Schedule
Festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. with a reception.
A British-Palestinian doctor working round the clock in Gazan hospitals while enduring constant bombardment finds himself as a face of Palestinian resistance.
Preceded by SALT, SIRI MIRI, and THE DEER’S TOOTH
Today we feature a curated series of short films that deal with the solidarity and the promise of Palestine, from a budding garden that recalls a homeland, to forgotten lessons learned from Irish Americans, to how dance preserves our identity, to being thrust into a war and documenting new memories.
After the death of his father, a young man attempts to climb Everest in a story of self-discovery.
Preceded by FROM GAZA TO CUBA and KHSARA.
Featuring an evening of short films, we explore identity and meaning, from Chicago to Palestine.
Exclusively archival footage is edited into a detailed, historical reconstruction of the aggression faced by Palestinians.
Preceded by ABU SALMA, HIDE & SEEK, WHEN WEATHER PERMITS, AND SHATTERED MEMORY.
In the summer of 1982, the Israeli army invaded Beirut. During this time it raided the Palestinian Research Center and looted its entire archive. “A Fidai Film” explores the visual memory of this looting and appropriates images now in the hands of Israeli archives.
Preceded by IN A MOMENT, I’LL GET BACK TO YOU, FORGET ME NOT, AND PINK SWING.
After years of right-wing assaults on higher education, attacks took a new form in 2023 and 2024 that has been described as the new McCarthyism. The documentary unfolds as a story of college campuses as sites of both rebellion and repression, places where personal and collective histories converge in unexpected ways.
Preceded by SALT, SIRI MIRI, AND THE DEER’S TOOTH.
In her relentless pursuit of a memory that reinforces her sense of belonging, Areeb crosses paths with Ahmed, a parkour athlete in Gaza, sparking a journey where conflicting aspirations intersect. Nostalgia meets with ambition, and the weight of a confined past meets with an unpredictable future.
Preceded by MASHED POTATOES AND MAQLUBA.
This documentary film profiles the terrains of the Indian reservation and the Palestinian refugee camp - “spaces of exception” - that have become essential in the struggle for decolonization and indigenous autonomy.
Preceded by عَ السطح / On the Rooftop, THE SOUND OF CLOUDS, AND EXCEPTION.
Chatila and Reda are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. But when Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his dangerous drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his best friend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.
Preceded by BLOOD LIKE WATER.
Building on the framework of his 2002 documentary, “Jenin, Jenin”, Director Mohammad Bakri revisits the Jenin refugee camp, reflecting on the devastation caused by Israel’s 2023 military invasion.
Preceded by $17.74 and UPSHOT.
FREE
LYD activates imaginations of a future liberated Palestine by portraying the 5,000 year-old titular city in two ways: what it currently is, and what it could have been.
*SOLD OUT*
A Palestinian filmmaker, stranded in Norway, fights for his rights with integrity, community, and a smile for the world.
*SOLD OUT*
22 Palestinian filmmakers living through war, capture their lives in Gaza over the past year, revealing stories beyond the headlines. Their work offers a striking view of life's fragility and the resilience of love in the face of devastation.
Join us for a world premiere screening of Bisan, a Seen Palestine documentary that tells the story of one of the world’s most courageous journalists, Bisan Owda from Gaza.
This film is SOLD OUT.
Join Us for Palestine Cinema Days in Chicago at Haymarket House.
On the somber anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, observed on November 2nd, and in an effort to amplify Palestinian voices, we are screening Aida Returns directed by Carol Mansour.
Aida Returns is a poignant, sometimes sad, sometimes painful, sometimes humorous, often absurd story of a multiple journey: the journey of loss as the director’s mother Aida struggled with losing herself to Alzheimer’s disease, but finding solace in her repeated “returning” to the Yafa and Palestine of her youth; the journey of the loss of a parent; and the ultimate return journey back to Yafa where Aida would finally find rest and be herself once more.
While millions of birds migrate freely in the skies, a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon, yearns for the ancestral homeland she is denied. The homing instincts of the birds highlight the unresolved problems of the region, and this story adopts a birds’ eye perspective to reflect on freedom of movement, exile and the hope of return.
A Palestinian school teacher struggles to reconcile his commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for a student and the possibility of a romantic relationship with a volunteer worker.
Join us for a special encore of the short films from this year that received our Jury-selected awards!
SAMIA HALABY: A VIDEO PORTRAIT * AN ORANGE FROM JAFFA * RESISTANCE CLIMBING
Festivities begin at 6pm
LYD follows the rise and fall of Lyd — a 5,000-year-old metropolis that was once a bustling Palestinian town until it was conquered when the State of Israel was established in 1948. As the film unfolds, a chorus of characters creates a tapestry of the Palestinian experience of this city and the trauma left by the massacre and expulsion.
Preceded by RESISTANCE CLIMBING
YALLAH GAZA explores historical and geopolitical aspects, Palestinian politics, International Law and records. The film bears witness to their “fury to live” and the daily struggle that keeps despair at bay as Palestinians pass this flame, their culture and their land, from one generation to the next.
Preceded by THE REALITY THAT SURPASSES ME
A Palestinian school teacher struggles to reconcile his commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for a student and the possibility of a romantic relationship with a volunteer worker.
In a moving memoir about the burden of leaving, the endurance of memory, and the determination to forge one’s own destinies and identities, filmmaker Lina Soualem traces the story of her mother — Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass — and their family, whose lives have been defined by separation, exile, and displacement.
Preceded by JAMILA and AN ORANGE FROM JAFFA
Three Promises is the story of a mother and her camera, of a son and his suppressed memories, and of an entire country. While on the surface there emerges the heartrending portrait of everyday life in times of war, it is the staggering beauty of a mother’s love that is revealed between the lines.
Preceded by HAMZA: THE GHOST CHASING ME and PULSE OF PALESTINE
Israel violates the civil and human rights of Palestinians as a matter of standard, accepted policy. The law is whatever Israel deems to be in the best interest of Jewish Israelis and to the detriment of Palestinians. However, this film follows brave determined individuals who are trying to expose the destructive, unjust, and sometimes invisible ways in which Israel exploits and oppresses Palestinians.
Preceded by SAMIA HALABY: A VIDEO PORTRAIT
Made over the course of 5 years, this film gains intimate access to the family of imprisoned Palestinian political leader, Marwan Barghouthi. Through his family and a collage of in depth interviews, the immersive documentary is an unflinchingly honest and transformative journey into the saga of Palestinian prisoners, their loved ones, and political representation of Palestinians under occupation.
Preceded by DAKHLA and HIGH ROADS
While millions of birds migrate freely in the skies, a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon, yearns for the ancestral homeland she is denied. The homing instincts of the birds highlight the unresolved problems of the region, and this story adopts a birds’ eye perspective to reflect on freedom of movement, exile and the hope of return.
Preceded by FOREVER KHALED and MAR MAMA
When two young American Jews raised to unconditionally love Israel witness the brutal way Israel treats Palestinians, their lives take sharp left turns. ISRAELISM uniquely explores how Jewish attitudes towards Israel are changing dramatically, with massive consequences for the region.
Preceded by JABAL
Festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. with a reception.
In a moving memoir about the burden of leaving, the endurance of memory, and the determination to forge one’s own destinies and identities, filmmaker Lina Soualem traces the story of her mother — Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass — and their family, whose lives have been defined by separation, exile, and displacement.
Preceded by JAMILA and AN ORANGE FROM JAFFA
Night 3 of our virtual Falasteen Film Fridays series features a series of short films called Gaza Stories by Gaza-based director Iyad Alasttal.
Night 2 of our virtual Falasteen Film Fridays series features the films Blacklisted, about love under occupation, and KOFIA, a documentary about the Palestinian-Swedish band.
Night 1 of our virtual Falasteen Film Fridays series features two films: Borderline, featuring musicians under occupation, and Made in Palestine about the Hirbawi Keffiyeh factory in Al Khalil.
Yallah Gaza explores historical and geopolitical aspects, Palestinian politics, International Law and records. The film bears witness to their “fury to live” and the daily struggle that keeps despair at bay as Palestinians pass this flame, their culture and their land, from one generation to the next.
Yallah Gaza explores historical and geopolitical aspects, Palestinian politics, International Law and records. The film bears witness to their “fury to live” and the daily struggle that keeps despair at bay as Palestinians pass this flame, their culture and their land, from one generation to the next.
The Chicago Palestine Film Festival invites you to attend the virtual screening of two short films: GAZA FOOTBULLET, directed by Gaza based filmmaker Iyad Alasttal and THE NIGHTMARE OF GAZA, by Farah Nabulsi. We hope to see you all there to support Palestinian filmmakers and perspectives.
Interview with renowned filmmaker, Farah Nabulsi, following the screening!
Join the Chicago Palestine Film Festival and community partners for an evening of reflection and solidarity, featuring panelists, speakers, and an art exhibit by Gaza-based artist Zainab Al-Qolaq, titled “I am 22, I Lost 22 People.”
Tune in for a free online screening of “I Am From Palestine” and “Angel of Gaza”, and stick around after the show for an interview with the filmmakers!
In a moving memoir about the burden of leaving, the endurance of memory, and the determination to forge one’s own destinies and identities, filmmaker Lina Soualem traces the story of her mother — Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass — and their family, whose lives have been defined by separation, exile, and displacement.
In partnership with CIFF
In a moving memoir about the burden of leaving, the endurance of memory, and the determination to forge one’s own destinies and identities, filmmaker Lina Soualem traces the story of her mother — Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass — and their family, whose lives have been defined by separation, exile, and displacement.
In partnership with CIFF
***SOLD OUT***
Director Panel Discussion post screening
From writer, director, producor, editor and composer Vin Arfuso, with producers Anwar Hadid, Kweku Mandela, Roger Waters, Immortal Technique, Yassmine Qaddumi, Bassam Jarbawi and Rob Proto.
A secret museum in an art hotel sparks intrigue when it's revealed to be a creation of controversial artist, Banksy. The film journeys through the hotel, Palestine, and a relevant past to dismantle the mainstream media's bias towards the Palestinian struggle for freedom and equality.
Unbeknownst to most Americans, 34 states passed laws intending to silence those pressuring Israel on its human rights record. Boycott chronicles one of the most consequential First Amendment battles of the past few decades and investigates the question – how did we get here?
Preceded by A TRIP TO THE MOTHERLAND and I AM FROM PALESTINE
