Middle Eastern Films to Premiere at the TIFF

Film lovers can rejoice because the Toronto Film Festival will take place from Sep. 7 to Sep. 17 in Toronto! The festival will feature some cool Middle Eastern films and if you're a cinephile from the region, then you have to check them out!

Six Middle Eastern Films to Screen at the Toronto Int'l Film Festival:

Mandoob

Image source: IMDb.

This Saudi film is about Fahad Al Gadaani who is struggling to save his sick father in Riyadh.

The film is directed by Ali Kalthami and features Mohamad Aldokhei in the lead role.

Hajjan

Image source: @abshawky.

This Saudi film revolves around a young boy and his journey across the deserts with his camel. 

The film is directed by Egyptian-Austrian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky. 

Shawky's first feature film 'Yommeddine' was featured in the Main Competition section at the Cannes Film Festival 2018.

NAGA

A thrilling film that follows a stranded girl in the Arabian desert and her race to return home before her curfew in order to avoid punishment from her father. 

This film is directed by another Saudi director Meshal Al Jaser. 

Al Jaser's film 'Arabian Alien' has been featured in the Grand Jury's Best Short Film category at the Sundance Film Festival.

The film even became an Oscar-qualifying film in the Best Narrative Short Category in 2021. 

Yellow Bus

Image source: TIFF Trailers YouTube channel.

This film covers the story of a mother, living in the Gulf region, searching for the truth after her daughter dies from heat exhaustion while napping in her school bus. 

'Yellow Bus' is directed by Wendy Bednarz whose work has been screened at the Venice Film Festival and the Montreal World Film Festival.

Achilles

'Achilles' features two fugitives in Iran who encounter two citizens across the country who help the pair survive. 

This feature film is directed by Iranian director Farhad Delaram whose short film 'Tattoo' was screened at 90 international film festivals. 

The Teacher

Image source: @farah.nabulsi.

'The Teacher' is a film about a Palestinian schoolteacher Basem El-Saleh who is grieving the loss of his son.

He takes on the responsibility of his late son's friends and is helped by a female volunteer. 

Farah Nabulsi has directed the film and one of her films 'The Present' has received an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.

'The Present' also won the BAFTA Award for Best Short Film.