Sunday, April 19, 1:00 p.m. | Six Palestinian stand-up comedians write and tour a stand-up comedy show exploring the unlikely, often dark humor that surrounds the complexity of Palestinian identity. What starts as a blending of comic traditions to encourage honest and open reflections through the shared enjoyment of laughter becomes an existential imperative to survival and sharing common humanity.
Preceded by:
KITES OF BURIN
2024, dirs. Brandon Tonner-Connolly and Raphael Mimoun, 6 min, Palestine, In English
Just outside of Nablus, the community of Burin is surrounded by some of the most extreme, violent settlements in the West Bank. In the face of frequent aggression from settlers and harassment from the Israeli army, the community started an annual kite festival to give the children of the area an opportunity to come together and play, embodying the concept of resistance through joy.
ADAS FALASTEEN
2024, dirs. Hamdi Khalil Elhusseini and Samar Taher Lulu, 8 min, Palestine, In Arabic with English subtitles
This short doc tells the story of a Palestinian chef and his role in using his hobby as a shield against the famine caused by the war on Gaza, preserving the spirit of resilience and hope within his community.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN ME
2025, dirs. Lina Abdulkarim and Mohammed Elmashhrawi, 12 min, Palestine, Egypt, In English and Arabic with English subtitles
Through stories of loss and resilience, a connection between a young Palestinian-American girl and a Gazan refugee sparks a dream that juxtaposes the lives of one with the other.
Chicago Palestine Film Festival | April 11–25, 2026
Founded in 2001, the Chicago Palestine Film Festival (CPFF), a program of the Middle East Charitable and Cultural Society Inc., a non-profit organization, is an annual cultural event that serves as a vibrant platform for showcasing the rich and diverse narratives of Palestinian cinema. Film synopses provided by CPFF. Learn more at palestinefilmfest.com.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu