site.btaSofia MENAR Film Festival Opens with Award-Winning Middle Eastern Cinema

The 17th edition of the Sofia MENAR Film Festival kicks off on Friday with the screening of Inshallah a Boy, a film from Jordan, the film festival organizers Pozor announced. 

They describe the film as one of the strongest Middle Eastern debuts in recent years, having garnered multiple awards, including two at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as prizes from Thessaloniki, Rotterdam, Malmo, and Jeddah, among others.

The film stars Mouna Hawa, who received the Arab Critics Guild Award for Best Arab Actress for her performance.

Inshallah a Boy tells the compelling story of a widow challenging rigid traditions that dictate her deceased husband's property goes to his relatives if she has no male children.

Festival-goers can also look forward to the Moroccan film Backstage, starring Middle Eastern film icon Saleh Bakri, which was honoured at the Venice Film Festival. Another Moroccan premiere, Chettah, and the latest work by Algerian director Merzak Allouache, Front Row, will also premiere at the festival.

The festival also highlights Sugar and Stars, a biographical drama tracing the life of Yazid Ichemrahen, one of France's leading confectioners, along with screenings of four classic Iranian films.

Running through January 30, Sofia MENAR Film Festival will showcase over 40 film premieres, offering a rich selection of cinema from the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia.