NYC Arab Film Calendar
Films by, about and related to the Arab World & diaspora screening in the New York City area.
Flight Risk
Muhammad’s fruity holiday plans hit a roadblock when he gets stopped by airport security and is accused of running off to join ISIS. Part of the Get Some Laughs shorts program at NewFest38.
The Battle of Algiers
Groundbreaking and profoundly influential, Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers (1966) portrays the Algerian fight for independence from France in the 1950s as violence and brutality escalate. Screening as part of Playback: A Brooklyn Watch Party.
Boomerang Atomic
Celebrated Algerian French filmmaker Rachid Bouchareb examines colonialism’s effects through the untold story of French atomic bomb testing in the Algerian desert. Using fascinating archival footage, he subtly makes the point that imperialism never changes its ways, bringing into focus similar events happening today.
Awake
Algerian-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was arrested in 2025 for his outspoken support of the Gaza Solidarity movement at Columbia University. In this animated short, he reflects on freedom and human rights during a sleepless night in detention.
For Life
In this moving portrait of resilience, a Palestinian woman is determined to have a child with her husband as he serves a life sentence in an Israeli prison. Following this seemingly ordinary woman and her attempt to smuggle out her husband’s sperm, the film brings a human dimension to daily life without basic freedoms.
Another Day Shall Come
A portrait of life under Israeli occupation told through the voices and images of the Palestinian people. Both hopeful and unflinchingly real, the film manages to make 76 years of oppression and resistance tangible and moving.
From Gaza With Love
Within the war that is ravaging Gaza, a friendship is born. Palestinian photographer Suhail Nassar is documenting the effects of war on the children of the city. He also works as a witness for French journalist Charles Villa, who is trying to report on the atrocities but is not allowed into the territory.
For Life
In this moving portrait of resilience, a Palestinian woman is determined to have a child with her husband as he serves a life sentence in an Israeli prison. Following this seemingly ordinary woman and her attempt to smuggle out her husband’s sperm, the film brings a human dimension to daily life without basic freedoms.
Put Your Soul On Your Hand and Walk
Captured through a filmmaker's video calls with Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassona, these calls act as a powerful digital lifeline to the realities of war, resistance and survival. Screening as part of Voices of Francophone Cinema Festival.
Blood and Water
A wealthy woman switches lives with her twin sister after discovering that her twin is pregnant, in order to keep balance within the ailing family. Screening as part of the New York Shorts International Film Festival.
Masao Adachi Takes a Passport Photo
A new short film from Palestinian filmmaker Kamal Aljafari following Japanese filmmaker Masao Adachi who does not have a passport, as a consequence of his 1970s involvement with the revolutionary Japanese Red Army. Screening as part of the Spotlight Shorts program at New York Film Festival.
New York Muslim Film Festival
A one day festival with a curated selection of short films from up-and-coming Muslim artists whose perspectives deserve greater visibility.
Halal Cart Dreams
Halal Cart Dreams plunges audiences into the claustrophobic, high-stakes ecosystem of New York City’s street food vendors, a world where immigrant hustle collides with systemic exploitation. Screening as part of the New York Shorts International Film Festival.
The Little Sister
Fatima, the youngest child at seventeen, navigates the delicate balance of her evolving identity, queer attraction, and deep devotion to her French-Algerian relatives. Screening as part of the Voices of Francophone Cinema Festival.
Masao Adachi Takes a Passport Photo
A new short film from Palestinian filmmaker Kamal Aljafari following Japanse filmmaker Masao Adachi who does not have a passport, as a consequence of his 1970s involvement with the revolutionary Japanese Red Army. Screening as part of the Spotlight Shorts program at New York Film Festival.
Bardi
For her majestic work of earthy imagination, filmmaker and photographer Tala Hadid immersed herself in the rugged, fraternal world of a group of horse-riders in central Morocco, as they take part in an equestrian military ritual that dates to the 16th century. Screening as part of New York Film Festival.
Joy of Joys
This exuberant yet sobering documentary from Jonathan Glazer—with the help of London schoolkids equipped with cameras—goes behind the scenes at Abbey Road to capture the recording of a charity album from War Child Records, which aids children in conflict zones.
Tallahassee
A portrayal of a young woman’s re-entry into the world, which offers a glimpse into struggles around mental illness, an issue often silenced and pathologized in Arab culture. Screening as part of New York Kurdish Festival.
Bardi
For her majestic work of earthy imagination, filmmaker and photographer Tala Hadid immersed herself in the rugged, fraternal world of a group of horse-riders in central Morocco, as they take part in an equestrian military ritual that dates to the 16th century. Screening as part of New York Film Festival.
Edward Said: Between Worlds
The life and mind of Edward Said, a professor, author, and world-renowned advocate for the Palestinian cause, fuels Maiken Baird’s rich, engrossing documentary, made up entirely of archival footage. Screening as part of New York Film Festival.
Joy of Joys
This exuberant yet sobering documentary from Jonathan Glazer—with the help of London schoolkids equipped with cameras—goes behind the scenes at Abbey Road to capture the recording of a charity album from War Child Records, which aids children in conflict zones. Screening as part of New York Film Festival.
The Wayfinders
A short film by Peggy Ahwesh. The uncanny landscapes of Lebanon, Syria, and occupied Palestine provide the setting for The Wayfinders, which turns a 2004 3D flight simulation program into a rumination upon themes of loss, displacement, and the right of return.
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