ANA Contemporary Arab Cinema

12/25/2025

07/19/2025

Goodbye till next year…
Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU BAM Film Shahid

07/18/2025

We wrapped our 13th edition with the heartwarming Egyptian romantic drama “Snow White” about a little person’s search for true love while anxiously trying to put the dowry together for her little sister’s wedding. Taghrid Abouelhassan’s story shone with warmth, love and dignity. Meriem Sherif is a natural star.

BAM Film Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU Shahid

07/17/2025

What a night we had last night!
Awesome turnout for the doc “Coexistence, My Ass” about the uber activist/comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi.
Thank you Amber Fares & Rabab Haj Yahya for introducing the world to Noam & thank you Cherien Dabis for moderating the Q&A
BAM FilmHagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYUShahid Lina Matta

07/15/2025

Last night, under the pouring rain, that engulfed NY, we screened the Tunisian movie ‘Take My Breath’. Thrilled to see the familiar faces of my cousin and two old friends from DC, who made the trek to Brooklyn to catch a few films in the series.
BAM Film Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU Lina Matta

07/15/2025

Another sold-out crowd joined us at BAM Film for Laila Abbas’s insightful film about two sisters fighting for their rightful inheritance in ‘Thank you for Banking with Us’.
With her sister in the audience, Laila regaled the crowd with the personal family anecdotes that inspired her film.
BAM Film Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU Shahid

07/13/2025

Last night we were were thrilled to host the director of the Saudi comedy Il Signore.
In front of a packed NY audience Aymen confessed how thrilled he was to have his film play in Brooklyn dream come true”.

BAM Film Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU Lina Matta Shahid

07/12/2025

Day 3 was the first of our double-feature days: Scandar Copti’s long awaited 2nd feature ‘Happy Holidays’, followed by Waad El Kateab’s devastating doc ‘Death Without Mercy’.

Loved catching up with an old friend from beirut who was there with his family to catch one of the films!

Join us tonight for another double-feature, and meet one of Saudi’ exciting new talents, director Aymen Khoja
BAM Film Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU Shahid

07/11/2025

Day 2 we screened Mo Harawe’s “A Village Next to Paradise”. A mesmerizing from Somalia about a father’s quiet resilience and the fragile dreams of a better life.
Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU BAM Film Shahid

07/10/2025

Last night we kicked off the 13th edition of ANA & our 7th at BAM Film with a sold-out screening of Mehdi Fleifel's To A Land Unknown.
The joy of having the series in NY is that I get my sister and her family in the audience ❤️❤️
Thanks for all who came out last night. Here’s to seeing more of you in the next few days!
Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU BAM Rose Cinemas Lina Matta May Matta-Aliah Shahid