Film fans get cutting-edge view of Middle East life at Arab movie fest in MichiganMICHIGAN: Movie fans were given a cutting-edge view of life in the Middle East at the 14th annual Arab Film Festival (AFF) in the US. Held in Detroit, the event introduced a series of films, movie shorts and documentaries focusing on marginalized voices in communities, including gender, identity, social justice, activism and community building. Showcasing movies from Arab countries in North Africa and the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the festival ran for nine days, from June 7 to 16, and featured Michigan premieres and prizewinners from several film festivals, including Sundance and Cannes. Rita Khalifah, from the US city of Melvindale, attended the festival and saw the block of Arab World shorts. Throughout the film festival, the art and paintings of Mayssa Fakih, a local teenage artist whose works touch on some of the topics, were on display for attendees.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 19, 2019 12:56 UTC