Guide to the 2018 Arab American Film Festival

This year's Arab Film Festival (AFF) in Southeastern Michigan focuses on marginalized communities and voices, with films focusing on gender, sexuality, identity, social justice, activism and community building.AFF aims to bring the perspective of marginalized voices to the forefront for their 13th annual film festival.Related: US, Michigan Premieres Among Arab Film Festival OfferingsThis year the AFF has joined forces with Cinetopia Film Festival, which screens films in Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Detroit. The event returns to Cinetopia Film Festival May 31-June 10.

U.S. premieres include "A Certain Nasser" about Georges Nasser, a Lebanese cinema pioneer. It will be paired June 10 with the first Lebanese film screened at the Cannes Film Festival, Nasser's 1957 film, "Where to?"

The short films program expands to two programs: The first, on June 8, focuses on "Everyday Heroes from the Arab World" and second, on June 9, is "Celebrating Arab Women Filmmakers."

The Arab American National Museum presents the Arab Film Festival.

AFF Venues:

• Aliya Hassan Auditorium at the Arab American National Museum - Dearborn
• Michigan Theater - Ann Arbor
• State Theater - Ann Arbor

Tickets are available online here.

Here's a complete guide to the entire festival:

Friday-Sunday, June 1-3

[TIME TBA] @ AANM
Screenwriting Workshop
$25 Museum Members; $30 students + seniors; $50 general public

Sunday, June 3

3:45 p.m. @ MICHIGAN THEATER ANN ARBOR
Dir. Thomas Morgan
2017/Lebanon/73 min./PG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zkr43diydQ

Soufra (feature)

Wednesday, June 6

6:45 p.m. @ AANM
The Campaign (short) MICHIGAN PREMIERE
Dir. Jenny Montasir
2017/Egypt/17 min.
+
Beauty and the Dogs/Aala Kaf Ifrit (feature) MICHIGAN PREMIERE
Dir. Kaouther Ben Hania
2017/Tunisia/100 min./R

Thursday, June 7

4 p.m. @ MICHIGAN THEATRE ANN ARBOR
Soufra (feature)
Dir. Thomas Morgan
2017/Lebanon/73 min./PG

6 p.m. @ AANM
Wajib (feature) MICHIGAN PREMIERE
Dir. Annemarie Jacir
2017/Palestine/96 min./PG 13
9:30 p.m. @ STATE THEATER ANN ARBOR

Beauty and the Dogs/Aala Kaf Ifrit (feature) MICHIGAN PREMIERE
Dir. Kaouther Ben Hania
2017/Tunisia/100 min./R
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wL31-5hyTU

Friday, June 8

4:30 p.m. @ AANM
Mr. Gay Syria (feature) MICHIGAN PREMIERE
Dir. Ayse Toprak
2017/Syria, Turkey/84 min./PG 13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MayoAfj4djQ

6:45 p.m. @ AANM
Short Film Program: Everyday Heroes
98 min./films rated PG, PG 13 and R
Language/Lugha
Dir. Mortada Gzar
2017/Iraq/12 min./PG

• Last Days of the Man of Tomorrow/ Akher Ayam Rajoul El Ghad
  Dir. Fadi Baki
  2017/Lebanon, Germany/29 min./R
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKJAcllbTNM
• Caravan
  Dir. Suzanne Mirghani
  2016/Qatar/6 min./PG
• Sabeya
  Dir. Dhyaa Joda
  2017/Iraq/17 min./PG 13
• Silence/Samt
  Dir. Chadi Aoun
  2017/Lebanon/15 min./PG 13
• The President's Visit
  Dir. Cyril Aris
  2017/Lebanon/19 min./PG 13
  9-11 p.m. @ AANM
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3ePINp1pU8

AFF Reception

Saturday, June 9
11 a.m. @ AANM

Nile Hilton Incident (feature)

Dir. Tarik Saleh
2017/Egypt, Sweden, Denmark, Germany/107 min./R
2 p.m. @ MICHIGAN THEATER ANN ARBOR UNCONFIRMED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1njw7sUFoQ

This is Home (feature) MICHIGAN PREMIERE
Dir. Alexandra Shiva
2018/Jordan, Syria, USA/91 min./PG 13
2 p.m. @ AANM

Short Film Program: Celebrating Arab Women Filmmakers
91 min.//films rated PG, PG 13 and R
Aya
Dir. Moufida Fedhila
2017/Tunisia/24 min./PG 13

Unspoken
Dir. Samia Badih
2017/UAE/11 min./PG 13
In White
Dir. Dania Bdeir
2017/Lebanon/18 min./PG

Lollipop/Halawa
Dir. Hanaa Saleh Alfassi
2017/Saudi Arabia, Morocco, UAE, USA/13 min./PG 13

Like Salt
Dir. Darine Hotait
2018/USA/25 min./PG 13
4:30-6 p.m. @ AANM

Panel discussion: New Reflections on Arab American Representation in Media

7:15 p.m. @ AANM
Soufra
Dir. Thomas Morgan (feature)
2017/Lebanon/73 min./PG
+ Iftar Dinner + talkback

Sunday, June 10

1 p.m. @ AANM

The Dead Die Once (short) WORLD PREMIERE
Dir. Max McGillivray, Alex Morelli
2018/USA/9 min.
+
This is Home (feature) MICHIGAN PREMIERE
Dir. Alexandra Shiva
2018/Jordan, Syria, USA/91 min./PG 13
+ panel discussion

3:30 p.m. @ AANM

Borders Crossed (short)
Dir. Firas Allouch
2017/Lebanon, USA/7 min./G

Where To?/Ila Ayn? (feature) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Dir. Georges Nasser
1957/Lebanon/81 min.

A Certain Nasser/Un Certain Nasser (documentary feature) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Dir. Antoine Waked, Badih Massaad