Stories from Palestine, the Gulf and Sudan are at the centre of the UK's longest-running Arab film festival which returns to Birmingham's Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) this month.

Curated by long-time SAFAR and Arab British Centre collaborator Rabih El-Khoury, this year’s programme brings together visionary works by filmmaking pioneers and debuts from rising talent in the Arab region to audiences across the UK.

In a time of war in Gaza, Palestine sits at the programme’s heart while stories from Sudan, the Gulf and the wider region bring varied dimensions to this year’s theme On Hopes Dreams & Realities.

The MAC programme comprises:

Hounds - Fri 21 June  A thriller that offers an uncompromising portrait of contemporary Moroccan society from the perspective of its urban poor, constantly pushed to the margins of crime.

Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous - Sat 22 June The story of a Syrian refugee and an Ethiopian migrant domestic worker living an impossible love in Beirut. With nothing to lose, they take their chance and flee Beirut in a hopeful and desperate attempt to get away.

Wedding in Galilee - Sun 23 June This first-ever feature about Palestinians by a Palestinian is a beautiful and haunting tale about a village patriarch who wants his son's wedding celebrated traditionally, in violation of the curfew - so he makes a compromise with the Israeli military authorities, alienating his fellow villagers.

Bye Bye Tiberias + Q&A - Wed 26 June Set between past and present, Bye Bye Tiberias pieces together images of today, family footage from the nineties and historical archives to portray four generations of daring Palestinian women who keep their story and legacy alive through the strength of their bonds, despite exile, dispossession and heartbreak.

In addition to MAC, SAFAR's On Hopes Dreams & Realities will also be screened at over 12 venues nationwide. To find out more, visit: safarfilmfestival.co.uk 

Image: Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous - showing at MAC on Saturday 22 June.