The 13th Palestinian Film Festival Australia promises a bold and innovative program of new cinema from and about Palestine, offering a powerful and resonant exploration of resilience, love and freedom in the face of ongoing war and dispossession.
From MAY DAY, the Festival will once again spotlight a selection of vibrant new voices alongside acclaimed international works, continuing its mission to share Palestinian culture and art with Australia and the world.
One of the Feature highlights include THE TEACHER, a tense, emotionally charged drama from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Farah Nabulsi. This gripping story of a Palestinian schoolteacher torn between compassion and resistance offers moral complexity and powerful performances.
Saleh Bakri stars as Basem, a Palestinian school teacher struggling to reconcile his risky commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students, Adam, played with fire in the belly vehemence by Muhammad Abed El Rahman, and the chance of a new relationship with a volunteer NGO worker, played by Imogen Poots.
THE TEACHER is a deeply personal story about someone living the reality of an occupied land which explores the conditions, experiences, and human emotions that drive a person to make certain choices and take certain actions.
A passionate protester in his youth, a path that came at great personal cost, Basem is dedicated to educating his students so that they can improve conditions diplomatically and with reason, applying brains against brawn. But when bulldozers demolish houses under government orders and settlers are acquitted of murder despite eye witness evidence, desperate decisions are enacted, choices cruelled by harsh reality.
A plea for peace but not appeasement, THE TEACHER is powerful, honest and transfixing.
For over a decade, the Palestinian Film Festival Australia has been a vital space for creative and critical expression, offering audiences a cinematic journey that celebrates the richness of Palestinian life and storytelling. In 2025, it continues to offer a vision rooted in humanity, resilience and cultural connection.
For screening dates and updates, visit palestinianfilmfestival.com.au or follow the Festival on Instagram and Facebook.
FESTIVAL DETAILS:
WHAT: 2025 Palestinian Film Festival Australia
WEBSITE: http://palestinianfilmfestival.com.au
LOCATIONS AND DATES:
Sydney 1-4 May, Dendy Newtown
