Stills from A Gaza Weekend (left) and Bye Bye Tiberias (right), which will feature in the 2024 Palestinian Film Festival Australia
Palestinian Film Festival
8 – 10 March 2024
Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo
The Palestinian Film Festival Australia has announced its highly anticipated 2024 program of twelve films, featuring a mix of Australian premieres, award-winning features and ground-breaking documentaries, all telling their unique story of Palestine and Palestinians.
Navigating universal themes of people, place and politics, this year’s Festival delivers another enthralling program of the finest and newest Palestinian films to Australian audiences.
“There’s never been a more important time to learn the stories of Palestine. The last few months in Gaza and in the West Bank have been, and continue to be, beyond devastating. People everywhere are asking brave questions and actively seeking independent and alternative perspectives,” said Festival Director Naser Shakhtour. “Our twelfth Festival program pays tribute to the continued resistance and resilience of the Palestinian people. With award-winning films set inside historic Palestine as well as abroad in Palestinian diaspora communities, we have painstakingly and proudly picked a program that reflects the stories and experiences of Palestinian communities while simultaneously responding to the interests and feedback of our ever-growing festival audience.”
Opening the Festival this year is the coming-of-age, socio-political drama Alam (Flag) directed by Firas Khoury. Alam is the story of Tamer, a Palestinian teen who undergoes a political awakening, sparked by an attractive outspoken new girl at his school.
This year’s Palestinian Film Festival Australia program features favourites from some of the world’s most prestigious festivals. Winner of the International Federation of Film Critics Prize at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, A Gaza Weekend by Basil Khalil is a hilarious, action-packed parody that lampoons disaster movies. Renowned UK actor Stephen Mangan co-stars opposite Palestinian actress Mouna Hawa in this unforgettable film.
On its way to Hollywood for the 2024 Oscars is Palestine’s entry for the Best International Feature Film is Bye Bye Tiberias by Palestinian-Algerian-French filmmaker Lina Soualem. Bye Bye Tiberias is a 2023 documentary film that follows Soualem’s (famous) mother, Hiam Abbass who leaves her Palestinian village to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, leaving behind her mother, grandmother and sisters.
Having its Australian Premiere at the festival is the sci-fi documentary Lyd, a film that explores the poignant history of Lyd, once a thriving Palestinian city, now divided by Israeli occupation. Through a blend of documentary and animated sequences, Lyd presents a powerful narrative of what the city was and what it could have been, inviting viewers to reflect on the impact of historical events on the city’s Palestinian community.
For full programme and ticketing information, visit the festival’s website
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