The Festival Also Offers Special Programming To Local Audiences, And Unprecedented Access To The Diversity And Range Of Authentic Arab Experiences. The Festival Has Gained An International Reputation For Excellence And Offers Its Audiences Access To Media That Reflects The Lives Of Under-Represented And Provocative Themes And Groups On A Cultural And Societal Level.

Schedule Of Events:

1:00pm - Dahik (Laughter)

Our Comedy Shorts Program Returns With A Selection Of Sharp, Witty, And Imaginative Films That Serve As Conduits For Social Commentary. This Year's Characters Must Deal With Increasingly Absurd Situations In Pursuit Of Simple (And Some Not-So-Simple) Desires, Whether They Are Trying To Steal A Kiss, Manage A Construction Site, Or Bring A Horse Up To An Apartment. However, Their Efforts Are Thwarted By The People Around Them, Who Are Not So Understanding Of Their Endeavors...

3:05pm - Tell Them About Us

Tell Them About Us Follows The Lives Of Seven Teenage Girls As They Embark On A Journey Of Adolescence In Eberswalde, A Provincial City In East Germany, Just 55 Km From Berlin. As Newcomers To The Area, The Girls Find Themselves Navigating Not Only The Typical Challenges Of Teenage Life—Friendships, School, And Self-Discovery—But Also The Complexities Of Adapting To A New Culture And Environment. Thrown Into A World That Is Both Unfamiliar And Often Unwelcoming, The Girls Grapple With The Nuances Of Their Identities As Immigrants And Refugees. Their Experiences Of Displacement, Cultural Adjustment, And The Pressures Of Assimilation Add Layers Of Complexity To Their Coming-Of-Age Narratives. Despite These Challenges, They Find Solace And Strength In Their Shared Bond As They Strive To Carve Out A Place For Themselves In Their New Home And Community. Parallel To Their Daily Lives, The Director Facilitates Workshops Where The Girls Explore Their Hopes, Dreams, And Fears Through Writing, Music, And Acting, Afterwhich, They Write Scenes In Order To Stage In Front Of The Camera. These Scenes Are Turned Into Dream Sequences Where The Girls Envision Themselves Ahead, As A Way To Process Painful Experiences And Playfully Translate Them Into Future Perspectives.

7:15pm - Closing Night: Goodbye Julia

In Honor Of Sudan And In Acknowledgement Of The Ongoing War And Genocide Taking Place There, We Present Our Closing Night Film Goodbye Julia, Which Looks At Tensions In The Country Prior To Secession Of South Sudan. The Film Was Sudan's Submission To The 97th Academy Awards. Don't Miss This Beautiful And Moving Film.

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