Clockwise from top left, Bong Joon-ho, Guillermo del Toro, Jodie Foster, Jafar Panahi, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Tahar Rahim, Laurence Fishburne and Nadine Labaki
The Marrakech International Film Festival (MIFF) which this year will run from November 28th to December 6th, 2025, has announced its highly anticipated line up for their Conversation Program.
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The festival will kick off with ‘Dead Man's Wire’, Gus Van Sant's dark and jubilant comedy and close with Annemarie Jacir’s Palestinian submission to the Oscars ‘Palestine 36’, with loads of wondrous films screening in between.
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A still from ‘Giant’ featuring Amir El Masry, image courtesy of the Red Sea IFF
The selection includes works which were supported by the Red Sea Fund, including Annemarie Jacir’s ‘Palestine 36’, the Palestinian submission to the Oscar race and ‘Hijra’ by Shahad Ameen which represents Saudi Arabia in the awards run this year.
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Clockwise from left: Raja Amari, Dhafer L’Abidine, Rithy Panh, Alessandra Speciale
Included are frequent DFI collaborator Rithy Panh and Tunisian star Dhafer L’Abidine.
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A still from ‘The Reserve’ by Pablo Pérez Lombardini courtesy of © Pikila
Doha Film Festival will showcase a remarkable selection of acclaimed titles from across the world as part of its International Feature Film Competition, reflecting the festival’s commitment to cinematic excellence and cultural diversity, bringing together powerful stories that resonate across borders.
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A still from ‘Khartoum’, a documentary which will screen at the Doha Film Festival later this November
Featuring music and films from the country in turmoil, the line up for the event held by the Doha Film Institute, highlights the creativity and rich heritage of a nation whose stories continue to inspire the world.
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And don’t be surprised to find Jafar Panahi’s latest among the films, as that is the official entry to the International Feature Film Oscar race for France. Vive la France, I say!
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A still from ‘Sink’ by Zain Duraie, courtesy of Tabi360
Don’t be mad if I didn’t include your personal fave, or a Hollywood title. There are plenty of those, with galas and special conversations to boot. But for me, these titles deserve a second look.
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A still from ‘Once Upon a Time in Gaza’ by Tarzan and Arab Nasser, courtesy of DFI
And honestly, from the DFI, I would expect nothing less!
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Tunisian Oscar nominated filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s Venice Silver Lion winner is “a moving tribute to resilience and the power of cinema”.
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A still from Annemarie Jacir’s ‘Palestine 36’ courtesy of Philistine Films
The festival will open with Rian Johnson’s ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ and close with Julia Jackman’s 100 Nights of Hero’. In between, masterpieces of cinema will rule over Old Foggy for nearly two weeks.
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George Clooney in ‘Jay Kelly’ by Noah Baumbach, photo courtesy of Netflix
Among the highlights of the first few days of the Venice International Film Festival, a first appearance on the Lido by Julia Roberts and some well-deserved recognition for Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, the wondrous CEO of the Doha Film Institute.
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Director Paolo Sorrentino meets his fans on the red carpet of La Biennale di Venezia, photo by © Jacopo Salvi, ASAC
Love in all its forms, from messy to romantic, is at the core of Sorrentino’s profound film ‘La Grazia’, his most awardable since ‘La Grande Bellezza’, and at the Opening Ceremony of this year’s La Biennale, it proved an emotional affair.
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A still from ‘Kill the Jockey’ by Luis Ortega, photo courtesy of the LSFF
With a selection that boasts cinema from Spain, but also co-productions with France, Portugal, Argentina and Italy, this year’s program looks phenomenal. And yours truly is going to be on their Competition Jury for 2025, choosing with my esteemed colleagues our favorites, out of a stellar lineup.
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A still from ‘A House of Dynamite’ by Kathryn Bigelow
From the MENA to the USA, there may not be so so many titles directed by women at the festival. But what is programmed is simply the best.
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Opening reception for the 2024 edition of AIFF, photo used with permission
The Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) is in its sixth edition and scheduled to take place in the Jordanian capital from July 2-10, 2025.
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Jason Isaacs in a still from ‘Heavyweight’ by Christopher M. Anthony, photo © Tiernan Hanby, used with permission
The 33rd edition of the UK’s leading indie film festival will run from 18 – 27 June at host cinema Vue Piccadilly and will close with the international premiere of Camilla Guttner’s art school drama ‘The Academy’. But there are also loads of cinematic gems screening in between!
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Onur Güvenatam, Helen Hoehne, Diana Olifirova, Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant at the SXSW London x Golden Globes, photo courtesy of the Golden Globes
On a chilly London afternoon, for early June anyway, a special event was held inside Shoreditch House, a Soho House property in the cool East London neighborhood where most of the SXSW events and screenings are being held.
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Clara Khoury and Yasmine Al Massri in Laila Abbas’ ‘Thank You for Banking with Us!’
Running from the 11th to the 28th of June, organized by the Arab British Centre and supported by the BFI, the upcoming 10th edition of the festival will feature dozens of screenings in 10 cities across the UK and online through streaming courtesy of Beirut-based site Aflamuna.
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The American Sephardi Federation is also debuting Festival Sefarad NYC, a special monthlong celebration dedicated to the community and featuring a variety of events with something for everyone—from musical performances and book talks, to exhibitions, tours, and Shabbat dinners, with the film festival at its center.
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