The Arab Film Club is a community-led platform founded by Sarah Agha to showcase exceptional cinema from the Arab world.
Each month we pick a different title written and directed by an Arab filmmaker. The sessions are either held online (we watch the chosen film in our own time and then meet virtually to share our responses) or held in person at a screening we host ourselves. We also organise group trips to attend events organised by other Arab film festivals which is usually followed by a social to discuss and network. So far we have watched and discussed films from Algeria, Egypt, the occupied Golan Heights, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. We’re always looking for new or classic titles to explore.
Yes! All sessions are informal and inclusive.
You don’t necessarily need to identify as Arab to join in or to be working in the film industry. All professions, creeds and ethnicities welcome – just bring an interest or appreciation for Arab cinema. Ahlan wa sahlan!
200 Metres – Ameen Nayfeh (Palestine, 2020)
Alam – Firas Khoury (Palestine, 2022)
Alexandria… Why? – Youssef Chahine (Egypt, 1978)
Animalia – Sofia Alaouii (Morocco, 2023)
Bab’Aziz – Nacer Khemir (Tunisia, 2005)
Cairo 678 – Mohamed Diab (Egypt, 2010)
The Burdened – Amr Gamal (Yemen, 2023)
Captain Abu Raed – Amin Matalqa (Jordan, 2007)
Costa, Brava Lebanon – Mounia Akl (Lebanon, 2021)
Damascus with Love – Mohamad Abdulaziz (Syria, 2010)
Divine Intervention – Elia Suleiman (Palestine, 2002)
Farha – Darin J. Sallam (Jordan, 2021)
Headbang Lullaby – Hisham Lasri (Morocco, 2017)
I’ll Go To Hell – Ismahane Lahmar (Tunisia, 2021)
Leila and The Wolves – Heiny Srour (Lebanon, 1982)
Memory Box – Joana Hadjithomas / Khalil Joreige (Lebanon, 2021)
Papicha – Mounia Meddour (Algeria, 2019)
Rock The Casbah – Laïla Marrakchi (Morocco, 2013)
Son of Babylon – Mohamed Al-Daradji (Iraq, 2009)
The Alleys – Bassel Ghandour (Jordan, 2021)
The Dupes – Tewfik Saleh- (Palestinian story, Egyptian director, 1972)
The Man Who Sold His Skin – Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisian director, 2020)
Salma’s Home – Hanadi Elyan (Jordan, 2022)
The Silences of The Palace – Moufida Tlatli (Tunisia, 1994)
The Stranger – Ameer Fakher Eldin (Golan Heights, 2021)
The Teacher – Farah Nabulsi (Palestine, 2024)
The Time That Remains – Elia Suleiman (Palestine, 2009)
Wadjda – Haifaa al-Mansour (Saudi Arabia, 2012)
Wajib – Annemarie Jacir (Palestine, 2017)
Where Do We Go Now – Nadine Labaki (Lebanon, 2011)
You Will Die At Twenty – Amjad Abu Alala (Sudan, 2019)
We have hosted 7 sold-out short film screenings. Here’s some highlights…
– Yuluu by our own member Libyan filmmaker Fatima Kried – 3’
– The Crossing by Ameen Nayfeh (Palestine) – 10′
– Abdullah and Leilah by Ashtar Al Khirsan (UK) – 19’
– Sous Les Soutanes by Michel Zarazir (Lebanon) – 20’
– CAI – BER by Ahmed Abdelsalam / Ahmed Hosny (Egypt) – 17’
– Al-Sit by Suzannah Mirghani (Sudan) – 20’
– Maradona’s Legs by Firas Khoury (Palestine) – 23’
This event was funded by The Grand Plan scheme.
For two years in a row, The Arab Film Club has been invited to collaborate with Counterpoint Arts to curate a screening of short films at London’s Southbank Centre. In 2023, we screened three titles by Arab filmmakers – Hassan Akkad (Matar), Soudade Kaadan (Aziza) and Laith Elzubaidi (Panic!) – and also screened two shorts from Afghanistan (Yellow by Elham Ehsas) and South Africa (Address Unknown by Anton Fisher). In 2024, we screened Al Sit (Sudan) by Suzannah Al Mirghani, Beneath A Mother’s Feet (Morocco) by Elias Suhail and An Orange From Jaffa (Palestine) by Mohammed Al Mughanni. The screenings were followed by a Q&A on stage with the filmmakers.
The Arab Film Club Podcast.
All episodes of Series 1 on Palestinian Cinema and Cultural Resistance are online to listen to now. 5 interviews with 5 pioneering Palestinian directors about their multi award winning feature films.
Darin J. Sallam (Farha), Lina Soualem (Bye Bye Tiberias), Ameen Nayfeh (200 Metres), Annemarie Jacir (Wajib) and Farah Nabulsi (The Teacher).
Tune in now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean : www.thearabfilmclub.podbean.com
The next Arab Film Club is a screening of Palestinian short films at the Genesis Cinema in London as part of
Art Forward’s ‘I’m Migrant’ Festival.
Ghosts of the past, present and future
Thursday 13th February at 6.50pm.
Tickets on sale here : https://www.genesiscinema.co.uk/event/95328