The Twin Cities cultural calendar this weekend highlights the Mizna Arab Film Festival, now in its 20th year. The festival will run at the Main Cinema (115 S.E. Main St.) and Walker Cinema (725 Vineland Place) in Minneapolis, offering free outdoor screenings and affordable indoor tickets for families and film lovers.
Festival theme and programming
Co‑programmers Michelle Baroody and Ahmed AbdulMageed chose the theme “Looking Forward, Looking Back.” After reviewing roughly 150 submissions and requesting additional titles from distributors, they curated a slate that leans heavily on archival footage and historic narratives from Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) communities.
“We’re living in a moment where we’re grappling with the past and figuring out how we came to this present,” Baroody explained. The festival’s focus on archives reflects a belief that “to tell stories is to survive,” a sentiment echoed from Lebanese poet Etel Adnan.
Featured screenings
“Do You Love Me” will open at the Main Cinema on Saturday. The film weaves together 70 years of Lebanese film, television, home videos and photography, filling gaps left by official records.
“With Hasan in Gaza” closes the festival on Sunday at the Walker Cinema. Director Kamal Aljafari’s 2001 journey to locate a friend he met in prison was captured on tape and then forgotten for more than two decades. The rediscovered footage offers a rare glimpse of Gaza before the recent destruction, providing viewers with a historic perspective that may never be seen again.
Additional events
Festivalgoers can enjoy a music‑video bingo night at Bryant Lake Bowl on Saturday, followed by a closing reception at the Walker Cinema on Sunday. Full schedules are available on the festival’s website.
Beyond film, the weekend includes a vibrant lineup of local arts and music. Papa mbye, a Minneapolis‑based experimental pop artist, will perform his 2024 EP “Parcelles 16” and the new single “JAKAARLO” (Wolof for “to be close to”) at the Icehouse on Friday.
On Saturday, the Weisman Art Museum opens the exhibit “Merciless – Indigenous Lands Since 1776,” exploring Indigenous relationships to the Mississippi River. The event features a Native vendor fair, food trucks, Dakota quillwork demos, guided tours, and an augmented‑reality installation by Marlena Myles. A 3 p.m. performance by folk and blues musician Keith Secola and friends adds a musical touch.
The Dakota Block Party transforms Nicollet Mall into a free, family‑friendly jazz, soul, R&B and blues celebration on Saturday. The outdoor main stage will host L.A. Buckner & Big Homie, while Peruvian saxophonist Lucia Sarmiento joins a series of indoor jazz sets.
Practical information
Screenings run from Friday, Sept. 25 through Sunday, Sept. 27. Outdoor screenings are free; indoor tickets cost $16 at the Main Cinema and $15 at the Walker Cinema (reduced to $12 for members, seniors and students). Papa mbye’s Icehouse show is $20.91 online or $27.91 at the door. All other events listed are free.
For complete schedules and ticket details, visit mspfilm.org/series/tcaff, icehouse.turntabletickets.com, wam.umn.edu and dakotacooks.com.
Original reporting: Sahan Journal — read the source article.
