The San Diego Arab Film Festival presents films from and about the Arab World. The Festival includes 8 screenings over 5 nights. Tickets may be purchased for each screening as well as for 2 packages at discounted prices, one package is a festival pass for all 8 screenings and one for 3 tickets of your choice. Also available for purchase is a Palestinian dinner (served cafeteria style) The menu varies for each night and includes both meat and vegetarian options.

Tonight’s screening includes the short, Gaza Bride 17 and the feature film Palestine 36. The dinner menu will include maqlubeh, a traditional Palestinian dish of eggplant and cauliflower cooked with rice, onions and spices, one version with meat and one vegetarian.

Screening begins at 6:45 PM

Dinner is available 5:45 PM until 6:45 PM

Gaza Pride 17 directed by Waseem Khair (20 min.)

Gaza Bride 17, a film from Iran, follows Saleh, a fisherman from Gaza City, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of losing his only son in a tragic incident when he was 10 years old. Saleh decides to take his son fishing with him for the first time. Their day starts calmly and pleasantly on board the fishing boat, but suddenly, an Israeli military vessel intercepts them and randomly opens fire on them, resulting in the death of his only son. After this incident, Saleh begins a journey of suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder, trapped inside his mind.  He takes us on a psychological journey.

Palestine 36 directed by Annmarie Jacir (119 min)

Palestine, 1936. The uprising that took on an Empire. As villages across Mandatory Palestine rise against British colonial rule, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain's 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.

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Palestine 36 was short-listed for an Academay Award for Best International Feature.