Yallah!

This November, the Arab Film Festival is travelling across Australia for the first time. The national tour kicks off in Sydney before heading to Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Experience the diversity, complexity and beauty of the Arab world through its film. This special touring program features the most entertaining, moving and exciting films as voted by audiences from our annual four-day festival held in Parramatta.

 CLICK ON THE FILMS BELOW TO BOOK

SYDNEY | Dendy Opera Quays

SUNDAY 1 NOV 7pm Inaugural National Tour Launch + Eye of the Sun

BRISBANE | Dendy Portside

FRIDAY 20 NOV 7pm Captain Abu Raed + Personal Calendar

SATURDAY 21 NOV 7pm Beirut Open City + A Boy, a Wall, a Donkey

SUNDAY 22 NOV 5pm Eye of the Sun + Huriyya and her Sisters

www.arabfilmfestival.com.au

Eye of the Sun / Ein Shams

Egypt | 2008 | 90 mins | Dir: Ibrahim El Batout

Shams is a playful, inquisitive 11-yearold, who dreams of travelling to downtown Cairo. Her teacher, Fatma, pours scorn on the idea, and her father, the beleaguered taxi driver and part-time chauffeur Ramadan to shady businessman Selim Bey (Boutros Boutros-Ghali), has no time to indulge his daughter. El-Batout’s poignant tale weaves drama and documentary to journey through modern day Egypt.

Winner of the The Golden Hawk, Rotterdam Festival, 2008

Captain Abu Raed

Jordan | 2007 | 95 mins | Dir: Amin Matalqa

Abu Raed is a lonely and generous man who works as a janitor at Amman Airport. He is mistaken by the kids in his neighbourhood as a captain and he plays along. As he gets further involved in the lives of the children, he recognises that each and every one of them is desperately curious about the outside world and the captain begins to weave elaborate stories for the wide-eyed children. His adventures serve not only as entertainment but as the key to transforming the lives of the children and their parents.

Winner of the Audience Award, Sundance Film Festival, 2008

Beirut Open City / Doukhan Bila Nar

Lebanon | 2008 | 100 mins | Dir: Samir Habchi

An American flag flies at the head of five identical jeeps heading straight for the city of Beirut. A man sits on the rear brandishing a heavy machine gun. Khaled’s camera captures this moment, and many moments after that, and thus the stories of fear, violence, repression and corruption begin. A feature actiondrama set at the height of the Syrian presence in Lebanon and an insight into Beirut’s underbelly.