MAD Solutions is thrilled to announce that three of its previous Venice titles—Jihan K’s MY FATHER AND QADDAFI, Suzannah Mirghani’s COTTON QUEEN, and Kaouther Ben Hania’s THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB—alongside Annemarie Jacir’s PALESTINE 36, which will screen at the 61st edition of the Chicago International Film Festival, running from October 15th to 26th, across the Documentary, New Directors, International Feature, and Spotlight sections, respectively.
 
Notably, MY FATHER AND QADDAFI and COTTON QUEEN will have their North American premieres at the festival.
 
The Chicago International Film Festival is North America’s oldest competitive film festival and a major platform for world cinema, screening over 100 films from across the globe each year. It champions both new and established voices through a rich program of screenings, discussions, and Q&As. As an Academy Award®, BAFTA, and Canadian Screen Award-qualifying event and a Film Festival Alliance member, it’s a crucial launchpad for films aiming for global recognition.
 
Already held its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, Jihan K’s MY FATHER AND QADDAFI, which will be screening in Chicago’s Documentary Competition, takes us on a raw and reflective journey as the director pieces together the memory of her father, Mansur Rashid Kikhia—Libya’s former foreign minister, UN ambassador, and human rights lawyer who disappeared mysteriously in Egypt in 1993 after defecting from Qaddafi’s regime.
 
Starting with the Documentary Competition, Jihan K’s MY FATHER AND QADDAFI, which already held its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, takes us on a raw and reflective journey as the director pieces together the memory of her father, Mansur Rashid Kikhia—Libya’s former foreign minister, UN ambassador, and human rights lawyer who disappeared mysteriously in Egypt in 1993 after defecting from Qaddafi’s regime.
 
The film begins with Jihan’s mother, Baha Al Omary, who began a decades-long search that uncovered political intrigue and family loss. Through interviews, archives, and personal reflection, Jihan confronts her father’s legacy and her own Libyan identity. The film will be screened on Thursday, 16 October at 8:15 pm and Friday, 17 October at 2:45 pm, both at AMC 4.
 
Next up in the New Directors Competition is Sudanese filmmaker Suzannah Mirghani’s feature debut, COTTON QUEEN, which had its world premiere in the Critics’ Week section of the Venice International Film Festival.
 
Set in a cotton-farming village in Sudan, the film follows teenage Nafisa, raised on heroic tales of resistance told by her grandmother, the village matriarch Al-Sit. When a businessman arrives with a development plan and genetically engineered cotton, Nafisa finds herself at the center of a power struggle. As she awakens to her own strength, she fights to protect her community and its future. COTTON QUEEN will be shown on Saturday, 18 October at 5:30 pm and Sunday, 19 October at 12:00 pm, both at AMC 1.
 
In the International Feature section, Tunisia’s official submission for the 2026 Academy Awards, Kaouther Ben Hania’s THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB, has already made waves with its world premiere at Venice, where it won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, before screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. Supported by executive producers including Brad Pitt and Alfonso Cuarón.
 
The film is set on January 29th, 2024, when Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call from 6-year-old Hind Rajab, trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. The film uses real audio and reenactments to tell her harrowing story. It will be screened on Friday, 17 October at 5:00 pm, GSFC 1, and Saturday, 18 October at 5:45 pm, AMC 13.
 
Rounding out the selection in the Spotlight section is Annemarie Jacir’s PALESTINE 36, which follows Yusuf as he drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest of 1936 Mandate Palestine.
 
This film explores a decisive historical moment as villages rise up against British rule amid increasing Jewish immigration and Palestinian calls for independence, all spiraling toward an inevitable collision shaping the region’s future. PALESTINE 36 will screen on Tuesday, 21 October at 8:00 pm, AMC 6, and Thursday, 23 October at 8:00 pm, GSFC 1.
 
From Libya to Sudan to Palestine, these films showcase MAD Solutions’ commitment to elevating powerful Arab voices. Their presence at the Chicago International Film Festival highlights the vibrant and diverse stories coming from across the region and their growing impact on world cinema.