Palestinian film festival gives Toronto a cultural experience

The second annual Toronto Palestine Film Festival (TPFF) kicked off at the Bloor Cinema Sept. 26 with the Canadian premiere of Amreeka, a dramatic comedy from Palestinian-American director Cherian Dabis.

Amreeka follows a single mom's journey from Ramalla to small town Illinios, a move she makes in hopes of a better life for her teenage son. Upon arrival, the pair discover they have a lot of changes to get used to.

"It's a serious story, dealt with in a funny way," said Dania Majid, media relations and fundraising coordinator of the festival. "With Toronto's high immigrant population, it's a film that people can relate to."

Over 1,000 people showed up for the premiere of the film that also showed at the Cannes, Sundance and TIFF festivals this year.

"The audience was a cross section of Torontonians - Palestinians and non-Palestinians, the young, the old, gay, straight, and people of all backgrounds,” said Majid.

"TPFF is for all film lovers, we are very proud of our festival," said Rafeef Ziadah, festival coordinator. "We are glad to be able to offer diverse films from the Palestinian world."

This year’s goal was to showcase non-stereotypical cinema through features, shorts, forums, multimedia and discussions. "There's a little something for everybody," said Majid.

Of the 200 films submitted, 34 were chosen to reflect a diverse range of emotions. "Our films speak for themselves," said Ziadah. "The filmmakers are courageous and show the reality of our vibrant culture."

TPFF also showcases many Canadians. Taghreed Saadeh, a Palestinian-Canadian director is not new to the festival circuit. This year's TPFF is her fourth festival screening. She believes this one is special because it shows everything related to Palestine, not just the pain and suffering.

"I'm very happy and proud of this festival," she said. "It is just what we need so people can understand Palestine a bit better."

Saadeh’s film Rough Cut will be screened on Thursday Oct. 1 at the Revue Cinema at 7 p.m.

The festival started last year when organizers recognized that every time they put together informal screenings of a film, it sold out. Last year was also the 60th anniversary of 1948 displacement of Palestinians. Wanting to commemorate that date, TPFF was born.

Now in its second year, there are two new additions to the line-up. One is an art exhibition at Beaver Hall Gallery, Jewels in the Machine: New Media Works at TPFF, curated by Reena Katz, which showcases multimedia and explores themes from motion to generational memory. The other is Sahain! Film and Food brunch, an event that showcased two food-themed short films and a traditional Palestinian brunch and talk by renowned chef Isam Kaisi.

“We wanted to offer people a full cultural experience,” said Ziadah.

The festival runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2.