Running from September 19th till the 25th, the exciting 11th Tripoli Film Festival is set to feature five ambitious short films — HABIBTI, MADONNA, NYA, LES CHENILLES, and IN BETWEEN — as part of the Arab Film Official Competition. 
 
The first short on our lineup is HABIBTI, a Tunisian-French film by Antoine Stehlé, exploring a complex relationship between a mother and her daughter. The story was inspired by the personal experience of the film’s co-producer Sabrine Habassi, who also wrote the screenplay with Stehlé. It features actresses Farida Rahouadj and Leila Blier in ‘an airy, wind-beaten huis clos where the unspoken reigns in a heavy but hushed atmosphere.’ The film was lensed by cinematographer Laurent Fleutot and scored by Florence Caillon, Marie Mifsud, and Mathieu Bigot. 
 
Next up on our roster is MADONNA, a film that touches upon themes of heritage and humanity. Directed by John Fareed Zaki from a screenplay co-written with Abanoub Nabil, MADONNA stars Abd El-Aziz Makhyoun, Karim Kassem, and George Sassine and is produced by Karim Kassem, Adolph El-Asal, and the Jesuit Cultural Center in Alexandria, with support from the US Embassy in Cairo, the Goethe Institute, and the British Council in Alexandria.
 
Third is Imene Ayadi’s NYA; an Algerian-French film set at the cusp of the Algerian Civil War, which follows Anya, a carefree little girl who is blissfully unaware of the war tearing the country apart. Her one wish is that her father, a journalist on a mission, returns home in time for Mouloud celebrations. The troubles of reality seep into her life, however; causing her innocence to waver. 
 
NYA is directed by Imene Ayadi and produced by Marine Colomies and Pierre Herve with their company La Meriddiene. It features Melissa Benyahia, Meriem Medjkane, Amal Kateb, and Ghyzléne Ben Ali, with Nader Chalhoub serving as the cinematographer. 
 
Moving on to LES CHENILLES, a short film by the Keserwany Sisters, Michelle, and Noel, which world premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and was the first Arab short ever to win the Golden Bear Award for Best Short Film.
 
This award-winning featurette follows two waitresses, Asma and Sarah, who both hail from the Levant. They find themselves working in the same restaurant in the city of Lyon, France, both bearing the weight of a home they were forced to leave behind. 
 
Initially wary of each other, they gradually discover a common thread that binds them, one that dates back to when the Silk Road connected Lyon to their home countries. Amid forced migration, can they move past animosity to find solace in each other?
 
Written and directed by Michelle and Noel Keserwany, LES CHENILLES stars Noel Keserwany and Masa Zaher; is produced by Biennale de Lyon, Dewberries Film, and Marine Vaillant; lensed by Karim Ghorayeb; and edited by Konstantin Bock.
 
And last, though certainly not least, we have the title IN BETWEEN — a Saudi animated title directed by Ethar Baamer with a score from Zak Mcneil. 
 
An abstract animation, the film depicts a woman's journey through her twenties who navigates societal expectations in the quest for self-discovery. Overcoming challenges, she forges her path to self-realization while the lines between reality and fantasy are blurred. Despite obstacles, her authentic self guides her toward her true self. 
 
The five shorts are set to grace the screen at the upcoming Tripoli Film Festival, running from September 19th to the 25th.