Event Archive

Part of BPFF Fringe 2025 @ The Island Gallery # Please note, the date for this event in the printed programme is incorrect. The correct date is Saturday, 13 December. Tenement Press and East Bristol Books present readings in English and Arabic from 48kg, a debut, bilingual collection of poems by Batool Abu Akleen. The evening…

Documentary following Palestinian stand-up comedians as they cross borders and military checkpoints, bringing comedy to packed audiences in Palestine and abroad. Laughter becomes a form of resistance.

A gentle, funny and good-hearted film that believes in the kindness of strangers and salutes a solidarity forged in adversity, capturing the absurdity of life under occupation, and ingenuity needed to survive it.

In this powerful drama, a Palestinian and Israeli fear raising a child in a mixed Arab-Jewish community in Haifa, where they can’t even be seen together in public. With humour, heartbreak & social tensions.

Five short films from the revolutionary period of Palestinian cinema (1968 to 1974) – exploring the importance of archive film in social and cultural documentation. Curated by filmmaker and artist Saeed Taji Farouky.

Nostalgia for her homeland overwhelms filmmaker Areeb Zuaiter when she discovers a video of young men practicing parkour on Gaza's sandy shores, their joy starkly contrasted with the distant echoes of explosions.

Join us for a special evening combining cinema and culinary delights, celebrating the richness of Palestinian food and olive oil culture and the spirit of sustainability. Tickets include film + food.

The Palestine Laboratory uncovers how Israel tests weapons and surveillance on Palestinians before exporting them worldwide—a powerful investigation based on Antony Loewenstein’s ground-breaking book.

Our ever-popular programme of short films returns to the Cube this year with an offering of five new films.

This historical pre-WWII epic documents the revolt against British rule by villages in Mandatory Palestine, as Yusuf moves between his rural home and Jerusalem, yearning for a life beyond the unrest.

This collection of short documentary films, under the banner ‘Voices from Gaza’, explores three different perspectives on life in the Strip before and after October 7th, 2023. Featuring Gaza Sound Man, Vibrations from Gaza, and It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive.

A joyful afternoon of Palestinian culture for all ages. Enjoy a lively programme of short films perfect for families, followed by a high-energy performance from the Dabke Dance Troupe of Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society.

The dancers of the Alrowwad Dabke Troupe will lead this special one-hour workshop, sharing the joy, energy, and tradition of dabke — the powerful communal dance at the heart of celebrations across the Middle East.

A British-Palestinian surgeon’s 43 day journey working day and night under bombardment in Gaza’s Al Shifa and Al Ahli hospitals. Dr Abu Sittah emerges as a voice of resilience and hope for Palestine.

After Noor, a Palestinian teenager, confronts Israeli soldiers at a West Bank protest, his mother recounts the history that brought Noor—and Palestine—to this moment. A story of hope, courage and relentless struggle.

An urgent documentary investigating freedom of expression on Palestine, and how terrorism laws are used—or misused—to silence dissent. Feat. Alexei Sayle, Ken Loach, Peter Oborne and Sarah Wilkinson.

Hands-on session, printmaker Alice Thomas will guide you through the essentials of linocut — from carving and inking to printing — as you create your own A6 print, producing an edition of five to take home. All materials are included, and no previous experience is required.

A hybrid drama/documentary telling the heart-shattering story of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed by the Israeli army in 2024. Winner of Venice International Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize.

An evocative exhibition showcasing the resurgence of Palestinian political posters as powerful works of art during the war on Gaza. Featuring both iconic founders of Palestine’s modern art movement and a new generation of poster-makers, these beautiful and powerful works capture the struggles for justice, resilience, and resistance in the face of human rights violations.

After her mother Aida’s passing, director Carol Mansour meets friends in Beirut willing to carry Aida’s ashes back to the place of her birth: Jaffa, Palestine. The film is a sometimes comedic exploration of family, loss and grief, and a poetic nod and affirmation to all those exiled Palestinians forbidden from returning to their hometowns, even after death.

When their father passes away leaving a large sum of money in the bank, two sisters put their differences aside and join forces against Sharia law, according to which their brother has the right to take double what they are entitled to.

Heartbreakingly beautiful documentary explores the possibilities of facing and healing trauma for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. With Ahed Tamimi and Dr Gabor Maté.

A moving documentary on the life of imprisoned Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouthi. If given a chance could Barghouthi unite the Palestinians and pave the way for an inclusive, democratic and peaceful future?

A time-travelling Lebanese woman, Leila, visits the women’s resistance throughout the twentieth century, joining with Lebanese and Palestinian women throughout time.

Hard-hitting award-winning drama debut that follows two Palestinian refugees willing to risk everything to escape their precarious lives in the Athens underworld.

A double bill of sci-fi and experimental film featuring an Arabic language opera and an exploration of intergenerational trauma in a derelict mansion.

Heartbreakingly beautiful documentary explores the possibilities of facing and healing trauma for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. With Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi and Holocaust survivor Dr Gabor Maté.

Feature-length sci-fi documentary that explores the rich history of the city of Lyd in Palestine/Israel, and dares to ask the question: what would the city be like had the Israeli occupation of Lyd never happened?

Documentary film exploring the continuing endurance of Gaza as a territory and a people despite the successive military assaults, occupation and blockade by Israeli forces.

Our shorts evening features six short films exploring different aspects of Palestinian life, culture and resistance. Featuring An Orange from Jaffa, Voice Notes from Palestine, Mar Mama, Dear Child II, No Words and The Deer's Tooth.

Join us for a special evening combining cinema and culinary delights, celebrating the richness of Palestinian food and olive oil culture and the spirit of sustainability.

A Palestinian school teacher (struggles to reconcile his risky commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students and the chance of a new relationship with a volunteer worker.

Club night with Simo Cell (Paris), Jeneen (Palestine/London) and Nadha (Lebanon/Bristol). Raising money for Gaza children's animation project 'my story became a film'.

An evening of live music with the brilliant and multi-talented Palestinian singer-songwriter Reem Kelani, with Bruno Heinen on piano.

A diverse tapestry of short films by Gazan filmmakers, brought together by director Rashid Masharawi, that illustrate the resilience of creative life of Gaza in a time of war.

Our friends at Curzon are hosting an evening of short films from the revolutionary period of Palestinian cinema from 1968, curated by filmmaker and artist Saeed Taji Farouky. With exhibition, snacks and Q&A.

Film and discussion. A father and his estranged son must come together to hand-deliver his daughter's wedding invitations to each guest as per local Palestinian custom, in this rousing family drama from Annemarie Jacir (When I Saw You).

There are few places in the world that evoke such a strong visceral response as Gaza. This unique and vibrant land, rich in culture and history, is home to a people who are oppressed and dehumanized but who are also resilient and strong, and who want nothing more than to live normal lives. How do you tell the story of such a place?

Three decades ago Palestinian actor Hiam Abbass (Paradise Now, Succession) left her native village Deir Hanna in Galilee to follow her acting dream in France. After finding success in independent cinema and Hollywood she returns to Tiberias with her film director daughter Lina to explore her memories and the women she left behind.

Our second evening of short films features stories from the complexity of Palestinian youth, from escaping a war-torn childhood in Gaza to unwanted pregnancy, or rock climbing near Israeli settlements.

From the makers of Gaza (2019), this film is a searing and intimate portrait of Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut, home to some of the poorest and most downtrodden people in the city.

The Dupes is a classic of Arab cinema, and an adaptation of Palestinian exile Ghassan Kanafani’s novella Men in the Sun.

This film shines a light on those struggling to fight the injustices embedded within the Israeli occupation of Palestinians in the West Bank and those living in Israel.

There are few places in the world that evoke such a strong visceral response as Gaza. This unique and vibrant land, rich in culture and history, is home to a people who are oppressed and dehumanized but who are also resilient and strong, and who want nothing more than to live normal lives. How do you tell the story of such a place?

Our first shorts evening features five short films exploring memories of a lost homeland, and one that is kept alive in stories, daydreams and dancing.

Foragers depicts the drama, pleasures and difficulties in collecting wild food in occupied Palestine.

Bristol Palestine Film Festival is teaming up with Bristol’s dynamic live poetry night Raise the Bar for an evening of spoken word, film and discussion in support of Palestine, on the 75th anniversary of the Nakba.

Based on a true story, Jordanian director Darin J. Sallam tells the coming-of-age story of 14-year old Farha, whose childhood, and her dreams of an education, are shattered following the brutal military invasion of her country.

A special event for the Palestinian community and Arabic speakers.

Filmed over the span of eight years, The Devil’s Drivers follows two Bedouin drivers who risk their lives smuggling illegal workers out of the West Bank.

Alam is a story of how a Palestinian teenager is no different from any other around the world embarking on new experiences, chasing dreams, love, and freedom.

Among the many gifts Jason Sherman received for his bar mitzvah was a tree planted in Israel. Now, 40 years later, Sherman begins his journey from Toronto to Tel Aviv, keen to see what has become of his tree. However, along the way he learns about the Jewish National Fund afforestation projects and the role of the Canadian Jewish diaspora in developing Canada Park, a 700-hectare Israeli national park which covers the remains of Palestinian villages. 

Three women with distinct personalities must put their differences aside and work together in order to survive, after a death in the family unravels their lives.

For 11 days in May 2021, Gaza was bombed by Israel, resulting in more than 260 fatalities. This film portrays the individual loss and sorrow of families and friends who lost their children in the bombing. 

Staring actors Maisa Abd Elhadi and Ali Suliman, Huda’s Salon is a feminist thriller based on true events, about betrayal and loyalty when two women fight for their freedom.

Fadia, a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon, challenges the film’s director, Sarah Beddington to find an ancient mulberry tree that stands as witness to her family’s existence. Along the way, Sarah meets with ornithologists whose observations on the homing instincts of the birds inadvertently reveal the unresolved problems of the region.

Waleed is a failing writer suffering from depression. He develops a friendship with his mysterious neighbour Jalal, a small-time crook, and subsequently finds his perception of life beginning to slowly change.

From Chilean stadiums to Palestine refugee camps, from Santiago to Bethlehem. Spanning over 100 years of history, Cuatro Colores narrates the intertwining histories of the Club Deportivo Palestino (Palestinian Football Club) and key moments in the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Aldo Guerrero’s documentary reveals a story of injustice and abuse of war power with a legacy that is worldwide.

Our shorts programme this year consists of seven films: By the Sea, The Living of the Pigeons, Mariam, TAQI, Night, Siri Miri and Wifi Rider.

An evening of film dedicated to the brilliant musicians emerging from this scene, showcasing their music, perspectives and struggles as they celebrate life through their art and channel their drive for self-determination

Stand Up for Palestine is a comedy night with the fabulous Mark Thomas, the wonderfully anarchic Nick Revell, the hilarious and biting Esther Manito and a new dark humour sketch, Gaza Taxi Driver, by Palestinian author Ahmed Masoud.

Among the many gifts Jason Sherman received for his bar mitzvah was a tree planted in Israel. Now, 40 years later, Sherman begins his journey from Toronto to Tel Aviv, keen to see what has become of his tree. However, along the way he learns about the Jewish National Fund afforestation projects and the role of the Canadian Jewish diaspora in developing Canada Park, a 700-hectare Israeli national park which covers the remains of Palestinian villages. 

An attorney from Arizona, a news publisher in Arkansas and a speech therapist in Texas launch legal battles when they are forced to choose between their jobs and their political beliefs.

For the first time, we are putting on an event outside of the usual festival dates in December. The evening will include two insightful short films focusing on cultural resistance in Palestine and a panel discussion. Liwan An uplifting story about the struggle to establish a cultural café in Nazareth promoting Palestinian culture and driving a rejuvenation…

Lea Tsemel defends Palestinians: from feminists to freedom fighters, from non-violent demonstrators to armed militants. As a controversial Jewish-Israeli lawyer who has represented political prisoners for nearly 50 years, Tsemel is engaged in a tireless fight for justice in a court system that discriminates against Palestinians.

Based on a true story, the film follows Salma and Tamer, who have been married for the past five years, and living in the Palestinian Territory. When the couple decide to split, Tamer is given a three-day permit to cross the Israeli checkpoint for the first time, and file for divorce in the courts in Nazareth. At the courthouse, they are confronted with a staggering discovery, a secret which sends Salma and Tamer on a road trip exploring the loss and betrayal of the past, and of themselves.

200 Meters tells the story of Mustafa and his wife Salwa, who live 200 metres apart in villages separated by the wall. One day he gets a call every parent dreads: his son has been injured in an accident. Rushing to cross the Israeli checkpoint, Mustafa is turned back on a technicality.

The free-spirited Badri family have escaped the toxic pollution of Beirut by seeking refuge in the mountains. Lebanon’s toxic waste soon catches up with them and they face a choice between leaving and resistance.

The life of a desperate unlicensed doctor who is going through an existential crisis in the occupied Golan Heights, takes another unlucky turn when he encounters a man wounded in the war in Syria.

Following the story of Georges Abdallah – Lebanese communist, fighter for Palestine and one of the longest held political prisoners in Europe – and the defiant followers campaigning for his release.

A real-life political saga following Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah, during his second term in office. His immediate goals: repave the sidewalks, attract more tourism, and plan the city’s Christmas celebrations. His ultimate mission: to end the occupation of Palestine. 

Five short films: Blacklisted, Trumpets in the Sky, 3 Logical Exits, Maradona's Legs, The Present.

During the Syrian civil war, the district of Yarmouk, which is home to thousands of displaced Palestinians, became the scene of dramatic and ferocious fighting. This filmed diary documents the daily life of the besieged inhabitants of the world’s largest Palestinian refugee camp.

Sixty-year-old fisherman Issa is secretly in love with Siham. One night Issa discovers an ancient phallic statue of Apollo in his fishing nets and takes it home under the cover of darkness. As Issa works up the confidence to talk to Siham, will the Hamas authorities find out about the shameful statue before he succeed in declaring his love to Siham.

A play written and directed by Ahmed Masoud Performed by Julia Tarnoky

An uncompromising documentary following a Palestian football team of amputees, whose courage and energy shines through despite their disability, the war, and their disastrous living conditions. Most of the men had to be amputated when they took part in the March Back Home demonstration at the border of the Gaza Strip, where explosive bullets were used by the Israeli army.

A documentary following the stories of four young Palestinians who have been detained and imprisoned under the Israeli military and political systems. Their perspectives, along with the voices of their families, form a lens into the entangled structures of oppression that expands well beyond the prison walls.

From a young age, Nour Al Ghussein stood out. She was selected for global leadership programs in South Africa and Harvard but couldn’t attend either due to the siege on her native Gaza. Next, she was selected for a student leadership program in the US. The film shadows Nour at 21, as she struggles to overcome the restrictions on Gazans who wish to leave the Strip, even if they have the most compelling case to do so.

A young woman in her mid-thirties lives an ordinary life between her work and home. We discover however, that she is living in a fantasy world, which she created to help tolerate her destiny.

In a chaotic refugee camp, two Palestinians failing in their attempt to record a demo for a music competition, find a creative way forward.

A conversation over video call between Farah, who recently moved to Prague, and her grandmother, living in Lebanon; they talk about their fate as Palestinian refugees who were granted the Lebanese citizenship in 1994. The two women, from different generations, touch on topics that are filled with emotions, memories and hope.

This documentary tells the story of three teenage girls that live in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Haifa, who despite being no more than 100 km apart are separated by walls and checkpoints. Through observations of their daily lives, we learn that although their backgrounds are very different, they are united by a common desire for peace and an end to the occupation.

Filmmaker Areeb Zuaiter embarks on a personal journey to explore how her kids will relate to their roots in Palestine – a place in which they may never live. She meets a painter, a comedian, a poet, a hip-hop artist and a soul singer who have figured out ways to express and celebrate their Palestinian identity, which is under constant threat in their homeland.

A part of the Bedouin minority lives between Jerusalem and Jericho in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, suffering particularly from the loss of their identity, forced to remain locked down in that territory and to become sedentary. For this reason, poverty, degradation and domestic violence were born. This film reports their strength and will to resist and change for the better.

An archival essay about images, nationhood and oppression and how history is manufactured to continually return to a mythical past. Using footage from films (educational, propaganda, home movies) about Palestine/Israel, it reflects upon the narratives of nationhood and its dependence upon images. From biblical to recent history, Israel’s identity is constructed around a never-ending loop where the ideology is centred around the return of a mythical past.

Reflections From Palestine is a collection of voices from Palestinian filmmakers on exceptional experiences. It is a testimony of a particular time and simultaneously speaks to a feeling that is understood worldwide. The films display personal film languages and reach out to collective stories expressing Palestine's diversity and a broad span of emotions: from boredom to enjoyment, anger, fear, confusion, and complexities of quarantine days.

On June 9, 1967, the Egyptian president at the time, Gamal Abdel Nasser informed citizens of their country's defeat in the war. During the speech, he also announced his resignation. This film stylistically weaves found footage from Egyptian film and television at the time, to reconstruct Nasser's speech.

In the shadow of a wall stands a new generation of Palestinians. With defiant creativity – and a passion for parkour – they prove that no matter the height of the obstacle, one can always climb.

Elia Suleiman brings deadpan humour to this Cannes award-winning film, as he travels to different cities and finds unexpected parallels to his homeland.

This delightful film uses stop-frame and 2D animation to tell the story of Wardi, a young girl living in a Palestinian refugee camp, who learns about her family's history through three previous generations of refugees.

In order to confront the ghosts that haunt him, Palestinian director Raed Andoni assembles a group of ex-prisoners to build a replica of Israel’s main interrogation centre, where he was once jailed, and re-enact its stories.

An inspirational story about social entrepreneur Mariam Shaar and her fellow refugee women who set out to change their fate by launching a catering company.

A 2000-year old statue of Apollo is found near Gaza, only to disappear all of a sudden. This documentary film is full of mystery and unexpected plot twists.

Bristol Palestine Film Festival is delighted to welcome Ahmed Masoud as our writer in residence at this year’s festival.

Bringing together a collection of some of the best short films to emerge from Palestine and about Palestinians this year, including drama, documentary and animation.

In this beautifully shot documentary about everyday life in the ‘open prison’ of Gaza, the headlines are stripped back and the political brinkmanship side-lined to make way for individual human stories, and the struggle for a meaningful life.

Despite being worlds apart, Sarah and Saleem risk everything as they embark on an illicit affair that could tear apart their unsuspecting respective families.

After spending more than a decade in prison for a failed attack on an Israeli settler, Ziad struggles to readjust to life in Ramallah.

In this beautifully shot documentary about everyday life in the ‘open prison’ of Gaza, the headlines are stripped back and the political brinkmanship side-lined, to make way for individual human stories, and the struggle for a meaningful life.

Stunningly shot in atmospheric black and white, this otherworldly rumination on memory, history, place and identity premiered at the Venice Biennale in 2019.

Screening of four lost films from the Palestine Film Unit, made in the revolutionary 60s and 70s and now restored to pristine condition. Don’t miss this memorable event.

Tired of the restrictions of living under occupation and the conservative Hamas government, a group of young men and women find their freedom in the waves of the Mediterranean – they are the surfers of Gaza.

Shadi returns to Nazareth for his sister’s wedding and despite a strained relationship, agrees to help his father hand-deliver the invitations to each guest, as per local Palestinian custom.

Despite being worlds apart, Sarah and Saleem risk everything as they embark on an illicit affair that could tear apart their unsuspecting respective families.

An intimate semi-biographical portrait of Palestinians living as a minority in their own homeland between 1948 and the present day, from the acclaimed director of Divine Intervention.

In 2007 Banksy slips into Palestine to paint on walls. What follows is a story of clashing cultures, art, identity, theft and the black market.

Salam, a charming 30-year-old Palestinian living in Jerusalem, works as an intern on a popular Palestinian soap opera, “Tel Aviv on Fire,” which is produced in Ramallah. Every day Salam must pass through an arduous Israeli checkpoint to reach the television studios. He meets the commander of the checkpoint, Assi, whose wife is a huge fan of the show. In order to impress her, Assi gets involved in the writing of the show.

In today’s Beirut, an insult blown out of proportions finds Toni, a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee, in court. From secret wounds to traumatic revelations, the media circus surrounding the case puts Lebanon through a social explosion, forcing Toni and Yasser to reconsider their lives and prejudices. Director Ziad Doueiri masterfully takes this private clash of wills as a starting point to explore historic rifts between Lebanese communities, and the aftermath of the civil war. Using both humour and pathos, The Insult is ultimately a plea for empathy, forgiveness and peace.

Raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank while her mother was in prison, Walaa dreams of being a policewoman, wearing a uniform, avoiding marriage, and earning a salary. Despite discouragement, Walaa applies – and gets in. This intimate documentary follows Walaa from aged 15 to 21,brings us the story of a young woman navigating formidable obstacles, learning which rules to break and follow, and disproving the negative predictions from her surroundings and the world at large.

Independent journalists Max Blumenthal and Dan Cohen documented Israel’s 2014 assault on Gaza during the war, and chronicled its horrific aftermath. As they waded through the rubble of Gaza’s destroyed border regions, they turned a camera onto the survivors of the slaughter and let them speak for themselves. While giving voice to the pain of a people under siege, Cohen and Blumenthal also highlighted Gazans’ inspiring acts of creative resistance, from painting to break-dancing to literature, that allow them maintain their humanity in the face of deprivation and war.

Abu Shadi is a divorced father and a schoolteacher in his mid-60s living in Nazareth. After his daughter’s wedding in one month he will be living alone. Shadi, his architect son, arrives from Rome after years abroad to help his father in hand delivering the wedding invitations to each guest as per local Palestinian custom. As the estranged pair spend the day together, the tense details of their relationship come to a head challenging their fragile and very different lives.

In today’s Beirut, an insult blown out of proportions finds Toni, a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee, in court. From secret wounds to traumatic revelations, the media circus surrounding the case puts Lebanon through a social explosion, forcing Toni and Yasser to reconsider their lives and prejudices. Director Ziad Doueiri masterfully takes this private clash of wills as a starting point to explore historic rifts between Lebanese communities, and the aftermath of the civil war. Using both humour and pathos, The Insult is ultimately a plea for empathy, forgiveness and peace.

Bringing together a collection of some of the best short films to emerge from Palestine this year including drama, documentary and animation. More info about the shorts will follow soon. There will be an interval during the screening where there will be the opportunity to purchase delicious Palestinian food from the museum café.

Sarah is Israeli and runs a café in West Jerusalem. Saleem is Palestinian from East Jerusalem and works as a deliveryman. Despite being worlds apart, Sarah and Saleem risk everything as they embark on an illicit affair that could tear apart their unsuspecting respective families. When a risky late-night tryst goes awry and threatens to expose them, the two of them look on helplessly as their frantic efforts to salvage what’s left of their lives further escalate things. Caught up in the occupying machinery and socio-political pressure, Sarah and Saleem find themselves trapped in a web of deceit and not even the truth looks able to stop it.

Documenting the lives of four young people daring to dream in Gaza, a land strip sealed off from the outside world. Stuck between walls these four Gazans try to build their lives. One wants to marry his niece, a second tries to rebuild his bombarded house, a third tries to flee the strip and the last turns to weapons. Together they unite in a football team, the only place where they can forget about everything. Outside of the football pitch, they pray and they fight for a better future, despite the hardships in war-torn Gaza.

A feature-length animated film written by and starring preeminent British playwright and two-time Academy Award nominee David Hare. The film follows the writer on a trip to the Middle East to explore the impact the wall separating Israel and Palestine has had on the people of the region. Using advanced animation tools and 3D motion-capture footage, filmmaker Cam Christiansen employs a distinctive handcrafted approach that conveys the reality of the 708-kilometre barrier as no film has before. Rich with rhythmic, raw imagery, the film is framed by Hare’s journey, as both his heart and mind are shaken by the incongruities and contradictions of life in the shadow of the wall.

When a nationwide uprising breaks out in 1987, a woman in Gaza must make a choice between love, family and freedom. Undaunted, she embraces all three, joining a clandestine network of women in a movement that forces the world to recognize the Palestinian right to self-determination for the first time. Using evocative under-camera animation, intimate interviews, and exclusive archival footage, this film brings out of anonymity the courageous women who shook the Israeli occupation and put Palestinians on the map for the first time.

Maysaloun Hamoud’s spiky, compelling debut feature is an eye-opening portrait of three strong, independent minded Israeli-Palestinian women sharing an apartment in Tel Aviv. A terrific exploration of the struggle to be true to oneself when confronted by the expectations of others, Hamoud’s film brilliantly depicts how these women, away from the constraints of their families, find themselves ‘in between’ the free and unfettered lives they’re aspiring to lead and the restrictions still imposed on them by their country and their families.

Against a background of bombed out buildings, relentless Israeli incursions, and the prison-like existence of life in the Gaza Strip, a small group of resilient locals have found a way to escape – in the laid back, mellow sport of surfing. This heart-warming documentary is a celebration of youth and self-expression, focusing on the protagonists’ struggles to do what they love, in the face of societal and familial pressure in the depressing reality of life in the Gaza enclave.

Adam (writer/director Shady Srour) and Lamia (Laëtitia Eïdo) are a Christian Arab couple from Nazareth – members of a vanishing minority in the Holy Land. When Lamia becomes pregnant, Adam decides he has to get serious about providing for his family. He embarks on his riskiest business venture to date: bottling holy air and selling it to the city’s tourists. 

From Qalqilya to Bethlehem via Ramallah, the film follows six skateboarders as they pursue their passion for skating despite limited infrastructure, equipment and travel, as well as facing the challenges of living under military occupation.

Maysaloun Hamoud's spiky, compelling debut feature is an eye-opening portrait of three strong, independent minded Israeli-Palestinian women sharing an apartment in Tel Aviv. Showing with the short Izriqaq.

An assured debut documentary from Ramallah-based director Mohanad Yaqubi. Drawing on recently discovered and archival found-footage it explores the fraught history of Palestine and Palestinian filmmaking. Showing with the shirt Shujayya

The debut feature from writer/director Maha Haj that gives a bitingly comic treatment to the lives and dissatisfactions of a Palestinian family across three generations. Showing with the short Occupied Skies.

Palestinian rooted, London-based hip-hop group 47SOUL will be performing at The Exchange on Friday 8 December. Their energetic Electro Arabic Dabke 'ShamStep' sound and powerful lyrics in English and Arabic has rapidly amassed an international fan base. The lasting impact of each show is testament to their growing popularity and respected presence in the underground music scene.

Hip-hop beats are at the heart of this provocative and fiery musical drama starring Palestinian rapper Tamer Nafar as a fictionalized version of himself (Kareem). When family tragedy strikes, Kareem realises he must make a decision – to take his life and situation seriously, or to carry on as he always has and risk losing everything.

Using the theme of traditional Palestine embroidery, the film stitches together the stories of 12 strong Palestinian women – many of whom are living in exile – who use embroidered pieces to share memories of their homeland.

The Speed Sisters are the first all-woman race car driving team in the Middle East. Grabbing headlines and turning heads at improvised tracks across the West Bank, these five women have sped their way into the heart of the gritty, male-dominated Palestinian street car-racing scene. Weaving together their lives on and off the track, SPEED SISTERS takes you on a surprising journey into the drive to go further and faster than anyone thought you could.

Bethlehem: Hidden From View is a film about the strangling and imprisonment of the 'Little Town' of Bethlehem and its impact on the local Christian community.

Want to meet Palestine’s first all-female race-car drivers? Marah, Betty, Maysoon, Khalid and Mona are the stars of this fast and furious documentary about the adrenalin-filled world of motor sports in the West Bank.

Inspired by a true story and shot in a real prison, 3000 Nights tells the story of a newlywed Palestinian schoolteacher who is falsely arrested and incarcerated in an Israeli prison where she gives birth to her son. Through her struggle to raise her child behind bars, the film traces a young mother’s journey of hope, resilience and survival against all odds.

Oriented follows the lives of three Palestinian friends exploring their national and sexual identity in Tel-Aviv during the Israel-Gaza conflict of 2014. Filmed in the lead-up to the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, this engrossing documentary from Jake Witzenfeld is, according to the Telegraph, “redefines what it means to be gay, Arab and living in Israel...”

Shoufani's poetry tackles issues of Palestine, freedom, feminist issues in the Arab world and promotes a different perspective on Arab women. Love, Lust, death and identity are main themes in the free verse poetry.

An art house feature-length documentary exploring the last 70 years of Palestinian politics seen through the prism of the life of the filmmaker’s father, Dr. Elias Shoufani, a leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and an academic and leftist intellectual who was one of the leaders of the opposition to Arafat within Fatah for 20 years.

Mousa wants to get out of the Palestinian slums, so steals a car expecting a big payoff – but there’s an awful surprise in the trunk...

Fantastically fearless documentary about the first all-female race car driving team in the Middle East. Seriously inspirational and fast-paced. Dir. Amber Fares | 2015 | 80 mins | Cert 15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAmvhp11p1E Female racing drivers are rare, Palestinian ones even more extraordinary. Speed Sisters follows five young women fighting to be acknowledged as equals in a…

In an investigation of the twilight zone between narrative, history and autobiography, Chronicle of a Disappearance is a deceptively simple drama representing a highly personal return home. Through his quasi-aimless roaming’s the director explores what the he perceives as a loss of national identity in the Arab population of Israel as the film itself moves between documentary, fiction, reminiscence and present.

Kasem Hawal’s adaptation of the Ghassan Kanafani novella. The film tells of Safia and Saeed, who are forced to leave their 5 month old son Khaldoun in the city of Haifa when they are expelled in April 1948. Twenty years on the couple are able to travel to Haifa. They discover that Khaldoun was adopted by Jewish immigrants arriving in 1948, and – now 20 – has recently enlisted in the Israeli army.

Three Palestinian Christian sisters who’ve lost their land and status due to the 1967 war with Israel aren’t able to face the painful new reality that’s been imposed on them, so they lock themselves away in their big house and continue to live in a time warp. Within the villa’s crumbling walls, the sisters live in their own personal bubbles, each with her own secrets, dreams and failed love story, hidden behind a mask of manners and propriety.

Three Palestinian Christian sisters who’ve lost their land and status due to the 1967 war with Israel aren’t able to face the painful new reality that’s been imposed on them, so they lock themselves away in their big house and continue to live in a time warp. Their young niece walks into their lives and turns their world upside down.

Selma Dabbagh is a London based British Palestinian writer of novels, short stories and plays. Her first novel, Out of It, (Bloomsbury, 2011) is set between Gaza, London and the Gulf and has been voted Guardian Book of the Year. Selma also works as a lawyer. Annemarie Jacir is an award-winning director, poet and activist currently living between Palestine and Jordan.

Jordan, 1967. Tarek, 11, and his mother Ghaydaa, are amongst this latest wave of refugees to pour across the border from Palestine. longing to be reunited with his father, Tarek searches a way out, and discovers a new hope emerging with the times. When I Saw You is the story of people affected by the times around them, in search of something more in their lives.

Join the director of Villa Touma, Suha Arraf, in a live twitter chat on 12th March at 2pm use #convocinema.

An Oscar-nominated love story set against the backdrop of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Omar is a charismatic young Palestinian who routinely climbs over the towering Israeli security wall to visit his friends. At once a tender love story and a cat-and-mouse thriller, Omar is a powerful tale about the moral choices being faced by both sides of a conflict that shows no signs of letting up.

Film director Leila Sansour returns to Bethlehem to make a film about her hometown, soon to be encircled by a wall. She left the city as a teenager thinking that Bethlehem was too small and provincial. She never wanted to return but this time she is making an exception.

Film director Leila Sansour returns to Bethlehem to make a film about her home town, soon to be encircled by a wall. The film spans seven momentous years in the life of Bethlehem, revealing a city of astonishing beauty and political strife under occupation...

Bethlehem: Hidden from View is a film about the strangling and imprisonment of the little town of Bethlehem and its impact on the local Christian community.

An examination of the ways in which Christian holy sites, pilgrimages, and tourism in Palestine are effected by Israeli policies.

This Al Jazeera Arabic/Focus film is about the experiences of Israeli-held Palestinian political prisoners on an open hunger strike to obtain better detention conditions.

In December 2010, a forest fire in Mount Carmel near Haifa became the deadliest natural disaster in Israel's history. Over twenty countries responded to the call for help, including, to the surprise of many, the Palestinian Civil Defence...

Soraya, 28, born and raised in Brooklyn, decides to return to live in Palestine, the country her family was exiled from in 1948. She meets Emad, a young Palestinian whose ambition, contrary to hers, is to leave forever...

In 1980 a young 18-year-old Palestinian fighter called Ibrahim Salameh left his family in Kuwait to join those fighting for Palestinian freedom in Lebanon. Two years after joining the fighters, Ibrahim was shot while on duty leading to his paralysis, ending his dream of being part of the revolution...

Hind Shoufani is a Palestinian writer and filmmaker residing in Dubai. Born in Lebanon, and raised in Amman, Beirut and Damascus, she has been working with written media and audiovisual industries for the past 15 years.

Omar is accustomed to dodging surveillance bullets to cross the separation wall to visit his secret love Nadia. But occupied Palestine knows neither simple love nor clear-cut war. On the other side of the wall, the sensitive young baker Omar becomes a freedom fighter who must face painful choices about life and manhood...

Dan Swank hosts Bristol's finest, most prestigious and ever-so-serious interpretive dance competition. Wear your finest lycra and register your entry on the night, or come to share in the abundant love and joy of Bristol's best expressionate dancing.

Duma documents Arab women who dare to reveal the sexual abuse they endured in their close circle of family and friends. Together they aim to break the systems of silence which were imposed by family and society.

In Yarmouk (Syria), the Shebabs, a small group of boys & girls, have been friends since they were teens. Now on the eve of adulthood, they have a genuine thirst for life, while being all confronted to intricate situations.

Samer lives in Ramallah in the West Bank. His family lives in Gaza, one hour away. They have not seen each other for six years. When Mustafa went for a visit to Gaza in 2006, he was 18 years old. He was never allowed to return...

CINEMA PALESTINE is feature length documentary that explores the life and work of multiple generations of Palestinian filmmakers and media artists.

This Oscar-nominated Palestinian film captures the very essence of the conflict that has festered and grown over the last 65 years. Omar is a young Palestinian who is part of the fight against what he and his countrymen regard as the illegal occupation of their land. An Israeli soldier is killed and Omar is captured.

In January 2009, during the war in Gaza, two courageous Israeli directors grabbed their cameras to shoot material along the common border. They film everyone, in every situation, with the same distance and the same closeness, the same empathy...

Film director Leila Sansour returns to Bethlehem to make a film about her home town, soon to be encircled by a wall. She left the city as a teenager thinking that Bethlehem was too small and provincial. She never wanted to return but this time she is making an exception.

Screening at Encounters Short Film Festival http://encounters-festival.org.uk Our Souls Are Palestinian is a programme of short artists film works which look at Palestine from various perspectives, external, embedded and provocative. The two films which anchor this programme are ‘They Do Not Exist’ by Mustafa Abu Ali  (1974) and ‘Future Archaeology’ (2009/10) by Armin Linke &…

Hany Abu-Assad (Paradise Now) returns with this action-packed Oscar®-nominated love story set against the backdrop of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Omar (Adam Bakri) is a charismatic young Palestinian living in the West Bank who routinely climbs over the towering Israeli security wall to visit his friends Tarek (Iyad Hoorani) and Amjad (Samer Bisharat), not to mention…

Cinema Jenin is an enlightening documentary account of a tightrope evasion of political, cultural and economic obstacles to resurrect a decrepit Palestinian cinema.

Al Nakba (2008) 100 mins - Aljazeera Network A film by Rawan Damen Al Nakba is a term familiar to Palestinian’s and activists alike.  It translates directly as ‘Day of the Catastrophe’.  For the Palestinians it is an annual day of commemoration of the displacement that preceded and followed the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948.…

Gaza Lives On (2011) 48 minutes - Aljazeera Network, A film by Ashraf Mashharawi The Israeli blockade may have taken a heavy toll on Gazans, but this film reveals life and hope among the devastation. From farming to building, exporting and journalism, stories are being told that express Gaza's willingness to live after more than…

The Red Stone reveals the stories uncovered of Palestinians who are still deeply attached to their family houses, and unprecedented individual efforts to reclaim of the rights unlawfully taken...

Dervla Murphy is a travel writer who likes to keep things simple, whether by bike or foot Murphy is best known for travelling alone and unaided, without luxuries and depending on the hospitality of local people.  She has visited - Azerbaijan, Siberia, Cameroon, the Urals, Madagascar, Coorg, Rwanda – her 23 books have all been startling, vivid…

Apples of the Golan is the story of a village turned prison, full of rappers, rockers and regimes, salsa dancers, holy men and dead fish, traitors, lovers, freedom fighters and their heartbroken mothers all set to the background of the revolution...

This visceral ‘road movie’ chronicles the daily travails of Palestinians of all backgrounds as they seek routes through, under, around, and over the wall...

A journey full of adventure, love, humour, and the desire to be free, this is a story about that moment in a person's life when he wakes up and finds the whole world is open and everything is possible...

More to follow...

Dasa Raimanova, film director (Resistance Recipes) will be preparing mouth-watering recipes inspired by what she learned in Palestine. Dasa will demonstrate how to cook a Palestinian traditional recipe in front of the audience and reveal some of the secrets she picked up during her stay in Palestine...

Locally Sourced Locally Sourced is a showcase from British Council and Scottish Documentary Institute’s ‘Stories of Cities’ series, created as a travelling workshop to get local filmmakers to celebrate where they live. The workshops relay creative documentary skills to up-and-coming filmmakers in developing and emerging countries, equipping them with the creative tools to explore new…

Some unmissable UK Premiere docs, art, and archive gems - all coming up at the 2013 London Palestine Film Festival between the 3rd - 15th May, 2013. http://vimeo.com/63565264

Currently on show at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery is Pharoah: King of Egypt a British Museum Touring Exhibition which explores Egypt's past, the iconic world of the Pharoahs, and includes many world class artefacts that have never before been on display outside London. To complement the exhibition, Watershed in partnership with BristolPFF go beyond Cleopatra and…

To Shoot an Elephant (Alberto Arce, Mohammad Rujailah, 2008, Spain, 112 mins) Filmed in the Gaza Strip during Operation Cast Lead, this film is an eye-witness account of the atrocities inflicted on the Palestinians by the Israelis with the complicity of the “international community”. Following the more recent war on Gaza throughout December 2012, this…

Following the success of the 2012 festival The Bristol Palestine Film Festival is running a free digital photography and media course for all abilities.  Covering the basics of digital photography, leading progressively to a co-curated exhibition in Bristol on the themes of identity, place and community.  Participants will be from a mix of backgrounds from…

This January festival friend, Ken Loach and three other performers are appearing in the production White Rabbit, Red Rabbit at Bristol Old Vic. In this wild, utterly original play from Iran, writer Nassim Soleimanpour dissects the experience of a whole generation. Forbidden to travel, he turns his isolation to his own advantage with a play…

Busking to Gaza The Boscastle Busker, John Maughan, has been singing in Boscastle's three pubs, The Cobweb, The Wellington and The Napoleon, for over thirty years. With his mellow baritone voice and a huge repertoire of songs, he is the catalyst that galvanises a roomful of people to sing for sheer pleasure. On a more…

Free Running, Gaza depicts the thoughts and dreams behind the first Gaza Parkcour Team, an initiative of two 22–year–old friends, Mohammed al–Jakhbeer and Abdallah Enshsi. The short documentary is proceeded by the opportunity to try Free Running at the new park in Knowle West.

Cycled powered cinema, smoothies, and an evening of the latest short films on Palestine presented in partnership with Easton Energy Group.

This year's art gallery features work by Eid Suleman, Visualising Palestine, Students of the Alrowwad Cultural and Theatre Society and various screenings of shorts, trailers and moving image. My Dream Home - Eid Hadaleen Eid Hadaleen is a Palestinian Bedouin living in the village of Um el Kheir, which is neighboured by the Israeli settlement of…

Twenty-something Palestinian-Israeli Jawdat just wants to have fun with his friends, talk on his cellphone and find love. Instead, he navigates unconvincing dates with Muslim, Christian, and Jewish girls, and wrestles with the Hebrew college entrance exam.

Dr Francis Gooding presents Out of the Archive - A Case Study from Mandate Palestine with rare British archive footage from the 1940s, the end of the British Mandate era in Palestine, including Portrait of Palestine (1947 16mins). Described by Francis as a 'standard piece of propaganda' he unpicks the motivations behind the making of…

Inspired by the classical love story, ‘Majnun Layla’ (madly in love with Layla), Habibi is the story of a young Bedouin named Qays whose world is turned upside down when Layla’s father refuses to give his blessing for his daughter to marry Qays.

In Ramallah, Running + Out of it + Writing a Path through Palestine With Bidisha, Selma Dabbagh and Guy Mannes-Abbott. Why write about Palestine? What drives writers to explore the country in their work and what stays with them long after they have finished? Join us for a conversation between Bidisha, Selma Dabbagh and Guy…

Illustrated with original unedited material from The Color of Olives, Producer Daoud Sarhandi will talk about and illustrate the little decisions made during shooting and producing the film. A unique opportunity for anyone interested in film making and production, this session will provide the opportunity to explore (1) Reality and documentary representation, (2) Documentary directing techniques and styles,…

Like many Palestinian families, the Amers live surrounded by the Separation Wall. Their daily lives are dominated by electrified fences, locks and a constant swarm of armed soldiers. Through a sensitive lens we discover the private world of all eight members of the family.

Although he first bought a camera to film his the birth of his son, Emad Burnat begins to pay more attention to the chaotic scenes taking place in the beautiful landscape outside his house.

“We do not have the luxury of despair, but the steadfast hope that we can make a change for our children and the generations to come that all of us can be proud of.”  Theatre has long provided a way of exploring and challenging the world we live in, the stereotypes and prejudices that often…

From West Country to West Bank Palestine Photo-exhibition opens in Bristol in August  Five people from Bristol and Wiltshire visited Palestine ( West Bank ) earlier this year. They were part of a fifty-strong multi-national group of volunteers who planted over one and a half thousand olive trees in the Bethlehem area.   The group will…

David Goldberg This is Not the Way: Jews, Judaism and the State of Israel Watershed, Bristol 24 April 2012 19.30-20.30 £7.00/ £6.00 Few subjects invoke such passion as the history and current situation of Jews in Western societies. David Goldberg, a progressive rabbi with many years' experience of dealing with other faiths and other Jews,…

Palestine Now Bidisha and Selma Dabbagh Watershed, 19 May 2012, 14.00-15.00 Selma Dabbagh is a British Palestinian writer whose novel, Out of It, is a gripping tale of dispossession and belonging, treachery and loyalty, endurance and bravery that re-defines Palestine and its people. She discusses Palestine with critic and broadcaster Bidisha, who toured the West…

John McCarthy You Can't Hide the Sun: A Journey Through Palestine St George's Bristol 15 May 2012, 18.00-19.00 Fascinated as a young boy by his father’s tales of Palestine, John McCarthy was always drawn to the mesmerising region of the Middle East. But exotic enchantment is all too often matched by the brutal reality of…

The 2012 London Palestine Film Festival will open at the Barbican Cinema on Friday April 20th, and continue for two weeks at the Barbican and at SOAS and UCL venues (University of London). http://vimeo.com/37693040 In advance of the 2012 Festival itself, the PFF will also be offering three exclusive "Pre-Festival Events" at preeminent London venues.…

Gaza is being bombed. After spending the night getting stoned watching it happen, Rashid wakes to hear that he’s got the escape route he’s been waiting for: a scholarship to London. His sister, Iman – frustrated by atrocities and inaction around her – has spent the night at a meeting that offers her nothing but…

Checkpoint Dir: Ruban Amar France 2010 18 mins subtitled We conclude our festival with this multi-award winning atmospheric short from talented director Ruban Amar.  A young Palestinian boy living in the Gaza Strip accompanies his father on monthly visits to the ruins of a destroyed village. Though he doesn’t understand his father's ritual, he feels…

Talk: Circus2Iraq Circus to Iraq started out in 2003/4 as a direct and active response to the Iraqi war. We perform in community centres, hospitals, schools, streets, houses and refugee camps...Generally where ever we're needed. We believe that every child has a right to play and want to share simple playful ideas that can be…

A beautifully crafted stop motion animation filmed by Jordanian film maker Tariq Rimawi. Missing opens a window into the effects of conflict on children, and the search for peace in the face of adversity.

With readings from Iqbal Tamimi, Julie-ann Rowell, Susan Boyle & John Terry Join us for a warm and insightful evening of poetry readings and cultural exchange as we bring together an international collection of award-winning poets exploring the theme of ‘journeys’ to and away from home. The evening will showcase some of the best Palestinian…

Eid is a Palestinian Bedouin living under Israeli occupation. Ever since he can remember, Eid has picked up scrap materials and turned them into art. By following Eid's creative process, this film celebrates the optimism and integrity which enables him to transform the machinery of occupation into an artistic expression of individuality and hope.

Samiha Abdeldjebar Elia Suleiman stands out from many other Palestinian film makers for his surreal stories of the daily lives of Palestinians under Israeli occupation. His cinematic style is a constant balancing act between burlesque and seriousness, humour and poetry. This workshop will introduce participants to his work and provide the opportunity to explore how…

Women in the Stadium Introduced by Honey Thaljieh Sawsan Qaoud Palestine 52 mins 2011 Subtitled Women in the Stadium is a brand-new documentary directed by Palestinian filmmaker Sawsan Qaoud and produced by Al-Jazeera documentary Channel . It portrays the personal stories of four players of the Palestinian Women’s National Team. Through their sporting excellence these…

Visually captivating and politically bold, this enticing new film by acclaimed filmmaker Eyal Sivan weaves a rich tapestry of stunning archival material and striking interviews to explore the entwined visual and political history of the Jaffa Orange

Film, Food and Football: Vehicles for Change in Palestine Leila Sansour, founder and CEO of Open Bethlehem, presents and discusses footage from her latest film: The Road to Bethlehem. Cathi Pawson is the co-founder of Fairtrade company Zaytoun CIC, she will talk about the challenges and rewards of developing a marketplace for Palestinian produce. They…

‘Hassan Everywhere’ a moving tale of two young artists who share a vivid connection to their respective birthplaces Israel and Palestine and who’s passionate friendship, impossible at home, flourished abroad.

The festival’s arts and photography exhibition brings together a mix of local and international works from both Palestine and the UK, with the overarching theme of displacement. It features a diverse range of contributions, including paintings and photographs by Bristol activists such as Cliff Hanley and Jess Orlik and images from local football team Easton…