“Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf” plus the short “Beyond the Veil” will run at the Arab American National Museum beginning at 7:30 p.m. June 15. Directed by Susan Youssef, it’s the story of a 17-year-old outsider in Arkansas dealing with high-school tension and her jailed father, taking solace in writing poetry, fancying a boy and riding a motorcycle.
Cannes, Sundance festival winners among the lineup
DEARBORN – Films earning acclaim on the international festival circuit are among those featured at the Arab American National Museum’s 14th Arab Film Festival, June 7 to 16, with screenings at the Dearborn museum, in Detroit and in Ann Arbor.
Among the festival’s leading titles are:
“Capernaum,” winner, Jury Prize and nominee, Palme d’Or at 2018 Cannes Film Festival and nominee, Best Foreign Film, 2019 Academy Awards.
“Yomeddine,” winner, Francois Chalais Award and nominee for both Camera d’Or and Palme d’Or, all at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
“Sofia,” winner, Un Certain Regard Screenplay Prize, 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and a Michigan premiere.
“Dunya’s Day,” winner, Short Film Jury Award for International Fiction and nominee, Best Short Film Grand Jury Prize, both at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and a Michigan premiere.
This year’s AFF features more than 15 films making their Michigan premieres, including “Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf,” directed by Susan Youssef. It’s the story of a 17-year-old outsider in Arkansas dealing with high-school tension and her jailed father, taking solace in writing poetry, fancying a boy and riding a motorcycle.
Among the cast is Detroit resident Maram Aljahmi, 14, a ninth-grader at Voyageur College Preparatory High School in Detroit, who earned the role during a 2014 casting call held at AANM. She plays Jinane, the title character’s younger sister.
The AFF brings the perspective of marginalized voices to the fore. This year’s curated selection of films explores stories related to home, community and diaspora. Among the four programs of short films is a new offering designed especially for children and families, including post-screening theater-style games and crafts.
“The common denominator in all this year’s films is their depiction of reality, of daily life in the Arab world or in Arab American communities,” festival curator Dave Serio said.
“This festival presents the Arab and Arab American experience in its truest, purest form, without sensationalizing. These communities are not monolithic – they are multi-dimensional and ever changing.”
All AFF films are subtitled in English. Film descriptions, schedule and ticket information are available at the festival’s new website, www.aanmfilmfest.org.
AFF screenings take place at three venues: most at the Aliya Hassan Auditorium at the AANM, 13624 Michigan Ave.; with additional screenings at the Detroit Film Theatre at Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; and State Theatre, 233 S. State St., Ann Arbor.
Tickets are available online at www.aanmfilmfest.org and at the door. Single tickets for single adults range from $9 to $12, four-packs range from $30 to $40, and festival passes range from $80 to $100.
Admission to Films + Fun: A Family-Friendly Program — featuring crafts and theater-style games for children 15 and under — is $5.
14th annual Arab Film Festival Schedule
Schedule subject to change; go to www.aanmfilmfest.org for the latest information.
Friday, June 7
7:30 p.m. “Capernaum” at AANM.
Saturday, June 8
11 a.m. Films + Fun! Family-friendly program at AANM.
1 p.m. Short Doc Block at AANM, three short films followed by director talkback with Carlos Cabrera and Areeb Zuaiter.
3 p.m. Secret Screening at AANM, to be announced.
7 p.m. Arab American Shorts: Diasporic narratives at AANM, seven short films.
9 p.m. Festival Opening Reception at AANM
Sunday, June 9
11 a.m. “Yommedine” at AANM.
1:30 p.m. “Sofia” at AANM.
3:30 p.m. “Mafak (Screwdriver)” at AANM.
7 p.m. “Weldi (Dear Son)” at State Theatre, Ann Arbor.
Tuesday, June 11
7 p.m. “Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf” at State Theatre, Ann Arbor.
Wednesday, June 12
6 p.m. Arab world Shorts: Voices from the Homeland at Detroit Film Theatre, Institute of Arts, Detroit, seven short films.
8 p.m. “Weldi (Dear Son)” at AANM.
Thursday, June 13
6 p.m. “Sofia” at Detroit Film Theatre, Detroit Institute of Arts.
8 p.m. “Yommedine” at AANM.
Friday, June 14
3 p.m. “Mafak (Screwdriver)” at AANM.
8:30 p.m. Arab world Shorts: Voices from the Homeland at AANM, seven short films.
Saturday, June 15
11 a.m. “Weldi (Dear Son)” at AANM.
3 p.m. “Life is Waiting: Referendum and Resistance in Western Sahara” at AANM.
7:30 p.m. “Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf” plus short “Beyond the Veil” at AANM.
10 p.m. “Sofia” at AANM.
Sunday, June 16
11 a.m. Films + Fun! Family-friendly program at AANM.
3 p.m. Arab American Shorts: Diasporic narratives at AANM, seven short films.