Sydney Arab Film Festival

For those in Sydney (or planning on visiting in the near future), a brief post alerting you all to a great film festival for those interested in Arab politics and culture. Now in its fourth year, the 2008 Sydney Arab Film Festival will be running from 10-13 April at Riverside, Parramatta. The festival provides insight into Arab culture and politics through a series of feature films, shorts and documentaries that show an alternative to the (mis)representations we often encounter in mainstream media. Most importantly, they provide an opportunity for the Arab world to engage in self-representation. Significantly, there are also a number of films this year that deal with gender in the Arab world, ranging from political documentaries (Women in Struggle) to more subtle fictional stories that explore women’s daily lives (Caramel). More information on films, screenings and organisers at: http://www.sydneyarabfilmfestival.com