The 5th Annual Arab Women in the Arts

Join us in New York City, San Francisco, and online for the 5th annual Arab Women in the Arts showcase, running July 22th through the 27th.  

This program is AFMI’s annual showcase to honor generations of Arab women who have excelled in and revolutionized all forms of artistic expression. This year we will celebrate the works of pioneering Tunisian filmmaker Moufida Tlatli.
Tlatli’s work has received international acclaim and her films are considered to be groundbreaking within the landscape of Tunisian cinema.

The 2025 Arab Women in the Arts will open on Tuesday July 22nd in New York City and on Wednesday July 23rd in San Francisco with an in-person screening of The Silences of the Palace by Moufida Tlatli.
Opening night is co-presented by The Future of Film is Female.

The online program will open on Wednesday July 23rd with the workshop Collective Lens in partnership with Peace is Loud.

Arab Women in the Arts will run in Brooklyn, New York City at the Nitehawk Cinema (Williamsburg), BK Art Haus (Williamsburg), Woodbine (Ridgewood), and Cinemixology Room (Williamsburg).
The program will span 4 days in-person and includes short and feature film screenings, and a filmmaker mixer.

All programs will also be presented online from July 24th to July 27th.

The Silences of the Palace will also screen in San Francisco on July 23rd at the Roxie Theater (Mission District).

The 5th Annual Arab Women in the Arts is programmed by Nanor Vosgueritchian who notes, “Tlatli’s work is uniquely attuned to the struggles and desires of Arab women–which, while rooted in specific time periods, also cross generations. This is why her films deserve a retrospective, to recognize the striking cinematic work Tlatli produced to capture the inner lives and hidden experiences of Tunisian women. These experiences are still observed and reverberate with familiarity not just across Arab countries, but the world.” 

For the complete program, to buy tickets, or to get a pass, please visit the dedicated site.

TICKET & PASS INFORMATION

General admission tickets for virtual screenings, Q&A’s and livestreams range from complementary to $8.
In-person admission ranges from complementary to $18, depending on the event. 

Virtual-only passes are $25, Showcase passes for New York are $45 and for San Francisco are $30.

For more information, please visit the ticketing information page at arabfilm.us/women

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

OPENING NIGHT: The Silences of the Palace (1994)
Directed by Moufida Tlatli
Tunisia, 124 mins 

Tuesday, July 22 – 7:00 PM – Nitehawk Cinema (Brooklyn, NY)
Wednesday, July 23 – 6:15PM – Roxie Cinema (San Francisco, CA)

Set in 1960s Tunisia as the country is emerging from the yoke of colonialism, this film focuses on Alia, who visits the royal palace where her mother, Khedija, was once employed. The journey triggers unpleasant recollections about the way her mother was treated by male members of the privileged class. In a series of flashbacks, Alia looks back on her adolescent self and begins to piece together key details about her murky family history.

Co-presented by The Future of Film is Female

NEW YORK CITY

🎬 Tuesday, July 22nd

Opening Night: The Silences of the Palace (1994)

at Nitehawk Cinema (Williamsburg) – 7:00 PM

🎬 Friday, July 25th

Nadia and Sarra (2004)
Directed by Moufida Tlalti, Tunisia/France, 2004, 90 mins

at Woodbine (Ridgewood) – 7:00 PM

At age 47, Nadia seems to be a happy, contended woman. She is a French professor at Tunis University where she is well-liked by her students; married to a man who has preserved his good looks; and the mother of a beautiful 18-year-old. Yet, beneath her smiling, sunny exterior, Nadia conceals a deep sense of unhappiness. Her relationship with her daughter Sarra is strained and it is even worse with her husband. She struggles to accept growing old in a body that no longer provokes desire.

The film will also be available to view online from July 24-July 27.

🎬 Saturday, July 26th

Short Films – In the Land of Women

at Cinemixology Room (Williamsburg) – 6:30 PM

This shorts program spotlights the works of up-and-coming female filmmakers from across the Arab world. The films explore themes of womanhood, family ties, ancestral heritage, sexuality, and coming-of-age stories. While not directly associated with her films, these shorts are presented in conversation with the works of our highlighted filmmaker Moufida Taltli. In line with Tlatli’s introspective style, the shorts expose the inner lives of women and their daily motions as they face difficult transitions or deal with the aftermath of a significant loss. This program is curated by Nanor Vosgueritchian. 

• Mango (Egypt) dir. Randa Ali
• Sea Salt (Lebanon) dir. Leila Basma
• Sister Mother Love Child (Canada, USA) dir. Nadia Shihab
• What Else Grows on the Palm of Your Hand? (Morocco, Belgium) dir. Dhiaa Biya

The shorts program will be available to view online from July 24-July 27.

Followed by

Filmmaker and Creators Mixer

Same location (Cinemixology Room) – 8:00 PM

🎬 Sunday, July 27th 

The Season of Men (2000)
Directed by Moufida Taltli, Tunisia/France, 2000, 122 mins

at BK Art Haus (Brooklyn, NY) – 7:00 PM

An 18 year old on the island of Djerba, Aicha, is married to Said, who works in Tunis for much of the year. Aicha breaks with tradition and decides to join Said in Tunis, weaving rugs to make money. Said asks that she give him a son, so Aicha lives under the rule of her mother-in-law.

The film will also be available to view online from July 24-July 27.

SAN FRANCISCO

🎬 Wednesday, July 23rd 

Screening: The Silences of the Palace (1994)

at the Roxie Theater (Mission District) – 6:15 PM

ONLINE

🎬 Wednesday, July 23rd 

Workshop: Collective Lens

6:00 PM (EDT) / 3:00 PM (PDT)

🎬 Thursday, July 24th

Launch of our full virtual lineup (feature and short films)

→ Available until July 27th 

For the full lineup and schedule, please visit arabfilm.us/women

For more about this initiative by the Arab Film and Media Institute, see here.