Setting up the stage for a future dystopia is not an easy task, but it gives us the opportunity to redecorate as we see fit. Try new ideas. Reshape old ones. Make amends with past regrets. Decide whether we want to learn or not from our mistakes. The stakes are higher, but there’s already nothing to lose.

For our 4th edition, Soura Film Festival celebrates sexual liberation, an ode to affirmation of one’s self and identity, tales of trips to unknown, rogue territories; in other words, we are embracing a dystopian future with everything it has to offer, and with a hunger for discovery and angry manifestos.

Opening our 4th edition is Mohammad Shawky Hassan’s evocative feature film ‘Shall I compare You to a Summer’s Day’, which unabashedly announces the color of this upcoming edition. Rita Baghdadi gets on with her journey of celebration of metal music, with yet another edgy documentary, ‘Sirens’.
Shariff Nasr’s ‘El Houb’ deals with the emotional maelstrom that precedes and follows a coming out, and Saeed Gholipour’s heartrending documentary feature ‘This Is Not Me’ tells yet another story of trans people in Iran and the price they pay for a glimpse of freedom. In addition, our 4th edition includes 2 featurettes, 4 short film programs and 1 short program in collaboration with Mawjoudin Queer Festival and WeDoQ in Tunisia. We are bringing back ‘Beyond Borders’, a short film program we had launched last year aiming at highlighting stories from territories beyond the scope of the SWANA region. After a successful section about Pakistan last year, we are focusing this year on Ukraine, with an eclectic selection curated by Bohdan Zhuk, programmer at Molodist Kyiv Film Festival. We are also very pumped up to be collaborating with Takweer on 2 panels where we will be discussing queer topics within the film industry.

As a queer festival about stories from the SWANA region, we can’t help but stand in solidarity with all the countries that have been facing a regional attack on queer communities, silencing their individuals. And since advocating for visibility goes against the safety measures for those marginalized communities during these times, it is our duty to offer our platform to them to share their stories and help them amplify their voices.

It is a rocky road, but with the right allies, we will get there safely. Welcome to Soura Film Festival’s 4th edition!