MENA at TIFF 2026: Films From Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, Türkiye and Beyond
Toronto, 10-20 September 2026 | Films connected to Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, Türkiye, Iraq and Egypt lead a wider MENA presence across TIFF's 51st edition.
Souzian Dispatch, Covering Middle Eastern Festivals & Films
Reporting on film festivals across the Middle East and the global presence of regional cinema. Tracks how films and filmmakers from the region are represented in international festivals. News, selections, screenings, and cultural visibility.
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An Incomplete Calendar Follows Oil Through Politics, Art and Music
Golden Apricot 2026 | Sanaz Sohrabi’s first documentary feature begins with a little-known Venezuelan record and moves through OPEC, cultural institutions & archival histories across the Global South.
What Migration Leaves Behind: Firouzeh Khosrovani and Morteza Ahmadvand on Past Future Continuous
Golden Apricot 2026 | Firouzeh Khosrovani and Morteza Ahmadvand speak about family, distance and creating a presence through absence in Past Future Continuous.
Venice 2026 Brings MENA Voices Across Its Official Lineup
Venice, 2-12 September 2026 | Films linked to Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Georgia and the wider region appear across Competition, Orizzonti, Venezia Spotlight and Venice Open.
Magma Turns Family Memory Into A Search For Algeria’s Hidden History
Sheffield, June 2026 | Mia Bendrimia's Grand Jury Award-winning first feature begins with a private search for family history and finds Algeria's past still moving beneath it.
Ghassan Saad Wins Best Actor at Karlovy Vary 2026 for Pipes
Karlovy Vary, 3-11 July 2026 | Ghassan Saad received the Best Actor Award for his role in Karim Kassem's Pipes, which premiered in the Crystal Globe Competition.
Mahmoud Kalari’s Week in Yerevan: Jury Work, a Masterclass and Life’s Performance
Yerevan, 12-19 July 2026 | Souzian Dispatch reports on Mahmoud Kalari's Golden Apricot week, including jury duty, a cinematography masterclass, Life's Performance and the Parajanov's Thaler.
The Currents Wins Golden Apricot as Iranian Cinema Takes Major Awards in Yerevan
Yerevan, 12-19 July 2026 | Milagros Mumenthaler’s The Currents received the festival’s international prize, while Past Future Continuous and Inside Amir brought two major awards to Iranian filmmakers.
Habibi Hussein Revisits the Lost Cinema of Jenin at Golden Apricot 2026
Yerevan, 12-13 July 2026 | Alex Bakri’s first feature documentary follows veteran projectionist Hussein Darby and questions who controls a cultural project created in the name of a local community.
Golden Apricot 2026 Opens In Yerevan
Souzian Dispatch Coverage | Yerevan, 12-19 July 2026 | Regional stories from Armenia, Iran, Palestine, Afghanistan, Georgia, and MENA.