After world premiering to astounding success at the Dublin International Film Festival, Moatasem Taha’s dramedy short IN THE WAITING ROOM is set to captivate audiences once more with multiple screenings at several esteemed film festivals around the world.

Going on an extensive festival tour, the film is currently scheduled to feature at the Sharjah International Film Festival (October 7th to the 12th), Linz International Short Film Festival in Austria (October 9th to the 12th), Curt'Arruda Film Festival in Portugal (October 9th to the 13th), and Kaohsiung Film Festival in Taiwan (October 12th to the 27th). 

IN THE WAITING ROOM follows Hussein — a 30-year-old Palestinian Arab with Israeli citizenship — who escorts his freshly bereaved 70-year-old mother, Rashida, to her medical appointment in an Israeli hospital.
 
As they wait for their turn, Rashida, who hasn't left her house in three months, tries to socialize with the other patients in her limited Hebrew.

Discussing the film, director Moatasem Taha said, “IN THE WAITING ROOM is a film rooted in a personal story that will captivate viewers with the simple desires of its characters. Hussein longs for solitude and isolation from others, while his mother, Rashida, yearns for connection with the people around her.”

“These fundamental desires serve as the driving force behind the film, creating a compelling narrative that explores the complexities of human longing and the contrasting needs that shape our lives,” he added. 

The film explores the tension between life and death, highlighted through the waiting room setting and the characters' emotional states, and other various paradoxes like the complex dynamics of Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, the contrast between social interaction and isolation, and the juxtaposition of empty spaces and busy hospital scenes.

Written and directed by Moatasem Taha, IN THE WAITING ROOM — which is produced by Thekra Makalda and Mohammed Ibraheem — stars Marleen Bajjali, Jalal Masarwa, Drora Coren, Bayan Daher, and Maria Toama. Meanwhile, MAD World handles the film’s sales worldwide and MAD Distribution manages the film’s distribution and sales across the Arab world. 

Taha, a Palestinian filmmaker, graduated from the Cinema and Photography Program at Wizo College in Haifa, where he honed his craft. His first project was a documentary titled BURN, introducing him to the world of filmmaking.