san diego
arab film festival

Tamer is a Palestinian teenager living in Israel. He and his friends lead a typical high school student’s life until the arrival of the beautiful Maysaa’. To seduce her, Tamer agrees to take part in a mysterious flag operation on the eve of Israel’s Independence Day which is a mourning day for Palestinians.

As Saamidah, a young Palestinian-American girl, anxiously starts her first day of school, she finds her identity in question when faced with a world map that does not include her homeland of Palestine. In this poignant, short animation, Iman Zawahry directs the viewer through a rich celebration of cultural nuances and iconic elements. Through an exploration of Saamidah’s cultural identity and Palestinian pride, the viewer is invited to an intimate view of her self-discovery.

Maia, a single mother, lives in Montreal with her teenage daughter, Alex. On Christmas Eve, they receive an unexpected delivery: notebooks, tapes, and photos Maia sent to her best friend from 1980’s Beirut. Maia refuses to open the box or confront its memories, but Alex secretly begins diving into it. Between fantasy and reality, Alex enters the world of her mother’s tumultuous, passionate adolescence during the Lebanese civil war, unlocking mysteries of a hidden past. 

OUR RIVER…OUR SKY is an ensemble film of intersecting stories that takes place in the last week of 2006 – between Christmas and New Year. It tells the stories of ordinary Iraqis trying to live their everyday lives amidst intense unpredictable sectarian violence. The central character of the film – described by KQED (USA) as a “fiction writer played with great charm and heart by Darina Al Joundi” is a single mother and novelist, who struggles to make sense of the fragmentation of her world. Shortly before the New Year, following the unexpected news of Saddam Hussein’s execution, Sara and her neighbors brace themselves for an uncertain future while trying to sustain a fragile sense of hope.

In the shade of trees, a strong bond flourishes between the young summer harvest workers.
Between flirting, feelings of attraction and denial, a deep connection develops between the young men and women as they try to
understand one another.

From Aleppo to the Ghetto. Jacir follows the life of a young Syrian refugee (Malek Rahbani) on the streets of Memphis, Tennessee as he faces the hard truth in chasing the American dream, while living in poverty, witnessing social injustice and his neighbor’s (Lorraine Bracco) opioid addiction.

The international cast of “Jacir” includes Lebanese new comer, Malek Rahbani, Memphis Native Darius “Tutweezy” Tutwiler, and Oscar Nominee Lorraine Bracco. “Jacir” is produced by Mariana Trevino and AlQawasmi. With Larry Tolbert, Martin Kelman, Ron Lazarov, Jill and Scott Notowich serving as executive producers.

It is the mid-1990s. In a small town in the north of Morocco, Fouad is the only employee of the local post office. When he is stricken from neurological disease, his life changes, and a new life begins for Fouad, his wife, and their children. Their home will be filled with love, sorrow, and memories. While Fouad is slowly dying, his family members rediscover themselves. As time goes by, the wounds begin to surface – but the desire to live is inextinguishable.

Mediterranean Fever: In this wry, absurdist tale of mid-life restlessness, husband and father Waleed dreams of becoming a successful novelist yet is plagued by a severe case of writer’s block. Neither his therapist nor his family are able to offer much support, but when he forges an unlikely connection with his new neighbor, petty criminal Jalal, his fortunes seem to shift. Under the auspices of research for his next novel, Waleed tags along with Jalal on his illicit daily routine, leading to a series of fraught situations that find Waleed out of his depth.