The film festival returns with powerful stories of identity, resilience and defiance.
The 13th Palestinian Film Festival Australia has launched its latest edition, presenting a compelling slate of films that delve into the complexities of Palestinian identity, resilience and lived experience. Running from May 1 to 11, 2025, the festival will take place across major Australian cities, including Sydney, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne.
A cornerstone of cultural exchange and social impact, the festival is dedicated to showcasing the richness of Palestinian life and cinema. This year’s program features a powerful mix of feature films, documentaries, and shorts that reflect the creativity and spirit of Palestinian filmmakers from around the world.
Among the standout selections is Yalla Parkour, a deeply personal film by director Areeb, who reconnects with her Palestinian roots through a friendship with a Gaza parkour athlete. As they explore the battered landscape of Gaza together, the film juxtaposes moments of joy with the harsh realities of life under siege.
Mahdi Fleifel’s To A Land Unknown offers an intimate, emotionally charged portrayal of Palestinian refugees in Athens, navigating exile, identity, and survival. Blending humour and pain, the film is a poignant study of displacement and the search for belonging.
Thank You for Banking with Us highlights the feminist struggle of two sisters fighting for their inheritance under occupation, while the accompanying short An Orange from Jaffa adds tension and urgency through a young man’s attempt to cross a checkpoint.
In Gazan Tales, four non-professional filmmakers provide an authentic glimpse into daily life in Gaza before the war, focusing on humanity rather than conflict. The result is a moving portrait of endurance and love in one of the world’s most contested regions.
Farah Nabulsi’s feature debut The Teacher explores the emotional and political stakes of resistance through the story of a schoolteacher who becomes a reluctant mentor to a radicalized student. Set against the backdrop of occupation, the film delves into moral ambiguity, loss, and sacrifice.
Masharawi’s Passing Dreams tells the story of a road trip through Palestine as a young man searches for a lost bird, weaving together family memory and quiet acts of resistance. The film embraces the rhythms of everyday life and the resilience that sustains it.
Kamal Aljafari’s A Fidai Film tackles the erasure of Palestinian cultural history by reclaiming looted archives, presenting a haunting yet defiant act of cinematic resistance. The short film Upshot precedes the feature, exploring a retired couple’s peaceful life disrupted by past traumas.
Rounding out the programme is From Ground Zero, a collection of 22 short films from Gaza artists created under the Masharawi Fund. These works, emerging from the rubble of war, confront the horrors of destruction while celebrating the enduring power of artistic expression.
Through a diverse and resonant lineup, the 2025 Palestinian Film Festival Australia offers audiences an opportunity to engage with Palestine’s stories and voices on their own terms, fostering deeper cultural understanding and empathy through cinema.
