The 28th edition of the Arab Film Festival will open on Thursday October 24th at the Palace of Fine Arts THEATRE in San Francisco with LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL: A LETTER TO GAZA by Mohamed Jabaly.
Life is Beautiful: A Letter to Gaza is distributed by Watermelon Pictures whose “mission is to shift culture on a large scale by bringing Palestinian cinema, and other untold stories, to broad audiences in a way that entertains, inspires, and activates audiences.”
Alana Hadid the influential activist, creator and creative director for Watermelon Pictures, will join us in person in San Francisco for opening night.
Special Performances
Opening night is co-presented by the Middle East Children’s Alliance and Empire. The evening will include special performances by Palestinian artist Llunr and Palestinian rapper MC Abdul.
Llunr
Amassing over 50 million streams on lead records, emerging global pop act Llunr delivered his debut album “Dual Reality”. Multiple singles, including the hit Rocketship, reached viral top charts in over 15 countries. His soul-baring lyrics and dreamy melodies, accompanied by his own impeccable production creates the perfect dose of laid back, feel-good pop songs while exploring some more haunting, emotional, raw, and introspective themes in the second half, reflecting his dual reality.
MC Abdul
16-year-old rapper from Gaza, MC Abdul, follows a rich Rap tradition of speaking up for the oppressed and taking people to the front lines of struggle and injustice. “We wanted to show the world what is going on in Gaza right now. I rapped in front of the rubble to inspire.” Abdul has done just that. His freestyle videos achieved over 100 million views, showing the pain that his community has endured for generations. Fat Joe, Chance the Rapper, Bella Hadid, and many more have praised Abdul’s courage, skill, and substance. His debut EP will arrive via EMPIRE. Using art, MC Abdul stands on the front lines of change. This brave 16-year-old is a peace-seeking warrior with words.
Join us for Opening Night of Thursday October 24th
Get your Opening Night ticket or film festival pass to join us for an exclusive evening: watch a powerful and moving film, meet new and old friends, celebrate Arab culture, and be part of the community of filmmakers and film lovers who yearly gather in the Bay Area for the largest Arab Film Festival in North America.
Read more about Life is Beautiful: A Letter to Gaza on our blog.
Here’s the full film festival schedule.
The Arab Film Festival is the biggest annual celebration of the best of Arab Cinema – since 1996.
The festival’s mission is to present the best of contemporary films that illuminate the richness of Arab culture through authentic narratives and images, providing insight into the beauty and complexity of the Arab world.
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