Middle East Film Festival

MEFF

Florida State University’s Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics and the FSU Middle East Center will host the 16th annual Middle East Film Festival, showcasing films that provide insight into international cinema and share perspectives rarely seen in mainstream media

The festival, which runs from January 30 through February 20, is sponsored by the FSU Middle East Center and the Student Life Cinema and features four films screening throughout four Thursdays.

The festival’s prestigious and lengthy history in Tallahassee has become central to the Middle East Center’s annual outreach activities within the university and the wider community. FSU’s commitment to providing students and faculty with meaningful international engagement opportunities and nurturing a rich, multicultural environment on campus are key components of the university’s overall academic success.

The list of films and their trailers are as follows:

Jan. 30: Far from the Nile 6 PM, Followed by an Opening Ceremony.

12 musicians from 7 countries along the Nile use music as a model to collaborate across borders. On a tour of the United States, their message of unity is put to the test.

Feb. 6: Dream's Gate 6 PM

Dream's Gate is an observational documentary where Iranian female director Negin Ahmadi starts a personal journey into the combat zone of North Syria to question what it means to be a woman. Alone with her camera, she decides to look for an answer to her questions by encountering the women who embody the strongest contemporary myth of female strength and freedom: Kurdish female fighters.

Feb. 13: Batata 6 PM, Followed by a roundtable discussion. 

The Peabody and Amnesty Award-winning BATATA covers an astounding 10 years in the life of a Syrian refugee woman named Maria and her family, demonstrating the spirit of a woman who puts family above all else.

Feb. 20: Inshallah a Boy 6 PM Followed by a Closing Ceremony

A widow pretends to be pregnant with a son in order to save her daughter and home from a relative exploiting Jordan's patriarchal inheritance laws.

Please join the Student Life Cinema and the Middle East Center for the Festival, featuring a catered opening ceremony with a variety of Middle Eastern food, dancers, discussion, and more. The closing ceremony on Feb. 20 will also feature special baklava and tea.

All events are free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!