Contributor Sarah Jilani

Woman in hijab carrying baby in destroyed urban area.

The documentary filmmakers reframing the refugee crisis

by Sarah Jilani

For Sama and Tiny Souls show the realities of conflict and exile through the eyes of women and children.
Hands raised, woman wearing floral print clothing in savannah landscape.

Six emerging African filmmakers you should know about

by Sarah Jilani

These rising stars are paying homage to their cinematic heritage while breaking exciting new ground.
Monochrome portrait of a middle-aged man with a moustache, looking directly at the camera.

Partition on screen: five essential films

by Sarah Jilani

A look at how cinema has separated the human stories from this major historical event.
Person with camera filming police officers in riot gear.
Human Rights Watch Film Festival

A new film shows why democracy and the internet are uneasy bedfellows

by Sarah Jilani

Black Code follows “cyber stewards” from Toronto’s The Citizen Lab.
Vibrant illustration depicting four women of diverse backgrounds, wearing colourful clothing and carrying baskets or brooms, set against a pastoral landscape.
Festivals

Findings from the 2016 London Feminist Film Festival

by Sarah Jilani

Refugee women from beyond the Middle East made their voices heard at this year’s festival.
A group of people on stage at an awards ceremony, including a woman holding an award and a man in a suit holding another award.

Will independent film sink or swim in post-Brexit Britain?

by Sarah Jilani

The knock-on effects of leaving the EU are likely to be felt for generations. But it’s not all doom and gloom.
Two women smiling and embracing in front of a crowd of photographers.
Cannes Film Festival

#CannesSoMale? Not So Fast…

by Sarah Jilani

The Cannes Film Festival is slowly but surely setting out to promote gender equality, and others will follow.
Four women in dark clothing and sunglasses standing next to a car.
Festivals

Five award-winning Iranian directors you should know about

by Sarah Jilani

Despite facing severe restrictions Iran’s most important filmmakers continue to give its people a voice.
Two people, a man with a beard and a woman with long blonde hair, standing together on a dark stage.

Can Hollywood win hearts and minds in the Middle East?

by Sarah Jilani

Studios are being recruited to help combat IS, yet winning over those vulnerable to radicalisation requires a new narrative.
Stylised illustration of a floating stick figure on a swirling blue and pink background.
Short Stuff

Why it’s time to start taking short films seriously

by Sarah Jilani

The medium once described as “anti-cinema” is pushing the boundaries of the artform.

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