Seattle Arab Film Festival: short documentaries
2023-05-13 19:00 - 20:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, 2, Seattle, WA, 98122, United States
Showcasing a diversity of voices and stories, this program offers a nuanced and complex picture of Arab life.
TRT: 53 min

Abeille
(Mouna Ben Hammed, Tunisia, 2022, 7 min)

The powerful story of a Black woman from subsaharan Africa, now living in Tunisia, about her life in Tunis, the struggles she has faced, and her hopes for the future.

O’ud
(Ghassan Fadi Sidawi, Lebanon, 2023, 18 min)

A documentary chronicling the rise of the late refugee artist Mohammad El Agha in the Palestinian folk band Hanin and his personal connection to the filmmaker.

A Very Obnoxious Thing
(Ahmed Khalil Ali, Egypt, 2022, 15 min)

Three women of different ages share their personal fears as they try to remember their past and live in the present.

Conversations with an Actress
(Estephan Khattar, Lebanon, 2022, 13 min)

A Lebanese actress recounts her experiences over two years. She discusses Beirut, love, failure, immigration, and the obstacles she has faced in her life and career.

Seattle Arab Film Festival: Family Matters (shorts)
2023-05-14 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, 2, Seattle, WA, 98122, United States
This series of films explores the joys, challenges, and complexities of family life. Speaking to intimacy, alienation, and a spectrum of experiences in between, these films highlight the potential for each of us to hurt and to heal in our relationships with others.
TRT: 54 min

STORY

(Mohamed Bouhari, Morocco, 2023, 19 min)
Every night, a fisherman tells his son about his heroic adventures at the bottom of the sea. One day the child discovers the truth.

Beyond the Sea

(Melinda Delaloye, Lebanon, 2022, 15 min)
A single mother who struggles to connect with her son is forced to face traumatic memories when he asks to watch the sunset by the sea.

Talk to Me

(Ribal Chedid, Lebanon, 2023, 20 min)
Conflict arises during a family visit. Separated by a locked door, the dysfunctional dynamic intensifies, and the past resurfaces.

AANM’s Arab Film Festival 2023
2023-05-17 - 2023-05-21
Wednesday, May 17 – Sunday, May 21, 2023
AANM’s Arab Film Festival
AANM proudly hosts the annual Arab Film Festival (AFF) featuring the best of critically acclaimed and award-winning Arab American and Arab world films, many of which are unlikely to reach traditional American commercial theaters and often make their regional or national debut at AFF. This year, the festival will take place virtually and in-person, May 17-21, 2023!
AFF showcases Arab and Arab American films for fans of Arabic-language movies and adventurous art-film lovers seeking new perspectives and outside-the-box thinking. We pride ourselves on creating a safe space, a platform for Arab and Arab American films and filmmakers and to give a voice to Arab and Arab American artists and their stories.

Virtual Movies Showing

Under the Fig Trees

Among the trees, young women and men working the summer harvest develop new feelings, flirt, try to understand each other, find – and flee – deeper connections.

You Resemble Me

When two sisters are abruptly separated, the eldest, Hasna, struggles to find her identity and place in the world.

Shorts Program: An Ode to Our Collective Memory

This shorts program highlights films that recall and pay homage to our past while also carving out our current identities.

Hanging Gardens

When a young Iraqi rubbish picker rescues an American sex doll from the Baghdad dumps, he crosses into a perilous red zone, where friends become enemies and nothing is certain in an explosive mix of love, war and madness.

The Taste Of Apples Is Red

Syrian director Ehab Tarabieh’s The Taste Of Apples Is Red which is set against the background of the director’s native Golan Heights and revolves around two brothers who are reunited after 47 years apart.

Doc Block: Palestine
Shorts Programs

This block of documentaries highlights the life, struggles, joy and stories from Palestine.

Voices from the Holy Land: Online Film Salon
2023-05-21 12:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Two documentary films, Voices across the Divide and Born in Deir Yassin, pull back the carefully constructed curtain of “a land without people for a people without a land.” Since 1948, a monumental effort has been made to promote a romantic mythology of Israel’s creation and to hide the brutal violence. But firsthand accounts by both the oppressor and the oppressed, the expeller and the exiled, reveal the ongoing wounds. Nothing is resolved by dialogue alone, yet nothing will be resolved without it. Any hope of coexistence begins when the historical truth is rediscovered and acknowledged. It begins here.
Watch the film for free at your convenience; then join the Q&A Discussion with:
Alice Rothchild: Author, filmmaker, and Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School (Retd.)
Emad Moussa: Palestinian-British journalist, researcher, and human rights activist
Huda Giddens: Palestinian American educator, Nakba survivor
Ahlam Muhtaseb (moderator): Author, filmmaker, and Professor of Media Studies at CSUSB
You must register to join the discussion & receive access to the film: Tinyurl.com/VFHL-May2023
Watch the Trailers: 1) vimeo.com/818747654 2) vimeo.com/818744242
How this will work:
1 – Register here for the Voices from the Holy Land Online Film Salon:
Tinyurl.com/VFHL-May2023
2 – Once you register, you will get a confirmation email from Zoom with a link to the meeting and a link with to watch the film. (Save this confirmation letter as the meeting link is unique to your email and you must have this to participate.)
3 – Watch the film at your convenience before the event. Then join us with your thoughts and questions for our speakers at the Q&A Discussion on Sunday May 21, 2023 at 3 pm ET/ 12 noon PT.

The Presence + Absence of the Palestinian Archive: Mizna Film Series
2023-05-25 - 2023-05-28 | Virtual
The 2023 Mizna Film Series highlights archival works and initiatives that document Palestine’s struggle for liberation.
In May we present The Void Project by Palestinian filmmaker Azza El Hassan. Founded in 2018, The Void Project explores the presence and absence of visual archives as a discourse in wartime narrative formation.
Jerusalem Flower of All Cities and Palestine in the Eye, two Palestinian films restored by The Void Project and The Making of a Revolutionary Film aka The Place 2 as well as Kings and Extras: Digging for a Palestinian Image, films by El Hassan herself, will screen both in-person and virtually this month. Learn more about the films.
Watch IN PERSON on May 24, 2023 at 7pm at Trylon Cinema.
Watch WORLDWIDE VIRTUALLY May 25–28, 2023.

Other People’s Children (Moroccan-French actor)
2023-05-26 16:30 - 18:30, 2023-05-26 19:15 - 21:30, 2023-05-27 13:45 - 15:30, 2023-05-27 16:30 - 18:30, 2023-05-27 19:15 - 21:30, 2023-05-28 13:15 - 15:30, 2023-05-28 16:30 - 18:30, 2023-05-28 19:15 - 21:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave N,, Seattle, WA, 98109, United States
What does it mean to care for another person’s child? A single 40-year-old high school teacher must ask herself this question when she falls in love with Ali and especially his four-year-old daughter in the latest from Rebecca Zlotowski (An Easy Girl).

Tinariwen at the Showbox
2023-05-31 20:30 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | The Showbox, 1426 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
The new album by Tinariwen could well have been called Exile on Main Street. But other people have already thought of that. It also could have been called A la recherché du pays perdu (‘Remembrance of a lost country’). Except that would have been a tad Proustian for musicians who grew up pretty much between a rock and a sand dune, in the midst of their goat herds and camel caravans. But the idea is apt. As is the painful paradox, if you consider that while Tinariwen were busy criss-crossing the globe on their recent triumphant tours (160 concerts played in the past three years), expanding their audience on all five continents, becoming one of the latest musical phenomena of truly universal calibre, the frontiers that encircle their desert home were closing down and double-locking, forcing them into exile to record this their 8th album.

Screening online now on Unpacking the ArteArchive: VOICES OF IRAQ
2023-06-09 - 2023-06-18
Screening Online: June 9-18, 2023
RSVP at artearchive.org
Free / $5 suggested donation
Available worldwide

The online program includes a selection of films produced by Sada and the Independent Film & Television College, and a recorded conversation between Rijin Sahakian and Dina Ramadan.

Native Sons: Palestinians in Exile: Streaming Movie
2023-06-17 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Saturday June 17, 2023, 12:00 Noon US EDT; 19:00 Palestine; 18:00 Europe
Documentary film: “Native Sons: Palestinians in Exile,” directed by Tom Hayes. 57 Minutes, 1985, English language. The film screening will be followed by a discussion with film director.
Martin Sheen narrates this examination of the lives of three Palestinian families who fled their homes in 1948 and have lived as refugees in Lebanon ever since. Utilizing archive footage dating from as early as 1935, Native Sons probes the roots of the Palestine/Israel conflict through lives of individual people.country’s official policy, the documentary provides a portrait of the ongoing conflict not often depicted in mainstream media.
Please click here to register for this event.

Who We Are - Queer Arab Shorts (online)
2023-06-22 - 2023-06-25 | Virtual
In honor of Pride Month, the Arab Film Series presents: Who We Are a collection of award-winning short films that highlight the experiences of Queer Arabs around the globe. Each film tells the story of a character whose desire to live authentically comes in conflict with the people and society around them.
This a program dedicated to the freedom and joy that can come from taking the risk and being honest with both oneself and those who love us
Presented by Arab American National Museum (AANM), Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI), and ArteEast.

Celebrating June Pride online Arab Film Series
2023-06-22 - 2023-06-25 | Virtual
In honor of Pride Month, ArteEast is proud to present WHO WE ARE, a collection of award-winning short films that highlight the experiences of queer Arabs around the globe. Each film tells the story of a character whose desire to live authentically comes in conflict with the people and society around them.
This program is presented as part of the Arab Film Series online, and is dedicated to the freedom and joy that comes from taking risks and being honest with ourselves and those around us.
Online Screening: June 22-25, 2023
Free / $5 suggested donation
RSVP at arabfilmseries.org
Available in the United States

Movie: The Scars of Ali Boulala
2023-06-22 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | The Beacon, 4405 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98118, United States
At 16 years old, Ali Boulala was on top of the world: the Algerian-Finnish skateboarding prodigy from Sweden snagged a sponsorship from Flip Skateboards, who flew him out to LA at the height of the 90s skating craze. Boulala spent his days trying to nail new tricks for DIY videos and hanging out with a global cohort of other precocious pros, who loved Boulala for his charisma and punk-inflected style. But the indulgences of life on tour – especially for a group of death-defying teenagers – took its toll, building to a tragic accident that changed Boulala’s life forever.
In his debut feature, Max Eriksson tells Boulala’s story through an audaciously atmospheric blend of sources: we see Boulala in his prime in skate videos from the 90s and 00s, while fellow pro skaters – Rune Glifberg, Arto Saari, and Kevin “Spanky” Long – tell us who he was off the halfpipe. As Boulala revisits his youth with fresh eyes, he takes a clear-eyed look at the unexpected lifestyle that was inextricable from his childhood talent. As he puts it, a person’s inner scars will always outlast their physical injuries.

Runtime: 100 minutes

Arab Film Series Online: Prayer of the Wanderer
2023-07-27 - 2023-07-30 | Virtual
Films available 12 a.m. ET Thursday, July 27 to 11:59 p.m. ET Sunday, July 30
Arab Film Series Online: Prayer of the Wanderer
Free Online Stream | Suggested $5 Donation – Register
Prayer of the Wanderer is a short film program that explores the complex and multifaceted experiences of Arab American immigrants in their pursuit of identity within the context of living in the United States. By delving into their narratives, this event seeks to shed light on the richness and diversity of Arab American cultural heritage while confronting the challenges faced by individuals in navigating their dual identities. Through a carefully curated selection of films, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the Arab American community’s varied contributions to society while inviting audiences to contemplate the universal themes of belonging, adaptation, and self-discovery.
Featuring works by Ahmed Ragheb & Lily Ekimian, Darine Hotait, Jenna Bosco, Randa Ali, Reem Jubran, Shayma Aziz and Zayn Alexandre.
For questions, e-mail Dave Serio at dserio@accesscommunity.org.

Free virtual screening of the documentary film "Checkpoint"
2023-07-29 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Please click here to register for this event.
Please click here to view trailer.
Screening will start at 12:00 Noon US EDT; 19:00 Palestine, 18:00 Europe
Released 2003, Running Time 93 minutes, English subtitles. The film screening will be followed by a discussion and Q&As with film director Yoav Shamir.

Rare Film Screening: Marking the Anniversary of Tall El-Zaatar
2023-08-24 - 2023-08-27 | Virtual
The 2023 Mizna Film Series highlights archival works and initiatives that document Palestine’s struggle for liberation.
Marking the 47th anniversary of the Tall el-Zaatar Massacre, this August, Mizna Film Series presents Tall el-Zaatar, the recently recovered and restored documentary directed by Mustafa Abu Ali, Pino Adriano, and Jean Chamoun.
The film documents the August 12, 1976 massacre of Palestinian and Lebanese refugees at Tall el-Zaatar, a UN-administered refugee camp in northeast Beirut. Produced after the massacre, but featuring footage shot before and during the siege leading up to it, Tall el-Zaatar reconstructs the history of the camp and recounts the long months of assault and resistance through the voices of the many survivors.

Lost, Covered and Restored:
Tall el-Zaatar was produced in two versions: one in Arabic for the Palestinian Cinema Institution of the PLO in Beirut, and the other dubbed into Italian for TV broadcast. Arabic film prints were damaged and lost following the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the subsequent plundering of PLO archives. Between 2012 and 2014, filmmaker Monica Maurer and artist Emily Jacir rediscovered the rushes of the film, including the original soundtrack in Arabic, which were kept at the Audiovisual Archive of the Democratic and Labour Movement (AAMOD) in Rome. Maurer and Jacir dedicated themselves to salvaging the rushes, restoring and digitizing them in order to make the film available to the public and safeguard these images as part of Palestinian collective memory.
Watch WORLDWIDE VIRTUALLY August 24–27, 2023.

Lebanese-American Actress Kathy Najimy in Hocus Pocus at Crossroads Movie in the Park
2023-08-24 19:30 - 21:30 UTC | Crossroads Park, 16140 NE 8th St, Bellevue, WA, 98008, United States
After three centuries, three witch sisters are resurrected in Salem Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it is up to two teenagers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to the witches’ reign of terror once and for all.
Starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and the actress of Lebanese descent Kathy Najimy!

Film : Genre: Action,Comedy,Sci-Fi, 1993

Virtual Movie Screenings: Every Saturday with Palestine Museum US
2023-08-26 09:00 - 11:00, 2023-09-09 09:00 - 11:00, 2023-10-07 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Check website: https://www.palestinemuseum.us/events for current showings and for registration links!
Often the screening ends with a Q&A with the director!

Free virtual screening of the documentary film "Return to Lifta," a Zochrot film narrated by Umar al-Ghubari.
2023-09-02 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Please click here to register for this event.

Screening will start at 12:00 Noon US EDT; 19:00 Palestine, 18:00 Europe, Running Time 26 minutes, English with English subtitles as applicable. The film screening will be followed by discussions with the audience.
This educational video (tour) is a message of refusal to accept the current situation in Lifta, and an act of resistance to the destructive plan that seeks to finally erase the Palestinian village.
—

Check website: https://www.palestinemuseum.us/events for current showings and for registration links!
Often the screening ends with a Q&A with the director!

Mizna’s Twin Cities Arab Film Festival
2023-09-27 - 2023-10-01
The seventeenth edition of Mizna’s Twin Cities Arab Film Festival takes place September 27–October 1, 2023. This year’s festival is in-person at The Main Cinema with a special opening night screening and celebration at the Walker Art Center.
Bad news for us, we do not live in the Twin Cities.
The GOOD NEWS is some of the films are virtual!
https://watch.eventive.org/tcaff23

Arte East Film Series: Exploring Political and Cultural Narratives through Food (virtual)
2023-09-28 - 2023-10-01
THERE IS SALT AND BREAD BETWEEN US

Featuring Larissa Sansour & Youmna Chlala, Marwa Benhalim & Andrea Nones-Kobiakov, and Alia Yunis.

Online Screening: September 28- October 1, 2023
RSVP at arabfilmseries.org
Free / $5 Suggested donation
Available Worldwide

The Golden Harvest, Alia Yunis, Greece/ Italy/Spain/Palestine, 2019, 85 min.

The Golden Harvest is a 6,000-year old love story in which the filmmaker tries to understand the profound, often troubled, relationship between olive trees and the people of Mediterranean, including Palestinian father.

The Devil’s Recipe, Marwa Benhalim & Andrea Nones-Kobiakov, Egypt, 2020, 12 min.

The Devil’s Recipe is a collaboration between Andrea Nones-Kobiakov and Marwa Benhalim – a playful view of the nonsensicality within political discourses. Mundane everyday objects, actions, ingredients, and utterances emphasize the redundant and useless nature of propagandistic speeches. The reality in the spoken words is mixed to create new fictions, proverbs, idioms, and linguistic manipulations highlighting the absurd illusions of power and stability we regularly are made to believe. Based on remarks by Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías at the 61st United Nations General Assembly, 2006 and remarks by Muammar al-Gaddafi at the 64th United Nations General Assembly, 2009.

Trespass the Salt. Larissa Sansour & Youmna Chlala, Lebanon, 2012, 12 min.

Through this intimate and fictionalized dinner, an impossible happening becomes real. The work explores cultural fabrications and similarities in a non-mediated moment outside the Western gaze – even if the space it seeks is invariably conditioned by it. This work was initially a 3-channel video installation.

The Arab Film Series online is a monthly program of films and discussions with artists and filmmakers from the SWANA region and its diasporas, presented by ArteEast in partnership with the Arab American National Museum and Arab Film and Media Institute.

Virtual Movie Screenings: Every Saturday with Palestine Museum US
2023-09-30 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Saturday, September 30, 2023
12:00 PM 2:00 PM
Palestine Museum US (map)

Start on Sat, Aug 6, 2022 at 12:00pm. End on Sat, Aug 6, 2022 at 2:00pm.
Click here to register for this event.
The film screening will be followed by a discussion with the film director Basela Abou Hamed. Screening will start at 12:00 Noon US EDT; 19:00 PM Palestine, 18:00 europe. Duration: 52 Minutes | Subtitled in English, 2021.
Abou Hamed’s family sought refuge initially in Jenin, then in a village in the Ramallah area, Kufur Ni’mah, and eventually in Damascus, Syria where they ended up in the Yarmouk Refugee Camp.
