UW’s Third Middle East Film Festival to Feature Six Films March 2-7

Six films from across the Middle East and neighboring regions will be featured during the third Middle East Film Festival, hosted by the University of Wyoming Honors College and UW Libraries Monday-Saturday, March 2-7.

 

The festival -- free and open to the public -- will take place at Studio City UW, located at 2433 Grand Ave., with live music and screenings beginning nightly at 6:30 p.m. Ahmad Nadalizadeh, assistant instructional professor in the UW Honors College, who specializes in cinema of the Middle East, organized the event.

 

Each evening will begin with live music performed by musician-in-residence Ella Daniel Gray, followed by a film screening and a question-and-answer session with that film’s director. Most Q&As will be conducted via Zoom, with one director, Nehir Tuna, attending in person as the festival’s special guest.

 

Tuna, a Turkish filmmaker based in Istanbul, will be present for the screening of his film, “Dormitory” (2023), which premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 80th Venice Film Festival. The film was later screened at the 2023 Marrakech International Film Festival, where Doğa Karakaş received the award for best actor.

 

Set in Turkey in 1996 -- a period of intense social and political upheaval focused on the growing influence of religious institutions in a constitutionally secular nation -- “Dormitory” explores the tensions between religion and secularism through the perspective of a 14-year-old boy navigating life in an all-boys religious dormitory.

 

“We are excited to offer the only Middle East Film Festival in the United States,” says Peter Parolin, dean of the Honors College. “Film is an invaluable medium for allowing us to get to know people and cultures across boundaries; we hope the films in this festival will help audiences have rich and meaningful encounters with other parts of our world.”

 

Films to be screened, directors and descriptions are:

-- Monday, March 2: “Cinema Jazireh” (2025) -- Gözde Kurai

After surviving her family’s massacre, Leila sets out to find her son, Omid. In Afghanistan, where women are rendered nearly invisible, she adopts a new identity and enters a world where the smallest mistake can mean death. The film premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

 

-- Tuesday, March 3: “The Daughter” (2025) -- Pourya Kakavand

Unable to afford raising a child in Iran, a couple invents an imaginary daughter, conjuring her out of love, longing and quiet despair. The film premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

 

-- Wednesday, March 4: “Looking for Oum Kulthum” (2017) -- Shirin Neshat and Shoja Azari

A film within a film, this work follows a female Iranian artist in exile as she attempts to portray the life of legendary Arab singer Oum Kulthum -- while confronting the personal, artistic and political costs of being a woman who dares to transgress boundaries. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

 

-- Thursday, March 5: “The President’s Cake” (2025) -- Hasan Hadi

In 1990s Iraq, 9-year-old Lamia must bake the president’s birthday cake. As she searches for scarce ingredients, failure carries the threat of severe punishment. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

 

-- Friday, March 6: “Divine Comedy” (2025) -- Ali Asgari

After his Azeri film is rejected by Iranian authorities, Bahram and his audacious producer attempt an underground screening, navigating censorship, bureaucracy and their own ethical dilemmas. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

 

-- Saturday, March 7: “Dormitory” (2023) -- Nehir Tuna

Fourteen-year-old Ahmet leaves home for an all-boys religious dormitory, balancing family expectations, religious discipline and the fragile remnants of childhood amid profound personal and environmental change. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

 

Film selections and screening times are subject to change. Any updates or last-minute substitutions will be posted on the festival website.