Arab Film Fest in Dearborn Dec. 3-5

NEWS                                    Contact: Kim Silarski   **images available           313.624.0206       upon request           ksilarski@accesscommunity.org                 ARAB FILM FEST OFFERS AWARD-WINNING LINEUP OF RARE FILMS     Dearborn , MI (November 4, 2009) – They originated in Palestine , Egypt , Iraq , Jordan , Algeria and the U.S.A. They've won dozens of awards in festivals in the Arab World, Europe and the U.S. And they won't be popping up on the marquee at your local multiplex anytime soon.   The 2009 Arab Film Festival at the Arab American National Museum , Thursday, December 3 through Saturday, December 5, presents a wide-ranging and thought-provoking selection of feature-length and short films made by Arabs and Arab Americans.     The 5th annual festival opens with two short films about women in Palestine – the 2009 documentary Thorns and Silk and the fascinating 3-D animation Fatenah. It continues with an official selection from the 2008 Cannes Film Festival that also received 2008 Academy Award consideration, Salt of This Sea, the feature-film directorial debut of noted poet/filmmaker Annemarie Jacir, starring poet/actress Suheir Hammad.     The festival closes with the highly acclaimed new documentary Garbage Dreams, the story of the Zaballeen or "garbage people" of Cairo who recycle trash in order to survive. Garbage Dreams caught the attention of Vice President and environmental activist Al Gore, who honored the film with his REEL Current Award at this year's Nashville Film Festival. It also snagged awards at festivals this year in Phoenix , Vail and Bermuda .   Detroit-area director Sam Kadi will lead a question & answer session with festival audiences following the screening of his short film, Raised Alone (Package E, Saturday, Dec. 5). Kadi is the first Michigan-based director to be granted a 43% tax rebate on production costs by the State of Michigan under its film tax incentive program.   Among the other well-known performers featured in this year's festival films are Algerian TV star Biyouna (Paloma Delight, Package B, Friday, Dec. 4); Tunisian actress Hend Sabri (Rise and Shine, Package D, Saturday, Dec. 5); and Hiam Abbass (The Visitor; The Lemon Tree) who costars in the war drama Dawn of the World (Package D, Saturday, Dec. 5).   The festive Opening Night Reception at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 3, is a benefit for the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute; a breast cancer survivor will speak just prior to that evening's screening of Fatenah, in which cancer plays a role. The reception features a strolling halal dinner under the dome in the dramatic AANM Community Courtyard, plus admission to the screening of Fatenah and Thorns and Silk.   The complete schedule and information about buying tickets and weekend passes appears below. Single "package" tickets (two films each) are $6 AANM Members; $8 non-members. Tickets for the December 3 Opening Night Reception are $14 AANM Members; $16 non-members. A Festival Weekend Pass is just $25 for AANM Members; get the pass plus a 12-month extension of your Membership for just $35. Non-members may purchase a Festival Weekend Pass , which includes an individual one-year Museum Membership, for just $35. Festival Weekend Passes do not include admission to the Opening Night Reception.   The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates, and educates the public on the history, life, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans. It serves as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country. The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization. Learn more at www.arabamericanmuseum.org and www.accesscommunity.org.   The Arab American National Museum is a proud Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington , D.C. Read about the Affiliations program at http://affiliations.si.edu.   The Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Avenue , Dearborn , MI , 48126 . Museum hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday; Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Admission is $6 for adults; $3 for students, seniors and children 6-12; ages 5 and under, free. Call 313.582.2266 for further information.     **********     2009 Arab Film Festival Schedule Arab American National Museum     Thursday, December 3     6-7 p.m. Opening Night Reception Includes strolling halal dinner under the dome in the dramatic Community Courtyard at the Arab American National Museum , plus Package A films. Partial proceeds benefit the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. Sponsored by Haifa Falafel and Masri Sweets. Requires a separate ticket; see prices below.     Package A   7 p.m. Thorns and Silk Dir: Paulina Tervo 2009/Palestine 30 min.   This short documentary examines the lives of four women in Palestine 's West Bank , each of whom work in a male-dominated field. A wedding filmmaker, a taxi driver, a police trainee and a delivery truck driver all break from tradition to provide for themselves and their families. Arabic with English subtitles.     7:30 p.m. Brief remarks by a survivor of breast cancer     7:40 p.m. Fatenah Dir: Ahmad Habash 2009/Palestine 30 min.   Fatenah, a Palestinian woman in the Gaza Strip, wishes only for consolation in her dire living situation. But when she discovers a lump near her breast, she will start a journey of torment, loss and pain, and will struggle to save her dreams from being shattered by the injustice and cruelty that surrounds her world. 3-D animation. Arabic with English subtitles.   Jury Special Mention (Middle Eastern Short), Middle East International Film Festival, Abu Dhabi , 2009       Friday, December 4     Package B   6 p.m. Once Upon a Piano Dir: Fadi Haddad 2008/Jordan 18 min.   Throughout his gloomy life, only one thing could pull Salem out of his despair: the beautiful girl playing piano in the next building. When an old friend comes to town with a tempting job offer abroad, Salem feels compelled to find a way to meet the girl. Arabic with English subtitles.     6:20 p.m. Paloma Delight  (Delice Paloma) Dir: Nadir Mokneche 2008/Algeria 134 min.   When it comes to surviving in today's Algeria , no scam is too daunting for the woman who has adopted her country's name – Madame Aldjeria (Algerian TV star Biyouna). If they're pretty and lacking in principles, her recruits can make a career for themselves. The latest of these, Paloma, is quite a hit, especially with Riyad, Madame Aldjeria's son. But the purchase of Caracalla Springs, the dream that should allow Aldjeria's clan to start a new life, proves to be one scam too many. Arabic with English subtitles.    Best French Language Film, Lumiere Awards, France , 2008        Package C   8:35 p.m. High Heels (Kaab Aali) Dir: Fadi Haddad 2009/Jordan 20 min.   Nawal, a recently widowed social snob, discovers that her husband left her nothing but an empty bank account and a bad reputation. She is convinced that his affair with his young mistress led them to bankruptcy, but she cannot prove it to her daughter. As the gossip spreads, the mistress shows up at the funeral and invites more scandal. Arabic with English subtitles.   First Prize, Jordanian Short Competition, Franco-Arab Film Festival, 2009       8:55 p.m. Salt of This Sea (Milh Hadha Al-Bahr) Dir: Annemarie Jacir 2008/Palestine 109 min.   Soraya (Suheir Hammad), born in Brooklyn in a working class community of Palestinian refugees, discovers that her grandfather's savings were frozen in a bank account in Jaffa when he was exiled in 1948. Stubborn, passionate and determined to reclaim what is hers, she fulfills her lifelong dream of returning to Palestine . Feature-film directorial debut of Annemarie Jacir. In English and Arabic with English subtitles.   FESTIVAL DE CANNES - OFFICIAL SELECTION, Un Certain Regard, 2008   PALESTINE'S OFFICIAL ENTRY FOR BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM, 2008 ACADEMY AWARDS   Multiple honors on the international film festival circuit, including: FIPRESCI Prize, International Federation of Film Critics, 2008; Special Jury Prize, Oran International Festival of Arab Cinema, 2009; Randa Chalal Prize, Journées cinématographiques de Carthage, 2008; Best Screenplay, Dubai International Film Festival, 2008; Audience Choice Award, Houston Palestine Film Festival, 2009; Audience Choice Award – Best Feature, Chicago Palestine Film Festival, 2009; Best Film, Cairo Refugee Film Festival, 2009.   Saturday, December 5     Package D   6 p.m. Rise and Shine Dir: Sherif El Bendary 2006/Egypt 9 min.   As she frantically searches for the key to her apartment to start a busy day, a young wife and mother (Tunisian actress Hend Sabri) expresses her feelings of entrapment in her domestic life and social role. Arabic with English subtitles.   Jury Prize, National Film  Festival , Egypt , 2006 The Golden Hawk – Best Short Film, Arab Film Festival Rotterdam , 2006 Jury Prize, 10th Ismailia International Documentary & Short Film  Festival , Egypt , 2006 Mohamed Shebl Award for Filmmaking – Best Short  Film , Egypt , 2006     6:10 p.m. Dawn of the World (L'aube du monde) Dir: Abbas Fahdel 2009/Iraq/Germany 95 min.   Mastour and Zahra, two young Marsh Arabs, have grown up at the delta of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in southern Iraq . Shortly after their marriage, Mastour and Zahra are forced to separate when the Gulf War breaks out. On the battlefield, Mastour befriends Riad, a young soldier from Baghdad . Mortally wounded, Mastour makes Riad promise to protect Zahra when the war is over. Riad must then do the impossible and make his way in a hostile new environment. Co-starring Hiam Abbass (The Lemon Tree; The Visitor).  Arabic with English subtitles.    eQuinoxe prize for best first screenplay and best scriptwriter, Germany , 2005 Grand Prix du Meilleur Scénariste, SOPADIN, France, 2005 Jury Grand Prize, Rabat Marrakech International Film Festival , Morocco , 2009 First Prize – Feature Film, Gulf Film Festival, Dubai , 2009 Audience Award and NETPAC Award, Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema , France , 2009 Grand Prize, 20th Fameck Arab Film Festival , France , 2009 Best Screenplay Award, 9th Beirut International Film Festival , Lebanon , 2009 Trophée du Premier Scénario, Centre National de la Cinematographie, France 2009       Package E   7:35 p.m. Raised Alone Dir: Sam Kadi 2009/USA 30 min.   Murad Bandley prioritizes financial security over raising his son Adam. Now a gifted violinist, Adam Bandley performs his world-renowned solo, bestowing a glimpse of his childhood attempt at reconciliation. English.   Best Short Film Award, Ferndale Film Festival, 2009 Best Michigan Short, Detroit-Windsor International Film Festival, 2009     8:05 p.m. Discussion led by director Sam Kadi     8:25 p.m. Garbage Dreams Dir: Mai Iskander 2009/Egypt 82 min.   Adham, Osama and Nabil are three teenaged boys born into the trash trade in the world's largest garbage village. Located on the outskirts of Cairo , the Mokattam village is home to 60,000 Zaballeen , Egypt 's "garbage people." When their community is suddenly faced with the globalization of their trade, each boy is forced to make choices that will impact his life and the future of his community. Directorial debut of Mai Iskander, who also wrote and produced. Arabic with English subtitles.   Al Gore REEL Current Award, Nashville Film Festival, 2009 World Cinema Best Director and World Cinema Audience awards, Phoenix Film Festival, 2009 Best Documentary, Bermuda International and Vail film festivals, 2009     ****************   ATTENDING THE 2009 ARAB FILM FESTIVAL   All screenings take place in the intimate 156-seat Auditorium on the Lower Level of the Arab American National Museum (AANM), 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, Michigan.   The Thursday, December 3 Opening Night Reception takes place in the AANM Community Courtyard.   Free, lighted parking is available in the municipal lot behind the Museum; enter lot by turning north from Michigan Avenue onto Neckel Street , immediately west of the AANM.   For driving directions, visit www.arabamericanmuseum.org/Directions.id.12.htm or call 313.582.2266.     BUYING TICKETS AND WEEKEND PASSES   To purchase tickets and weekend passes IN ADVANCE, please visit www.arabamericanmuseum.org and use a debit/credit card.   Tickets and weekend passes will also be available at the door; cash or debit/credit card.     OPENING RECEPTION   Thursday, December 3 Opening Night Reception   Includes strolling halal dinner under the dome in the dramatic AANM Community Courtyard, plus Package A films. Sponsored by Haifa Falafel and Masri Sweets. Partial proceeds from this event benefit the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.   Non-member                                        $16 AANM Member                                  $14     PACKAGES   Individual non-member package                        $8   Individual AANM Member package                 $6   Select one or more of the following packages:   A – Palestinian short films (package does not include Opening Night Reception) B – Once Upon a Piano & Paloma Delight C – High Heels & Salt of This Sea D – Rise and Shine & Dawn of the World E – Raised Alone & Garbage Dreams     WEEKEND PASSES   Reserve your seat for ALL festival films by purchasing a Festival Weekend Pass !   Already a Member of the Arab American National Museum ? A Festival Member Weekend Pass is just $25; get the pass plus a 12-month extension of your Membership for just $35.   Not yet a Member? Get your Festival Weekend Pass , plus an individual one-year Museum Membership for just $35!   That's like getting the entire Arab Film Festival FREE, along with a standard $35 Museum Membership, which includes other ticket discounts and 10% savings on Museum Store purchases, both in store and online.   Please note: Festival Weekend Passes do not include admission to the Opening Night Reception on Thursday, December 3. Pass holders are welcome to purchase a separate ticket for the reception; see prices above.   To become a Member of the Arab American National Museum and take advantage of reduced rates on this and other event tickets, call 313.624.0200 or visit www.arabamericanmuseum.org.   For more information, call 313.624.0215 or email aanmfilmfest@accesscommunity.org.    Festival schedule is subject to change.   ###       *********************** Kim Silarski Communications 313.624.0206 Arab American National Museum  a project of ACCESS Address    Exhibits    Events