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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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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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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Jafar Panahi, after his Palme d’Or win for It Was Just an Accident
At a festival where everyone was told to avoid political statements, the juries made their views loud and clear by choosing films to award with their activists caps on.
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The five day event, which takes place every two years and celebrates the best of Arab cinema, will be held from 2nd to 6th April 2025 in the Swiss city.
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Also included in the extensive line up of projects participating in the upcoming industry incubator organized by the Doha Film Institute is the follow up by Algerian helmers Damien Ounouri and Adila Bendimerad to their award winning epic ‘The Last Queen’, as well as Suzannah Mirghani’s highly anticipated feature debut ‘Cotton Queen’.
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Margaret Qualley and Ethan Hawke in Blue Moon by Richard Linklater © Sabrina Lantos / Sony Pictures Classics
“Cinema helps us connect and understand each other,” says new Artistic Director Tricia Tuttle during the press conference announcing all the Competition and Perspectives titles, plus the few remaining films in their Special Gala program.
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Plus Polish director Damian Kocur won the Best Directing Prize for his Ukrainian story ‘Under the Volcano’.
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Ajyal young jurors sit during a screening of a film in their section
And, while watching films during this wondrous festival, I witnessed a second miracle in the making.
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On the occasion of its 21st edition, which takes place from November 29th to December 7th, 2024, the Marrakech International Film Festival will present 70 films selected from 32 countries in its various sections: the Official Competition, Gala Screenings, Special Screenings, the 11th Continent, the Moroccan Panorama, Cinema for Young Audiences & Families, and films shown as part of the Tributes program.
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A still from ‘Sudan, Remember Us’ by Hind Meddeb, courtesy of the DFI
With the theme of the 2024 edition of Ajyal Film Festival presented by the Doha Film Institute announced as ‘Moments That Matter’, the event will also see the participation of Palestinian stars Hiam Abbas, Saleh and Mohammad Bakri, along with beloved Egyptian actor Khaled El Nabawy, Turkish TV star Esra Bilgic and Sudanese musician Mustafa the Poet.
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Jeff Nichols photographed by © Kyle Kaplan, courtesy of 20th Century Fox, used with permission
Plus, the latest projects by favorite filmmakers Lina Soualem, Murad Abu Eisheh, Cherien Dabis and Tala Hadid will be featured in this year’s prestigious sessions with selected projects in development and post-production from Morocco, Africa and the Arab world.
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And along with his play, there are film screenings and some activities going on that cannot be missed.
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A still from ‘Aïcha’ by Mehdi Barsaoui, courtesy of The Party Film Sales
This year there are 12 Doha Film Institute supported films in the lineup on the Lido, plus the DFI is hosting a special afternoon and even a gala dinner celebrating their achievements in the world of cinema and art.
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Respectful of the ongoing Gaza tragedy and in tune with the mood of the Region in general, the Jordanian film festival still managed to celebrate its theme for this edition — “Our Stories, Our Narratives”.
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Always a star-studded event, the festival will also revisit ‘Diario di Guttuso’ a television work from 1982 featuring the beloved Italian artist that already showed the highly personal style of Oscar winning filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore.
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A still from ‘Salted Skins’ by Nicolas Fattouh, courtesy of the DFI
It’s all in a week’s work for the Doha Film Institute, the greatest cinematic organization in the MENA region.
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Goodies at the tables welcoming guests attending the important gala included a keffiyeh print glasses holder and a mini candle for Gaza.
When the London-based foundation’s co-founder said, during her speech, that there was an “edu-cide” happening in Gaza, suddenly everything that has been going on in the past six months in Palestine came into clear focus and explained for this writer Israel’s inexplicable actions.
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