THU OCT 21, 7pm — SOUAD + TALK WITH DIRECTOR

9PM — Opening reception

Drama | 96min | Dir. Ayten Amin | Egypt | Watch the trailer

+ Pre-recorded Q&A with director Ayten Amin

Nineteen-year-old Souad leads a double life. She is conservative and veiled among her family and society, but also obsessed with her image on social media, where she has several secret virtual relationships. She lies about her personal life and fantasizes about the life she most desires. Yet, her ambitions and dreams are slowly crushed by reality. A series of small incidents lead to tragedy, and her sister, 13-year-old Rabab, embarks on a journey looking for answers about her sister’s life and dreams.

Fri Oct 22, 7pm — 200 Meters

Drama | 96min | Dir. Ameen Nayfeh | Palestine, Jordan, Qatar | Watch the trailer

Mustafa and his wife Salwa live 200 meters apart in villages separated by the Israeli border wall. One day he gets a call every parent dreads: his son has been injured in an accident. Rushing to cross the Israeli checkpoint, Mustafa is denied on a technicality. But a father’s love won’t give up and he will do anything to reach his son. A 200 meter distance becomes a 200 kilometer odyssey, as Mustafa, left with no choice, attempts to smuggle himself to the other side of the wall.

Sat, Oct 23, 7pm — We Are From There

Doc | 82min | Dir. Wissam Tanios | Lebanon | Watch the trailer

Two Syrian brothers in their mid 20s take a leap of faith and decide to start their lives from scratch in new cities. They leave everything behind except their passion for life, determination, sense of humor and hope for a better future. Their closest cousin, Wissam, decides to film their odysseys for over five years, questioning the true meaning of home, bringing back some childhood memories, while exploring the human ability to cope with change as radical as it may be.

Sun Oct 24, 2pm — Filmmaker Focus: Darine Hotait

Based in New York, Darine Hotait is an American Lebanese writer and film director of a dozen award-winning narrative short films. Her work focuses on the politics of identity, Arab & African diaspora, science fiction, and magical realism.

The program will include her newest short, Tallahassee. The 22-minute drama is the portrayal of a young woman’s re-entry into the world, a meditation on the enormous task of life after grief. Framed in the context of diaspora, this film grants a glimpse into the struggles of mental illness, an issue often silenced and pathologized in Arab culture. Watch the trailer here.

Sun, Oct 24, 4pm — Closing Reception

5:30pm — 1982

Drama | 100min | Dir. Oualid Mouaness | Lebanon | Watch the trailer

During the 1982 invasion of Lebanon at a private school on the outskirts of Beirut, 11-year-old Wissam tries to tell a classmate about his crush on her, while his teachers on different sides of the political divide, try to mask their fears.