is thrown off his mount by a mysterious golden rider, resulting in his death, Mattar, his younger brother, sets out to restore his family’s honor by becoming a Hajjan himself.

His quest for justice becomes a battle for freedom, suffused with magical realism. Hajjan is both an adventure story and a moving account of the deep bond that can develop between human and animal.

Date: SUNDAY JULY 14, 2024

RT: 117 mins.

Director: ABU BAKR SHAWKY

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HIDING SADDAM HUSSEIN directed by HALKAWT MUSTAFA
Jul
13

HIDING SADDAM HUSSEIN directed by HALKAWT MUSTAFA

Movies 2024
HIDING SADDAM HUSSEIN / HALKAWT MUSTAFA

With Yassin Hamad Amin, Saidulla Faizulla, Chnar Imad Ghanm

Over 20 years after footage of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein crawling out of a hole in the ground became iconic, the modest farmer who hid the deposed president beneath a flowerbed in his garden for eight months tells his fantastical tale. On camera, the farmer recounts assuming the roles of presidential hairdresser, physician, and bodyguard—and the unlikely friendship that emerged, even as he ignored a $25 million bounty. The story is richly illustrated with re-enacted scenes interspersed with news reports of the time.

Date: SATURDAY JULY 13, 2024

RT: 92 mins.

Director: HALKAWT MUSTAFA

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THE BURDENED directed by AMR GAMAL - Screening followed by Q&A with director
Jul
13

THE BURDENED directed by AMR GAMAL - Screening followed by Q&A with director

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THE BURDENED / AMR GAMAL

Isra’a lives with her husband Ahmed and their three children in the old port city of Aden in southern Yemen. Their everyday lives are shaped by the civil war – which means military checkpoints in the streets, frequent power cuts, and having to haul water from the street to the kitchen. Ahmed used to work for television, but after several salary checks were not paid, he is now earning his money as a driver. When Isra’a unexpectedly becomes pregnant, the couple faces a crisis. They both know they cannot afford a fourth child: they are about to move to a cheaper flat and the children’s school fees are due. Together they decide on an abortion. Thus the odyssey begins.


Director Amr Gamal has chosen to fictionalize a real-life story that occurred within his circle of friends. Set against the backdrop of one of the world’s most devastating civil wars, this sensitive family drama provides us with a glimpse into the society of a country largely unknown beyond its borders.

BERLINALE 2023

Date: SATURDAY JULY 13, 2024

RT: 91 mins.

Director: AMR GAMAL

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AIDA RETURNS directed by CAROL MANSOUR
Jul
13

AIDA RETURNS directed by CAROL MANSOUR

Featured

This is a sometimes painful, sometimes humorous, often absurd story of multiple journeys: the journey of loss as the director’s mother Aida struggling with Alzheimer’s finds solace in her repeated “returning” to the Yafa of her youth.

After her mother’s passing, and as she is closing up their home, director Carol Mansour, meets friends willing to carry Aida back with them to Palestine. The film accompanies Carol as she engineers a way to return her mother, aided by an unlikely set of friends and strangers coming together to facilitate what should have been a simple journey. This journey is simultaneously very private and yet universal. It is a tribute to the lost past of the director’s family, an attempt to restore part of both an individual and a collective memory, and a poetic nod and affirmation to all those exiled Palestinians forbidden from returning to their hometowns, even after death.

Date: SATURDAY JULY 13, 2024

RT: 78 mins.

Director: CAROL MANSOUR

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THE THIRD RAHBANI directed by FEYROUZ SERHAL
Jul
12

THE THIRD RAHBANI directed by FEYROUZ SERHAL

Featured
THE THIRD RAHBANI / FEYROUZ SERHAL

The Third Rahbani is a documentary that sheds light on the life, career, and legacy of Lebanese composer Elias Rahbani (1938—2021). Drawing upon rich personal archives and numerous interviews, director Feyrouz Serhal reflects on the career of the younger brother of Assi and Mansour Rahbani, sibling composers globally known for their work with iconic singer Fairuz. Serhal’s film charts Elias Rahbani’s rise on the Lebanese and Arab music scene.

Date: FRIDAY JULY 12, 2024

RT: 80 mins.

Director: FEYROUZ SERHAL

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DANCING ON THE EDGE OF A VOLCANO directed by CYRIL ARIS — Screening followed by Zoom Q&A with director
Jul
12

DANCING ON THE EDGE OF A VOLCANO directed by CYRIL ARIS — Screening followed by Zoom Q&A with director

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DANCING ON THE EDGE OF A VOLCANO / CYRIL ARIS

On August 4, 2020, a catastrophic explosion at the Port of Beirut leaves a large part of the Lebanese capital in ruins. In the midst of the chaos, the troubled crew making the film Costa Brava, Lebanon face an overwhelming decision: to continue the production of their movie or abandon it? As they deal with the aftermath of the catastrophe, they are torn between their firm belief in the transformative power of cinema and a deep sense of cynicism about its ability to effect change in a nation plagued by economic turmoil and societal collapse. Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano, follows their struggles, highlighting the crew's resilience as they strive to find meaning and purpose in their work amidst the devastation.

Join us for a Zoom Q&A with director Cyril Aris following the screening

Date: FRIDAY JULY 12, 2024

RT: 87 mins.

Director: CYRIL ARIS

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OPENING NIGHT: GOODBYE JULIA directed by MOHAMAD KORDOFANI
Jul
11

OPENING NIGHT: GOODBYE JULIA directed by MOHAMAD KORDOFANI

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GOODBYE JULIA / MOHAMED KORDOFANI

With Eiman Yousif, Siran Riak, Nazar Goma.

Wracked by guilt after covering up a murder, Mona, a retired northern Sudanese singer in a tense marriage, tries to make amends by taking in the deceased’s southern Sudanese widow, Julia, and her son, Daniel, into her home. Unable to confess her transgressions to Julia, Mona decides to leave the past behind and adjust to a new status quo, unaware that the country’s turmoil may find its way into her home and put her face to face with her sins.

Date: THURSDAY JULY 11, 2024

RT: 120 mins.

Director: MOHAMAD KORDOFANI

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CLOSING NIGHT: A GAZA WEEKEND
Jul
20

CLOSING NIGHT: A GAZA WEEKEND

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A GAZA WEEKEND / BASIL KHALIL

From acclaimed filmmaker Basil Khalil (Academy Award-nominated director of Ave Maria) comes this comedy-adventure set against the backdrop of a sealed-off Israel.

Israel is on lockdown after the outbreak of a deadly virus and Gaza has become the safest place in the region, leaving a British journalist and his Israeli girlfriend trapped on the wrong side of the border. With no one else to turn to, they must entrust two Palestinian street merchants who promise a way out in exchange for much needed cash. What follows is a hilarious culture clash comedy-adventure as the couple desperately try everything to get back home.

An Official Selection of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and winner of its FIPRESCI Prize.

Date: Thursday July 20, 2023 at 7:00PM

RT: 90 mins.

DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE

Director: BASIL KHALIL

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DIRTY DIFFICULT DANGEROUS
Jul
19

DIRTY DIFFICULT DANGEROUS

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DIRTY DIFFICULT DANGEROUS / WISSAM CHARAF

Beirut, Lebanon, nowadays. Ahmed, a Syrian refugee, and Mehdia, an Ethiopian migrant domestic worker, are living an impossible love.

While Mehdia tries to free herself from her employers, Ahmed struggles to survive dealing in second-hand metal scraps, affected by a mysterious disease.

The two lovers have no future, but they have nothing to lose. One day, they take their chance and flee Beirut in a hopeful and desperate attempt to get away.

2022 Best Film Winner Label Europa Cinemas at the Venice Film Festival

Date: Wednesday July 19, 2023 at 9:30PM

RT: 90 mins.

Director: WISSAM CHARAF

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THE ALLEYS
Jul
19

THE ALLEYS

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THE ALLEYS / BASSEL GHANDOUR

In a claustrophobic East Amman neighborhood, where gossip and violence run rampant, Ali, a hustler who pretends to be a businessman, has a secret relationship with Lana. Their romance is kept hidden until one day Lana’s mother, Aseel, is blackmailed with a video of the young couple.

Hoping to avoid public embarrassment, Aseel discreetly convinces Abbas, a ruthless gangster, to put a stop to it… but things do not go so smoothly. Their lives start to intertwine and collide not just with each other, but with the other residents living amongst the same Alleys.

Date: Wednesday July 19, 2023 at 6:30PM

RT: 116 mins

DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE

Director: BASSEL GHANDOUR

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BLUE CAFTAN
Jul
18

BLUE CAFTAN

Featured
BLUE CAFTAN / MARYAM TOUZANI

Halim and Mina run a traditional caftan store in one of Morocco's oldest medinas. In order to keep up with the commands of the demanding customers, they hire Youssef. Slowly Mina realizes how much her husband is moved by the presence of the young man.

Blue Caftan was Morocco's official entry for Best International Film at the 2023 95th Academy Awards.

Rotten Tomatoes

Date: Tuesday July 18, 2023 at 7:00PM

RT: 123 mins.

Director: MARYAM TOUZANI

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HANGING GARDENS
Jul
17

HANGING GARDENS

Featured
HANGING GARDENS / AHMED YASSIN AL DARADJI

Brothers As’ad (12) and Taha (28) barely scrape a living as rubbish pickers in ‘Hanging Gardens’—the local nickname for Baghdad’s smouldering dumps—yet they make the most of what they have.

One day, As’ad discovers an American sex doll. When he brings the taboo item home and presents her as a thing of beauty, Taha assaults his little brother for ruining their reputation. As’ad retreats to Hanging Gardens to make a new home for himself and his miraculous find.

When As’ad and his friend, Amir (14), discover the doll can speak, they teach her the language of seduction in Arabic and set her to work. Business rockets, raising their profile lucratively with local teens and dangerously with the local patriarch’s enforcers. As’ad questions their exploitation of the doll, yet before he can save her from further degradation, she’s kidnapped. As’ad and Amir go after the prime suspect, only to discover that he’s turned informant.

The patriarch has As’ad and Amir kidnapped so that he can exact his own cruel and humiliating punishments. As’ad survives to complete the journey he began and reconcile himself to the choices he’s made on his own terms.

La Biennale di Venezia

Date: Monday July 17, 2023 at 7:00PM

RT: 117 mins.

Director: AHMED YASSIN AL DARADJI

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19 B
Jul
16

19 B

Featured
19B / AHMAD ABDALLA

In a dilapidated villa, lives an old guard who watches over an abandoned house. The house he considers his home sanctuary is all of a sudden threatened by a young parking attendant, leaving him forced to face his fears, his past and a world he no longer recognizes.

Date: Sunday July 16, 2023 at 8:30PM

RT: 90 mins.

Director: AHMAD ABDALLA

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CAIRO CONSPIRACY
Jul
16

CAIRO CONSPIRACY

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CAIRO CONSPIRACY / TARIK SALEH

Adam, the son of a fisherman, is offered the ultimate privilege to study at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the epicenter of power of Sunni Islam. Shortly after his arrival in Cairo, the university's highest ranking religious leader, the Grand Imam, suddenly dies and Adam soon becomes a pawn in a ruthless power struggle between Egypt's religious and political elite.

Rotten Tomatoes

Date: SUNDAY JULY 16 at 5:15PM

RT: 126 mins

DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE

Director: TARIK SALEH

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MEDITERRANEAN FEVER
Jul
16

MEDITERRANEAN FEVER

Featured
MEDITERRANEAN FEVER / MAHA HAJ

Winner of the "Un Certain Regard" Best Screenplay Prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, writer and director Maha Haj’s darkly funny and resonant film, Mediterranean Fever, pairs Waleed, a depressed and stubborn wannabe Palestinian living in Haifa, with Jalal, a small-time crook. As the two men develop an unlikely friendship, their love-hate rapport leads them on a journey of dark encounters.

Date: Sunday July 16, 2023 at 3:00PM

RT: 108 mins.

Director: MAHA HAJ

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SATTAR
Jul
15

SATTAR

Featured
SATTAR / ABDULLAH AL-ARAK

Saad, a young man who loves professional wrestling is excited when EEW, a professional wrestling promotion, announce they’re holding auditions in Riyadh. Saad goes to the audition hoping to become a Saudi wrestler and start his global journey from Riyadh to success. He fails the audition, but as luck would have it, he meets Ali Hogan, an eccentric man who offers to be Saad’s manager and promises to change his life.

Letterbxd.com

Date: Saturday July 15, 2023 at 8:30PM

RT: 106 mins.

Director: ABDULLAH AL-ARAK

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SOULA
Jul
15

SOULA

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SOULA / SALAH ISSAAD

Actress Soula Bahri reenacts her own real-life experiences in Soula, the tragic story of an unwed mother in eastern Algeria, at the mercy of the few kind souls willing to assist a “disgraced” woman. Fleeing the murderous threats of an enraged father, Soula finds herself on the street with her baby girl, with nowhere to sleep and nowhere to go. Trapped within the confines of a misogynous culture and simply trying to make it through the night, Soula sets off on a somewhat desperate road trip, only to find herself a pawn in a system where men hold all the power and aren’t afraid to wield it with the utmost cruelty. Salah Issaad‘s debut feature is an up-close-and-personal portrait of a defenseless young woman and mother in a 100% man’s world.

THE AMERICAN FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL

Date: Saturday July 15, 2023 at 6:00PM

RT: 92 mins

DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE

Director: SALAH ISSAAD

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200 METERS
Jul
15

200 METERS

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200 METERS / AMEEN NAYFEH

Mustafa, a Palestinian construction worker, lives 200 meters away from his wife Salwa and their children in villages separated by the Israeli border wall. Though his family are all Israeli citizens, Mustafa refuses to obtain a permit to live with them. Unwilling to succumb to what he believes are unjust laws, he instead uses his work permit to visit daily. However, one day he gets a call every parent dreads: his son, who is on the other side of the wall, has been injured and brought to the hospital.

Biographical Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Date: Saturday July 15, 2023 at 3:30PM

RT: 96 mins.

Director: AMEEN NAYFEH

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OPENING NIGHT: QUEENS
Jul
14
Q&A

OPENING NIGHT: QUEENS

Featured
OPENING NIGHT! QUEENS / YASMINE BENKIRAN

Casablanca, Morocco. A trio of women, with the police on their tail, embarks on a long escape, reminiscent of the American movie classic “Thelma and Louise” that takes them across the rugged red terrain and flower-filled valleys of the Atlas to finally reach the Atlantic coast.

Date: Friday July 16, 2023 at 7:00PM

RT: 83 mins

DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE

Director: YASMINE BENKIRAN

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