The Toronto International Film Festival, returning for its 50th edition next month, is an important platform for films from the Middle East, offering space for emerging and established Arab filmmakers.
Running from September 4 to 14 this year, the annual event is one of the world's largest and most influential film festivals.
This year’s Platform programme jury will be led by Spanish filmmaker Carlos Marques-Marcet, known for 10,000 KM and The Days to Come. The festival opens with John Candy: I Like Me by Colin Hanks and will close with Anne Emond’s Peak Everything (Amour Apocalypse).
The 2025 programme highlights a wide selection of films from the Middle East, spanning feature-length and short formats. Here are some of the titles to look out for.
Palestine 36 by Annemarie Jacir
One of the most anticipated Arab films at Tiff is Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36. Set against the backdrop of the 1936 revolt during British rule, the film's cast includes Hiam Abbass, Saleh Bakri, Jeremy Irons, Liam Cunningham and Dhafer L’Abidine.
Jacir has been a central figure in Palestinian cinema for two decades, previously directing Salt of This Sea, When I Saw You and Wajib. Her latest work, a 118-minute historical drama, screens as a Gala Presentation on opening weekend.
Calle Malaga by Maryam Touzani
Moroccan director Maryam Touzani makes a language shift with Calle Malaga, her first Spanish-language feature. The film follows a 74-year-old woman in Tangier, played by Carmen Maura, who refuses to part with her home despite her daughter’s wishes. Marta Etura and Maria Alfonsa Rosso take supporting roles.
Touzani’s profile has grown steadily since Adam and The Blue Caftan, which were both Moroccan Oscar submissions. After its premiere in Venice, this intergenerational drama now heads to Toronto.
The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania
Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s film The Voice of Hind Rajab is based on the final hours of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by the Israeli military in Gaza in early 2024. Hind Rajab's death gained international attention after audio recordings of her emergency call to the Red Crescent were released, in which she described being trapped in a car surrounded by the bodies of her relatives.
The film has also been selected for the Venice Film Festival, marking another major step for Ben Hania’s bold hybrid filmmaking.
With Hasan in Gaza by Kamal Aljafari
A lost film reel is the starting point for Kamal Aljafari’s With Hasan in Gaza. Shot in 2001 and rediscovered years later, the footage is reworked into a meditation on memory, loss and the persistence of everyday life.
Aljafari, the Palestinian filmmaker known for Port of Memory and Recollection, uses cinema as an archival tool against erasure. Tiff will screen the film alongside Basma al-Sharif’s short It’s So Beautiful Here.
It’s So Beautiful Here by Basma Al Sharif
Only four minutes long but with a powerful impact, BasmaAl Sharif’s It’s So Beautiful Here captures a horse ride through a Gaza farm at dusk. Al-Sharif, a Palestinian artist whose practice moves between film and installation, is also known for Ouroboros and Home Movies Gaza.
Unidentified by Haifaa Al Mansour
Haifaa Al Mansour, Saudi Arabia’s trailblazing female director, turns to crime drama in Unidentified. The plot follows a mother, haunted by grief and true-crime obsessions, who investigates the killing of a teenage girl in the desert.
The film stars Mila Al Zahrani and Shafi Al Harthi and is already set for release by Sony Pictures Classics. Al Mansour is best known for Wadjda, the first feature shot entirely in Saudi Arabia, and The Perfect Candidate.
Flana by Zahraa Ghandour
Iraqi filmmaker and actress Zahraa Ghandour brings a personal lens to Flana, a documentary that examines the disappearances of women in Iraq. Ghandour grew up in a household of midwives, a perspective that informs her exploration of gender and violence. Known on screen for her role in Mohamed Al Daradji’s The Journey, she also co-directed Chaos in 2018.
Cairo Streets by Abdellah Taia
Set in January 2007, Cairo Streets follows a man who returns to the city in search of an old flame. The 19-minute short by Moroccan novelist and filmmaker Abdellah Taia was produced in France and appeared at this month's Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. Taia's debut feature Salvation Army earned wide acclaim.
Sink (Gharaq) by Zain Duraie
A mother confronts her son’s unravelling mental health in Sink (Gharaq), the debut feature from Jordanian filmmaker Zain Duraie.
Duraie directed the shorts Horizon and Give Up the Ghost, the latter of which was screened in Venice. With the backing of the Doha Film Institute, she has moved on to features with a story rooted in contemporary family struggles.
Land of Barbar by Fredj Moussa
French-Tunisian artist Fredj Moussa draws inspiration from an unexpected source, Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th-century story collection The Decameron, reimagining it through a North African lens.
His film Land of Barbar, shot in the Tunisian city of Sousse, will premiere in Tiff’s Wavelengths section, marking his first screening at a major festival.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
RESULTS
2.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
2.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
3.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Inthar, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.45pm: Al Ain Stud Emirates Breeders Trophy – Conditions (PA) Dh50,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: MH Rahal, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne
4.25pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: JAP Aneed, Ray Dawson, Irfan Ellahi
4.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Edaraat, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Alan%20Wake%20Remastered%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERemedy%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Microsoft%20Game%20Studios%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%204%20%26amp%3B%205%2C%20Xbox%3A%20360%20%26amp%3B%20One%20%26amp%3B%20Series%20X%2FS%20and%20Nintendo%20Switch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
More on animal trafficking
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
