Gaza Surf Club

Philip Gnadt, Mickey Yamine / Germany, Palestine, USA / 2016 / 87 mins

A deep dive "on ground zero" spotlight on Gaza's surf community, which has experienced, survived, and overcome a multitude of obstacles synonymous with the pains of occupation.

Nut$

Henri Bargès / Lebanon / 2016 / 107 mins

Housewife poker player extraordinaire Lana gets caught up in Beirut's underground gambling scene where gangsters, pimps, and psychopaths commingle. As she delves deeper into the elite, criminal underbelly of the high roller lifestyle, what will become of her once idyllic family life?

Investigating Paradise

Merzak Allouache / Algeria, France / 2017 / 135 mins

Investigative journalist Nedjma traverses various social landscapes in Algeria to uncover the appeal of "Wahhabism," especially in relation to modern day youth culture, and the perils of Salafi readings of the Koran.

In Syria

Philippe Van Leeuw / Belgium, France, Lebanon, Syria / 2017 / 85 mins

A mother attempts to keep her family safe as war rages and a sniper lies in wait outside her home.

The Nile Hilton Incident

Tarik Saleh / Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Sweden / 2016 / 110 mins

Cairo 2011, just weeks before the revolution. Police detective Noredin, working in the infamous Kasr el-Nil Police Station, is handed the case of a murdered singer. He soon realizes that the investigation concerns elite players, close to the President’s inner circle.

Saudi Showcase

These films represent the best of Saudi filmmaking, reflecting the creativity, culture, and humor of the Saudi people, and most notably: its filmmaker's penchant for crafting boundary-pushing work. AFF is looking forward to bringing these films to American audiences who are intrigued yet often misinformed by the media about Saudi life and values. These filmmakers represent the future of Saudi film and offer a look at its independent film scene American audiences would otherwise not be privy to.