Movie: Advocate via Mideast Focus Ministry
2021-02-19 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
ADVOCATE
This film provides a fascinating look at the life and work of Jewish Israeli lawyer Lea Tsemel who has represented Palestinian prisoners for nearly 50 years, in Israeli courts.
The film follows Jewish-Israeli human-rights lawyer Lea Tsemel as she navigates through the Israeli judicial system in defense of Palestinian political prisoners. The film includes archival footage of past cases Tsemel was involved in over a five-decade long career; interviews with Tsemel and her family members, including her husband, Michel Warschawski and their daughter and son, as well as interns and associates at Tsemel’s law firm; and closely follows two contemporary cases represented by Tsemel and her co-counsel, Tareq Barghout.
Learn more here.
with guest speaker: TBA
Contact info@saintmarks.org to be added to the Mideast Focus Ministry mailing list, or use this form. (Check the box marked “Mideast Focus.”)

Wajib: Streaming via Palestine Museum US
2021-02-20 09:00 - 11:00 UTC
WAJIB
Palestinian architect Shadi, living in Rome, returns home to Nazareth to help his father deliver his sister’s wedding invitations. As they two men try to bridge the gap between their different lives, they rediscover the importance of finding “home” and community.

Saturday, February 20, 2021
12:00 PM 2:00 PM
Palestine Museum US (map)

To register for this event please click here.
To view the film trailer please click here.
Abu Shadi (Mohammad Bakri) is a divorced father and school teacher in his mid-60s who lives in Nazareth with his daughter. Now that she is about to be married, the aging patriarch is anticipating life on his own. In preparation for the wedding, his architect son, Shadi (Saleh Bakri), who lives in Rome, travels to Nazareth to help the family. As Shadi and his father spend a day together hand-delivering wedding invitations to each guest in keeping with local Palestinian custom, the tense details of their fragile relationship come to a head, while each faces the reality of their very different lives. Performed brilliantly by actual father and son Mohammad and Saleh Bakri, Wajib demonstrates Annemarie Jacir’s filmmaking mastery through its style and subtleties.

Movie: EAST JERUSALEM/WEST JERUSALEM via St Marks
2021-03-05 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
EAST JERUSALEM/WEST JERUSALEM
American, Israeli, and Palestinian musicians record a new album. And, in defiance of Israel’s dark realities, start a new program for children living under occupation.
Israeli singer-songwriter David Broza sets out to realize his dream of cooperation and dialog between Israelis and Palestinians through music. During 8 days and nights of joint creation by his mixed Jewish and Muslim band in an East Jerusalem studio, a hopeful message of equality and unity arises. Featuring Steve Earle and Mira Awad.
Learn more here.
with guest speaker: TBA
Contact info@saintmarks.org to be added to the Mideast Focus Ministry mailing list, or use this form. (Check the box marked “Mideast Focus.”)

Free Virtual Screening of the Film "The People's Patriarch" Produced by Dr. Lily Habash
2021-03-13 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Saturday, March 13, 2021
12:00 PM 1:03 PM
Palestine Museum US (map)

Times are based on US ET zone
The screening of the film will be followed by Q&A discussions with film producer Dr. Lily Habash and audience.
To register for this event please click here.
To view the film trailer please click here.
About the Film
Patriarch Michel Sabbah: An Arab, Palestinian and Christian believer from Nazareth. In 1987, Pope John Paul II appointed him as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1987, to be the first Arab Patriarch to hold the office in the Catholic Church’s history. He made an honorable history during his work as a Patriarch. His work marked significant milestones in the struggle against injustice and oppression to bring peace to the country of the Prince of Peace. He is still active in many initiatives and activities to spread his human and spiritual message in Palestine and the world. The film is a humble contribution to honor the Patriarch and shed light on some crucial moments in his life, his thought, and his constant obsession with the consolidation of love, justice, and peace.

Arab Film Series Online: 7 x 7 // 7 Artists, 7 Years
2021-03-19 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
7 p.m. EDT Friday, March 19
Online Stream – Register for Free
AANM, Arab Film and Media Institute, ArteEast, the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College, the Department of Art History at Pomona College and Youth of the World Together, in total partnership, are pleased to present the public premiere of two experimental short films by Yemeni-Bosnian multi-media artist Alia Ali: Conflict is More Profitable Than Peace and مهجر // Mahjar. Immediately following the premiere will be a dialogue with Alia Ali hosted by AANM Film Curator Dave Serio.
Marking the seventh year of the war in Yemen, this event will launch 7 x 7 // 7 Artists, 7 Years: a film presentation of short films by seven Yemeni filmmakers, that collectively push back against binary portrayals of Yemenis as victims and/or villians, and instead provide an expansive view on how Yemenis present themselves, on their terms. Following the live premiere, all films will be available to stream for 48 hours.
Featuring the following films/filmmakers:
Carrom dir. Nashwan Sadek / 9 minutes / Documentary
Ozazah dir. Ala’a Hafed / 6 minutes / Documentary
Made of Gold dir. Saber Wasel / 6 minutes / Documentary
The Last Resort dir. Noordeen Morgan / 10 minutes / Documentary
Scene 2 dir. Abdulrahman Alward / 21 minutes / Fiction
The Helmet dir. Osama Khaled / 9 minutes / Sci-Fi
Please note that some of these films may address difficult and sensitive topics, such as war, trauma and sexual harassment and may be triggering for some.

Movie: There is a Field via Mideast Focus Ministry
2021-03-19 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
THERE IS A FIELD
This film by local filmmaker Jen Marlow, tells the story of a 17-year-old Palestinian peace activist, killed by the IDF. It is told through the lens of Black Lives Matter activists in the U.S.
In October 2000, a police officer shot and killed unarmed 17-year-old Asel Asleh. His story is tragically familiar for Americans, but Asel was not killed in Ferguson, New York City, Atlanta, or Minneapolis. Asel was a Palestinian teenager who was murdered by Israeli police as he participated in a demonstration, calling for an end to the Israeli occupation and settler-colonization.
Learn more here.
with guest speaker: TBA
Contact info@saintmarks.org to be added to the Mideast Focus Ministry mailing list, or use this form. (Check the box marked “Mideast Focus.”)

6 Days | 6 Nights - Revolutionary Arab Women in the Arts
2021-03-25 - 2021-03-30
Join us for our first Showcase of the year, as AFMI’s annual Arab Women’s Showcase goes virtual! 6 Days | 6 Nights – Revolutionary Arab Women in the Arts shines a light on generations of Arab women who challenge the status quo – past, present, future. From March 25th through the 30th discover their inspiring stories through film features, poetry reading, photography, theatrical performance, and discussions.
Here’s how to make the best of this special series of virtual events:

Check out the program
Read all about our opening film
Browse all the events
Buy your pass

Movie: MAYOR, followed by a discussion with David Osit and Cherien Dabis
2021-03-26 15:30 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The Museum of the Palestinian People is excited to screen MAYOR, a captivating portrayal of Musa Hadid, the Mayor of Ramallah. The screening will be followed by a discussion with David Osit and Cherien Dabis.
MAYOR follows Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah, during his second term in office. His immediate goals: repave the sidewalks, attract more tourism, and plan the city’s Christmas celebrations. His ultimate mission: to end the occupation of Palestine.
Rich with detailed observation and humor, MAYOR offers a portrait of dignity amidst the madness and absurdity of endless occupation while posing a question: how do you run a city when you don’t have a country?
Suggested donation: The Museum of the Palestinian People is committed to keeping our virtual programming free, but events like these are impossible without supporters like you. Please consider making a donation to the Museum of the Palestinian People when registering for this event.

The Museum of the Palestinian People is screening MAYOR, followed by a discussion with David Osit and Cherien Dabis

Zikra: Remembering ‘Abd al-Halim Hafiz
2021-03-27 11:00 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
By the end of his career, ‘Abd al-Halim Hafiz was the most popular singer in Egypt. Radio stations received unprecedented numbers of requests of his songs, and he earned more money for his concerts than any other performer of the day. His cassette sales were similarly unmatched. Nor was Halim’s impact limited to the music sphere. As a pop celebrity, he shaped the everyday lives of Egyptians, from the way they dressed and styled their hair to where they spent their wedding night. The event will feature a presentation by Dr. Nicholas Mangialardi on the singer’s musical legacy followed by a live performance of ‘Abd al-Halim hits by Egyptian jazz vocalist Ahmed Harfoush and his band.

The event will feature a presentation by Dr. Nicholas Mangialardi on the singer’s musical legacy followed by a live performance of ‘Abd al-Halim hits by Egyptian jazz vocalist Ahmed Harfoush and his band.
About Presenters:
Nicholas Mangialardi:
Mangialardi received his PhD from Georgetown University in Arabic and Islamic Studies in 2020. His dissertation explores the music, life, and afterlife of Egyptian singer ‘Abd al-Halim Hafiz. He has also conducted research in cities throughout Egypt on the development of hip hop culture in the country. As an ARCE Fellow in 2017-2018, Mangialardi co-organized the conference Egyptian Soundscapes: Music, Sound, and Built Environment, held in Cairo.
Ahmed Harfoush:
Harfoush spent his childhood between Washington DC and Cairo, Harfoush was exposed to both worlds at an early age. Once an Egyptologist then an administrator at Chicago House living in Luxor in the late 90s and later as a United Nations staff member in Cairo.
Harfoush was clasically trained as a tenor performing with a few choirs in Cairo, then switched his interest in jazz. He established the Riff (jazz) Band in 2002 and co-founded the Cairo Jazz Festival in 2009 as well as producing jazz shows at esteemed Cairo music venues. After moving to London in 2014, he joined the local jazz scene and, with a taste for experimentation, brought to life a genre everyone loved unconditionally and a concept welcomed by everyone; The Egyptian Jazz Projekt. This music venture is a merge between songs from 1950s Egypt and America in a new fresh jazz arrangements.
Registration will close 24 hours before the lecture starts. Registration does not include any future lectures in this series.

Film Screening and Discussion: “We’re Not White”
2021-04-06 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join us for viewing and discussion of the film We’re Not White by by Arab American comedian, speaker, writer, academic, and adjunct Professor, Amer Zahr.
What does it mean to be invisible in racial categories but distinct and hyper visible as a ‘feared’ and ‘enemy’ minority? Let’s talk about our experiences, the tensions that exist in this statement of disavowing white supremacy while at times benefiting from proximity to whiteness, how do we see ourselves and what we want to change?
Event is co-sponsored by the Honors College.
Live Transcription via zoom will be available.

RSVP

Arab Movies at SIFF: Captains of Zaatari
2021-04-08 - 2021-04-18
Captains of Zaatari
Egypt | 2021 | 75 minutes | Ali El Arabi
Opens April 8, 2021
SIFF Channel
A rousing, heartfelt tale about two soccer-obsessed Syrian friends living in Jordan’s Zaatari Refugee Camp who, upon learning that a famed Qatari sports academy is visiting the camp, may have finally found their ticket to a bigger, brighter future.

Arab Movies at SIFF: The Unknown Saint
2021-04-08 - 2021-04-18
The Unknown Saint
Morocco | 2019 | 100 minutes | Alaa Eddine Aljem
Opens April 8, 2021
SIFF Channel
An absurdist, droll, entertaining fable about a criminal who returns to the hill where he stashed his stolen goods, only to find that a well-guarded shrine to a “missing saint” has been built over it.

Arab Movies at SIFF: Too Far Away
2021-04-08 - 2021-04-18
Too Far Away
Germany | 2019 | 89 minutes | Sarah Winkenstette
Opens April 8, 2021
SIFF Channel
A mutual love of soccer provides the basis for a blossoming friendship between a bullied German boy, struggling to fit into a new school after his family’s relocation, and a young Syrian refugee in desperate need of family. Ages 8+

Arab Films at SIFF: Al-Sit
2021-04-08 - 2021-04-18
Sudan | 2020 | 20 min. | Suzannah Mirghani

Opens April 8, 2021

In a cotton-farming village in Sudan, 15-year-old Nafisa has a crush on Babiker, but her parents have arranged her marriage to a young Sudanese businessman living abroad and her matriarchal grandmother Al-Sit has her own plans.

Director:Suzannah Mirghani
Principal Cast:Mihad Murtada, Rabiha Mohammed Mahmoud, Mohammed Magdi, Haram Bashir, Alsir Mahjoub
Country:Sudan, Qatar
Year:2020
Running Time:20 min.
Producer:Suzannah Mirghani, Eiman Mirghani
Screenplay:Suzannah Mirghani
Cinematographers:Khalid Awad
Editors:Kattab Abdelrahim, Suzannah Mirghani
Language:Arabic
Has Subtitles:Yes

Arab Films at SIFF: 200 Meters
2021-04-08 - 2021-04-18
Palestine | 2020 | 96 minutes | Ameen Nayfeh

Opens April 8, 2021

Upon learning his son has had an accident, a desperate Palestinian construction worker at wit’s end attempts to smuggle himself past the separation wall between Israel and the West Bank to see him.
*Restricted to audiences in WA state.

Arab Films at SIFF: The Big Hit
2021-04-08 - 2021-04-18
Perhaps best known for Welcome to the Sticks, the highest-grossing film of all time in France, Kad Merad [French-Algerian] stars as Etienne, a prickly out-of-work actor who makes ends meet by leading exercises at corporate retreats and running a theater workshop in a prison. In his work at the prison, he is struck by the rhythm of pause and postponement that defines the prisoners’ lives, prompting him to stage a production of Samuel Beckett’s play “Waiting for Godot.” It’s more than anyone has asked of these men before, and perhaps more than anyone has thought them capable of. But able to recognize themselves in the characters and their circumstances, the prisoners rise to the occasion and the production is a great success, for them and Etienne, too. When they are invited to take the play on the road—all the way to the Odéon Theater in Paris—their world expands, transforming the way they see themselves and their future. The story is inspired by remarkable true events in Sweden in 1985, when Swedish actor Jan Jönson staged a public performance of “Waiting for Godot” with a group of inmates from a high-security prison in the historic Gothenburg City Theatre. Upon hearing of the events that transpired, Samuel Beckett himself observed, “That’s the best thing that happened to this play since I wrote it!”
— Justine Barda
Director Biography
Emmanuel Courcol graduated the l’École Nationale des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre in 1984 as a trained actor. He acted in about 30 plays and as many movies but gradually moved to writing, working with Philippe Lioret on four screenplays. After Ceasefire (2017), The Big Hit (2020) is his second feature film.

Arab Films at SIFF: The Perfect Candidate
2021-04-08 - 2021-04-18
Saudi Arabia | 2019 | 105 minutes | Haifaa Al-Mansour

Opens April 8, 2021

Dr. Maryam is an overworked medic at an underserved Saudi clinic. In order to improve safety measures and working conditions, she decides to run for a seat on the municipal council despite the rampant misogyny within her community.

Arab Films at SIFF: The Translator
2021-04-08 - 2021-04-18
Syria | 2020 | 105 minutes | Rana Kazkaz, Anas Khalaf

Opens April 8, 2021

A riveting thriller about an Arabic-English translator for the 2000 Olympics in Australia, forced into exile after a fateful mistranslation, who must return to Syria after his activist brother goes missing during the Arab Spring.

Cadence: Video Poetry Festival 2021 Housed But Never Homed: Collection of Movie Shorts
2021-04-16
There are names for homes that are not on any maps. The complexity of calling a place home while struggling to find acceptance there permeates these video poems. As many of us are spending more time where we dwell than ever before, the gratitude we might feel for our home is colored by a feeling of entrapment. At the same time, the comfort, safety, and services of shelter are by no means guaranteed. This screening is for the displaced, the vulnerable, and the shut-ins crawling out of their skin; for those whose struggle to define and redefine a concept of home for themselves is continual.
A Barcode Scanner
Shot on location at the Chamishko IDP Camp in Northern Iraq, “A Barcode Scanner” reflects the harsh day-to-day realities of the Êzîdîs who survived the Islamic State’s genocidal campaign against them.

With Whom Shall We Live?
“With Whom Shall We Live?” illustrates the dangers of history continuing to repeat itself. Using the parallel struggles of Black Americans and Asian Americans, this visual poem anchors the two communities together on common ground.

Homeless
17 homeless, WAYout poets from the streets of Freetown, Sierra Leone came together to write and produce this film.

Barbed Wire Land
Archival video provides the visuals for this video meditation on the invention of barbed wire.

plus more . . .

Available for streaming on April 16.

Movie: Mayor via Mideast Focus Ministry
2021-05-07 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
MAYOR
MAYOR follows Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah, during his second term in office. His immediate goals: repave the sidewalks, attract more tourism, and plan the city’s Christmas celebrations. His ultimate mission: to end the occupation of Palestine. Rich with detailed observation and humor, MAYOR offers a portrait of dignity amidst the madness and absurdity of endless occupation while posing a question: how do you run a city when you don’t have a country?
Learn more here.
with guest speaker: TBA
Contact info@saintmarks.org to be added to the Mideast Focus Ministry mailing list, or use this form. (Check the box marked “Mideast Focus.”)

Brilliant Mind: A Live & Interactive Digital Experience
2021-05-16 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Brilliant Mind: A Live & Interactive Digital Experience
10 p.m. EDT / 7 p.m. PDT Sunday, May 16
FREE with RSVP; Limited spots available, so act fast and claim your spot!
Join AANM for an exclusive showing of the premiere of Brilliant Mind. Written by AANM artist-in-residence Denmo Ibrahim, Brilliant Mind is an innovative and interactive virtual theatre experience.
When Dina and Yusef learn of their estranged father’s death, they step in and bury a man they never knew. Will brother and sister face their truths once family secrets come to light? Inspired by true stories of first-generation Americans, Brilliant Mind takes a hard look at generational trauma, the struggle between self and family, and the weight of carrying a legacy. It’s an excavation of the politics of gender in immigrant communities and the challenges ever present between tradition and culture. This is a story of hope, of what gets lost in translation, and of what happens when we dare to love unconditionally.
In this extraordinary live and interactive digital experience, explore the family ties that bind and break us, the healing that comes through death, and the acceptance that our parents do the best they can—the rest is up to us.
Co-produced by Marin Theatre Company & Storykrapht

Arab Film Series Online: Elia Suleiman Retrospective + Talkback
2021-05-21 - 2021-05-30
Arab Film Series Online: Elia Suleiman Retrospective + Talkback
Streaming Friday, May 21 – Sunday, May 30
Free with RSVP
We’re excited to celebrate and showcase work of famed Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman. Throughout his career, Suleiman directed four feature films, all of which are available to audiences in this Video-On-Demand style retrospective. Guests can view the films at their leisure from Friday, May 21 to Sunday, May 30, 2021. MORE INFO

Toronto Arab Film Festival
2021-05-27 - 2021-05-30
TORONTO ARAB FILM FESTIVAL //
​** 2021 May 27-30 **
Please check out their website for more details: https://www.arabfilm.ca/festival160516071585158015751606.html

There Is A Field, a film, by Jen Marlowe
2021-05-27 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
There Is A Field

a film by Jen Marlowe
May 27 from 7–9pm PT (Zoom film screening + panel discussion)
May 28–30 (view the film online, on demand)
Sliding scale admission: $0–25. Suggested contribution: $15
Get your tickets here: https://nwfilmforum.org/films/there-is-a-field-online/
Please pay what you can; 25% of proceeds will go directly to support Washington state families impacted by police violence. Remaining proceeds support co-presenting organizations Donkeysaddle Projects, Dunya Productions, and Northwest Film Forum.
About the opening night event:
Dunya Productions, Seattle Rep, and NWFF are partnering on a virtual event which will include watching the film, followed by a meaningful discussion with Seattle-based Black Lives Matter and Palestinian justice activists, exploring the connections addressed in the film, ways to locally embark on joint organizing and solidarity, and the power of theatre and film in social justice movements.

About the film:
In October 2000, a police officer shot and killed unarmed 17-year-old Asel Asleh. His story is tragically familiar for Americans, but Asel was not killed in Ferguson, New York City, Atlanta, or Minneapolis. Asel was a Palestinian teenager who was murdered by Israeli police as he participated in a demonstration, calling for an end to the Israeli occupation and settler-colonization.
There Is a Field began as a play about Asel’s life and his death, told from the perspective of his older sister, Nardin. Through Nardin’s struggle to cope with the murder of her brother, the play offers a uniquely personal lens for learning about intersecting systems of oppression, including Zionism and white supremacy—root causes of state-sanctioned violence and structural racism.
Learn more at https://www.thereisafield.movie/

Film screening and discussion with director - "The Present"
2021-05-29 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Please join us for the screening of the Oscar-nominated short film (24 Min) “The Present” followed by a virtual discussion with director Farah Nabulsi
Farah Nabulsi is a Palestinian British Oscar nominated and BAFTA award-winning filmmaker and human rights advocate.
Her latest short film The Present, which is Oscar award-nominated and BAFTA award-winning, sheds light on how Palestinians are deprived of the basic right to freedom of movement. Starring renowned actor Saleh Bakri, it won the Audience Award for Best Film at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2020 (World premiere), the Jury Award for Best Live Action Short at the Cleveland International Film Festival (North American premiere), and has since gone on to win upwards of 25 Audience and Jury Awards at numerous International film festivals as well as being licensed to Canal+ (France), Pacific Voice (Japan), Telefonica (Spain) and Netflix Worldwide.

Short Films - San Diego Arab Film Festival
2021-06-05 - 2021-06-19
Short Films
This year the Festival offers 16 films from across the Arab world and the Diaspora headlined by the Academy Award nominated film from Palestine, The Present, representing a range of styles and genres, including narrative drama and comedy, documentary, animated and experimental films. These films can be streamed at SanDiegoaff.sparqfest.live.
The final line up includes films that have been screened at Cannes and Venice as well as other international festivals. They will be available for viewing at your leisure beginning on June 5 and continuing through June 19.
Click here for more information about the films and streaming.

Between Heaven and Earth Directed by Najwa Najjar
2021-06-05 18:15 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Based on a true story, the film follows a thirty-something couple, Salma and Tamer, who have been married for the past five years. Now separated, Salma moved back to Nazareth. Tamer stayed in their house in the West Bank. The first time Tamer is ever given a three-day permit to cross the Israeli checkpoint, is to file for divorce in the courts in Nazareth. At the courthouse, they are confronted with a staggering discovery, a secret which sends Salma and Tamer spinning on a road trip exploring the loss and betrayal of the past, and of themselves.
Won Audience Award at Boston Palestine Film Festival and Best Screenplay at Cairo International Film Festival
For more information about the film and to see a trailer, click here.

The Unknown Saint Directed by Alaa Eddine Aljem
2021-06-11 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Moments before his capture by police, a thief digs a grave to hide a bag of money. Released from prison years later, he returns to retrieve the bag, only to find a shrine to an unknown Saint built directly over his loot, and a brand new village constructed all around it.
Submitted by Morocco to 2021 Oscars
Fore information about the film and to see a trailer, click here.
Friday, June 11, 7:30 PM

200 Meters Directed by Ameen Nayfeh
2021-06-12 18:15 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
A Palestinian father trapped on the other side of the separation wall is trying to reach the hospital for his son.
Winner of awards in Europe, China, India, Egypt and US
For more information about the film and to see a trailer, click here.

Saturday, June 12, 6:15 PM & Saturday, June 19, 8:45 PM
200 Meters Directed by Ameen Nayfeh

Honey Cigar Directed by Kamir Ainouz
2021-06-12 20:30 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Selma, 17, who lives in a bourgeois and secular Berber family. When she meets Julien in college, she realizes for the first time the impact of patriarchal rules on her intimacy. This film is in French and Berber languages with English subtitles.
Parental Advisory: In the US, this film would likely be rated R.
Nominated, New Wave Award Best Film, Seville European Film Festival
For more information about the film, click here.

Saturday, June 12, 8:35 PM
