Ayten Amin’s Souad Headlines at 15th Edition Arab Film Fest
The fifteenth edition of Mizna’s Twin Cities Arab Film Fest returns to Minneapolis–St. Paul next week, September 29–October 3, 2021 in a hybrid format. The in-person components of the festival will take place at Trylon Cinema in Minneapolis and virtual screenings will be accessible nationally and internationally.
In-person Tickets: $10 Virtual Tickets: $8
All-access passes: $100 Virtual passes: $60
Discounted ticket options for students, seniors, and low-income community members are available for virtual screenings.
Note: In order to be as safe as possible, face masks and proof of vaccination will be required for all in-person screenings. For virtual screenings, please be sure to note any geo-restrictions before purchasing your tickets.
Join us for the opening party of the 15th annual Twin Cities Arab Film Festival!
Take in a DJ set by Douala Soul Collective, print your own poster with artist Meher Khan, and snack on a beautiful spread provided by chef Mohammed Kotb of DervishMazza.
4:30–6:30pm at Moon Palace Books Plaza • 3032 Minnehaha Ave S, Minneapolis, MN.
OPENING NIGHT FILM
At 7pm, head two blocks over to the Trylon Cinema to watch the opening night film, Souad by Ayten Amin.
The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, follows Souad, a 19-year-old woman who leads a double life. A series of incidents lead to tragedy, and Soad's younger sister, 13-year-old Rabab, embarks on a journey looking for answers about Soad’s life and dreams.
Virtual tickets (MN viewers only) available here.
AFF SPECIAL PROGRAMS
10/1 DISCUSSION: HALA ALYAN + DARINE HOTAIT
Two of our Mizna's favorite Arab American artists, director Darine Hotait and writer/actor Hala Alyan, have worked together on several projects, including the two shorts included in the 2021 Arab Film Fest: Tallahassee and I Say Dust.
Watch the films and then join us for this virtual discussion with Darine and Hala at 4:00 pm CST on Friday, October 1.
10/2 DISCUSSION: EXILE AND LUNAR COLONIZATION
Moderated by scholar and curator Róisín Tapponi, this discussion pairs filmmakers Sarah Francis and Mona Benyamin, who both use experimental style and science-fiction tropes to examine the experience of exile.
Join us for this virtual discussion Saturday, October 2, 2021 at noon CT.
Make sure to check out As Above, So Below by Sarah Francis and Moonscape by Mona Benyamin––screening in-person and virtually at this year's fest––before joining us for this conversation!
10/3 DISCUSSION: MOROCCAN CINEMA IN THE 1970s
In this discussion, author and curator Omar Berrada and filmmakers Ahmed Maanouni and Ali Essafi reflect on the significance of Moroccan film in the 1970s and on the importance of film restoration in the present. Essafi's film Before the Dying of the Light and Maanouni's film Trances will screen as part of this year's Arab Film Fest.
About Mizna
Mizna is a critical platform for contemporary literature, film, art, and cultural production centering the work of Arab and Southwest Asian and North African artists. For more than twenty years, we have been creating a decolonized cultural space to reflect the expansiveness of our community and to foster exchange, examine ideas, and engage audiences in meaningful art.
We publish Mizna, winner of the 2021 CLMP Firecracker Award; produce the Twin Cities Arab Film Festival, the largest and longest running Arab film fest in the Midwest; and offer classes, readings, performances, public art, and community events, having featured over 400 local and global writers, filmmakers, and artists. Mizna was named Minnesota Nonprofit of the Year in 2020 and a Regional Cultural Treasure in 2021.
For more information, visit: https://mizna.org/
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