2026 MENA Film Festival

Bundle: Self Care

Available in 23d 00h 19m 38s
Available January 15, 2026 8:00 AM UTC
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5 films in package
I Told You So | قلتلك
An intimate first-person exploration of navigating life and love with chronic pain, while battling dismissive doctors, a skeptical mother, and that relentless inner voice telling you that it's all in your head.
Aleya | علية
After her transition, a trans woman from Cairo rebuilds her life in Berlin while navigating family rejection, profound loss, and the psychological turbulence of becoming herself.
Ezda
A Yazidi survivor of ISIS’s genocide recounts her experiences under nearly three years of captivity, and attempts to come to terms with her trauma while forging a new path for herself and her children in Canada.
Ever Since, I Have Been Flying
A poetic immersion into a man’s memory, where realities are merging.
Fariha | فَرِيحَة
When Fariha, a 70-year-old singer from Yemen, meets young filmmaker Badr, the two embark on a journey to relaunch Fariha's long-lost singing career.
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This one’s for the baddies, pioneers and survivors, who understand that self care is not just a consumer act, but sometimes a dedicated practice of overcoming. These films explore what it means to truly be comfortable with oneself as we face adversity from outside and within. MENA staff describe this bundle as powerful.  


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ACCESS THE FULL 2026 MENA FILM FESTIVAL VIRTUAL PROGRAM WITH AN ONLINE PASS!


EARLY BIRD (Until Dec 1) – $10

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A 60-year-old man, who grew up in a nomadic tribe in the mountains of southeast Turkey, recalls moments from his youth that have shaped his life. He takes us back to his idyllic childhood with his mother, his first love found in a cotton field and lost in the woods, and the mistreatment suffered at the hands of the police, in a cold and dark place.

  • Year
    2023
  • Runtime
    18:30
  • Language
    Kurdish, Turkish
  • Country
    Switzerland
  • Genre
    Drama, Historical
  • Awards
    Festival dei Popoli, Italy (4 - 12th November, 2023) International Short Film Competition Won: Best Short-Length Documentary Award INTERFILM International Short Film Festival Berlin, Germany (14 - 19 November, 2023) Documentary Competition Won: Second Prize Confrontation Competition Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal, Canada (16 - 26 November, 2023) International Short & Mid-length Competition Won: Best Film Festival de cinéma En ville!, Belgium (29 January - 4 February, 2024) Echappées Competition Won: Prix du Jury REGARD - Festival international du court métrage au Saguenay, Canada (20 - 24 March, 2024) Competition Won: Best Documentary Short Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, United States (4 - 7 April, 2024) New Docs Competition Won: John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute Award ShorTS International Film Festival, Italy (29 June – 6 July, 2024) Maremetraggio Competition Won: EstEnergy-Gruppo Hera Award -Best Short Film Faito DOC Festival, Italy (17 – 24 July, 2024) International Competition Special Mention Youth Jury Tirana International Film Festival, Albania (September 22 – 28, 2024) Documentary Competition Won: Best Short Documentary Chiaroscuro International Film Festival, Italy (28 September) Competition Won: Best Soundtrack DokuBaku International Documentary Film Festival, Azerbaijan (1 – 7 October, 2024) Competition Won: Best International Short Documentary Corto E Fieno, Italy (4 – 6 October, 2024) Competition Won: PREMIO FRUTTETO – RASTRELLO D'ORO Cortocircuiti Short Film Festival, Italy (24 November – 1 December) Official Selection Best Professional Biopic London Kurdish Film Festival, United Kingdom (25 April – 3 May, 2025) Competition Won: Taha Karimi Best Short Documentary Award
  • Social Media
  • Director
    Aylin Gökmen
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