Florida State University’s Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics and the FSU Middle East Center (MEC) will host the 17th annual Middle East Film Festival, offering new perspectives into international cinema and amplifying culture rarely seen in mainstream media.

The festival, co-sponsored by MEC and the FSU Student Life Cinema (SLC), will feature a film screening every Thursday over the next four weeks beginning Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Askew Student Life Center on FSU’s Tallahassee campus (942 Learning Way). All films screen at 6 p.m. and are free and open to the public.  

• Jan. 29: “It Was Just an Accident” (Iran), directed by Jafar Panahi 
• Feb. 5: “Nezouh” (Syria), directed by Soudade Kaadan 
• Feb. 12: “Ali Zaoua” (Egypt), directed by Henry Barakat 
• Feb. 19: “The Nightingale’s Prayer” (Morocco), directed by Nabil Ayouch 

“The festival has a wonderful way of spreading cultural awareness and encouraging global understanding right here on campus,” said Zafer Lababidi, interim MEC director, Middle Eastern Studies program adviser, and Arabic Language House faculty. “It beautifully brings students, faculty and residents of Tallahassee together to share in a vibrant arts experience.” 

For the past 17 years, the festival has played a crucial role in promoting international programs and education at FSU while also expanding knowledge of the Middle East in the FSU community. Lababidi, in his first year leading the event, hopes the festival will broaden how the Middle East is understood and offer new perspectives of the region outside of mainstream media. 

“Films serve as cultural mirrors, focusing on personal stories that transcend political soundbites and media stereotypes,” Lababidi said. “These narratives highlight individuals instead of abstractions, helping the audience gain a more detailed understanding of the Middle East and North Africa. The festival reminds audiences of the significance of global artistic exchange and demonstrates how similar cinematic techniques are used in different cultures and across the Middle East region.” 

Prior to the first film, “It Was Just an Accident,” guests are invited to the festival’s kickoff ceremony at the SLC on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 5:30 p.m., where representatives from FSU student organizations will showcase their activities and work pertaining to the festival. After the film concludes, there will be a reception featuring Middle Eastern food provided by the Sweet Shop Café and Lounge where attendees can enjoy discussions about the film.  

The celebration continues as additional gatherings follow screenings throughout the festival. After the screening of the second film, “Nezouh,” guests are invited to attend a panel featuring FSU professors specializing in Middle Eastern studies, including Celia Reddick, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, and Jessika Valentine, a teaching faculty member in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics.  

After the final screening, “The Nightingale’s Prayer,” the festival will conclude with a closing-night event at the SLC where Middle Eastern desserts and tea will be served. 

“I encourage everyone to enjoy engaging in meaningful conversations about the films afterward, which can lead to a deeper understanding of the stories and regions explored through cinema,” Lababidi said. “We hope every guest leaves with a fresh perspective of the Middle East.”  

For more information about this year’s film festival, visit mec.fsu.edu. 

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(Updated 12:20 p.m. Jan. 28, 2026) 

Florida State University’s Office of Research will host the 2026 Festival of the Creative Arts, a campuswide event that highlights the voices, talents and creativity of FSU faculty and students in February and early March.

Departments from across campus will celebrate the innovation and creative excellence that results from combining various modes of expression and disciplines.

“Each year, the Festival of the Creative Arts celebrates interdisciplinary engagement across campus with events that include faculty and student participation,” said Iain Quinn, festival director and FSU’s Research Fellow in the arts and humanities. “In addition to ongoing research conversations that develop from one festival to another, there are also new collaborations and multiple first performances.”

Several events are offered for K-12 students and families, including “It’s the Weather!” at the Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee on Saturday, Feb. 7. There will also be a premiere of a new performance work involving digital art and music.

“It’s an excellent opportunity to learn about the historic and contemporary connections between art and science with multiple hands-on activities,” Quinn said. “The festival is always a special opportunity for everyone to be inspired by the creative spirit that defines FSU.”

All events are free of charge, and no reservations are required. For more information, visit research.fsu.edu/fca.

The full list of events includes:

FRIDAY, FEB. 6

Poets at the Party
7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre, Katherine W. Montgomery Hall

A special collaboration between dance, hospitality, music and poetry featuring multiple premieres across disciplines.

Participants: Darcie Ogando Almánzar, Jacob Andrews, Lilian Baker, Shea Boeker, Jacob Grice, Isabelle Hagley, Caroline Laganas, Raúl Parra, Natalie Eleanor Patterson, Camille Pepper, Christell Victoria Roach, Jan Schwalbe, Sophia Upshaw, Hugh Wilhelm, Kuan-Yu Yang and members of the FSU Trombone Choir. 

SATURDAY, FEB. 7

It’s the Weather!
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee

Come and learn about the weather and nature in works of art while discovering scientific facts about the world around us. This event features hands-on activities led by faculty from the departments of art history, art education and music education, as well as the first performance of a new interdisciplinary work with digital art and music. Great for K-12 students.

Participants: Angelina Ciardi, Eren Gümrükçüoğlu, Ann Harrington, Stephanie Leitch, Marlo Ransdell, Keith Roberson, Sara Scott Shields, the FSU Guitar Ensemble and the National Weather Service Tallahassee.

SUNDAY, FEB. 8

Storytime Under the Stars
6 – 7 p.m.
Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee

Experience an evening of nostalgia and wonder at the Fogg Planetarium, where classic stories come to life under a celestial canopy of stars. This event is specially designed for young children and their families.

Participant: Christine Hansen.

TUESDAY, FEB. 10

Arts-Health-Humanities Symposium VI
12 – 2:30 p.m.
Claude Pepper Center

This annual festival meeting of faculty and students — from design, medicine, music education, music therapy and musicology — continues conversations about current research and future interdisciplinary collaborations. Includes poster presentations by art therapy and music therapy.

Participants: Michael Bakan, Daejin Kim, Adriana Lizardi-Vázquez, Parintorn “Pim” Pankaew, James Riley, Tana Jean Welch and Racheal Yap.

THURSDAY, FEB. 12

Classics Symposium
5:30 – 7 p.m.
Beth Moor Lounge, Longmire Building

Join a celebration of Ancient Greek and Latin poetry featuring an evening of readings of ancient texts and creative performances by students and faculty.

Coordinator: Virginia Lewis.

MONDAY, FEB. 16

Nickel Boys
6 – 9 p.m.
Askew Student Life Center

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, “Nickel Boys” chronicles the powerful friendship between two young African American men sentenced to Nickel Academy. Co-presented with the FSU Civil Rights Institute.

Participants: Ted T. Ellis, Keithen Mathis, Dennis Moore and Mark Schlakman.

TUESDAY, FEB. 17

The Art of Walking
12 – 1:15 p.m.
Bradley Reading Room, Strozier Library

Walking in the city is not only a form of physical exercise and transportation, but a social and cultural practice described as flânerie. The lecture will amble through some of the major French figures who wrote about the flâneur’s and flâneuse’s kaleidoscopic encounters with the sights and sounds of urban life. Co-presented with the Milton S. Carothers Faculty Lecture Series.

Participants: Aimée Boutin and Meaghan McSorley.

FRIDAY, FEB. 20

Lay of the Land
Symposium: 2 – 5:30 p.m.; Opening: 6 – 8 p.m.
Facility for Arts Research

“Lay of the Land” is a Department of Art faculty exhibition and symposium exploring the beauty, complexity and fragility of the landscapes we inhabit.

Participants: Department of Art Faculty.

SUNDAY, FEB. 22

Chamber Music of Frank Martin
4 – 5:30 p.m.
Longmire Recital Hall

A concert devoted to the music of the great Swiss composer Frank Martin (1890-1974), offering an exceptional opportunity to hear his distinctive voice across numerous contrasting ensembles.

Participants: Stijn De Cock, Geoffrey Deibel, Amy Dill, Suzanne Lommler, Mary Matthews, Dylan Principi, Pamela Ryan, Gregory Sauer, Natalie Sherer, Marcy Stonikas, Shannon Thomas and Valerie Trujillo.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25

The Contemporary Film – Finding Your Family
6 – 9 p.m.
Askew Student Life Center

An evening of cinematic exploration with panel discussions about the many definitions of family. Screening of a collection of student shorts followed by a Q&A conversation with members of FSUFILM faculty.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEB. 27-28

24-Hour Create-A-Thon
Feb. 27, 4 p.m. – 12 a.m.; Feb. 28, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Pitches, Performances, Awards: Feb. 28, 2 – 4 p.m.
Innovation Hub

FSU students from across campus work in interdisciplinary teams to develop new works that celebrate creativity as a foundation of innovation across the disciplines. Registration opens Jan. 26.

Coordinator: Ken Baldauf.

SUNDAY, MARCH 1

Interlocking Art: A Mixed Media Gala
6 – 9 p.m.
Student Union

Club Downunder and the Department of Student Engagement present an evening of student creativity across the arts, culminating in an annual fashion show.

Exhibitions

Water Ways: Indigenous Ecologies and Florida Heritage
Elizabeth A. Cecil (Curator)
Co-presented with the FSU Native American and Indigenous Studies Center.
Museum of Fine Arts

Akimbo: A Solo Exhibition by Zoë Charlton
An installation and animated film exploring themes of memory, place, and resilience in the Tallahassee Landscape.
Museum of Fine Arts

Lay of the Land
Department of Art Faculty
Facility for Arts Research

The Art of Healing – Ted T. Ellis
Robert Manning Strozier Library

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Florida State University will host Albie Sachs, renowned human rights activist, writer and former justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the week of Oct. 27, for an event sharing his experience as an anti-apartheid freedom fighter and a pivotal figure in South African history.

The event will include a film screening, lecture, book signing and more.

Born and raised in South Africa under an apartheid government, which maintained a system of legalized segregation, Sachs’ notable career defending those charged under repressive security laws and statutes led to him being appointed to South Africa’s new Constitutional Court, where he helped rewrite the country’s bill of rights and was a key part of the post-apartheid transition.

“Albie has devoted his life to establishing and preserving democracy, equality and justice,” said Matthew Goff, distinguished research professor of religion, director of graduate studies in the Department of Religion, and the event’s co-organizer. “He showed his commitment to these ideas in a way that represents the importance of the values we respect and honor.”

Sachs earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Cape Town in 1956 and started practicing as an advocate at the Cape Bar at the age of 21. While defending others, Sachs was incarcerated without trial and placed in solitary confinement by the security branch of the South African Police.

“Albie Sachs is a living legend. Rather than seek a violent retribution, he has devoted his life to changing the fundamental conditions for democratic life in South Africa.”

— Joseph Hellweg, associate professor of religion, event co-organizer

In 1966, Sachs was forced to flee his home country and went into exile in England. A few years later, he received his doctorate focused on the South African legal system from the University of Sussex in 1971. He then moved to Maputo, Mozambique, in 1977 to become a law professor at Eduardo Mondlane University.

After surviving an explosion in 1988 from a bomb placed in his car by South African security agents — which caused him to lose an arm and the sight in one eye — he devoted himself full-time to building a new democratic constitution for South Africa.

“Albie Sachs is a living legend,” said associate professor of religion and event co-organizer Joseph Hellweg. “Rather than seek a violent retribution, he has devoted his life to changing the fundamental conditions for democratic life in South Africa.”

Sachs returned to South Africa in 1990 and continued his work with the Constitutional Committee and the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress. He was appointed to the new Constitutional Court by Nelson Mandela after the country’s first democratic election in 1994. “Soft Vengeance,” a term coined by Sachs and the title of his documentary film, represents his efforts to eschew violence and rebuild a peaceful and just South Africa post-apartheid.

“For Albie, revenge meant reconstructing a society founded on laws that represented everyone,” Goff said. “As a judge, he helped write the Bill of Rights and tackled very technical questions about how to institutionalize justice. ‘Soft Vengeance’ means acting in the interest of all.”

The Askew Student Life Cinema will screen “Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa,” chronicling Sachs’ fight to end apartheid, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 5-7 p.m. Refreshments will be available at 4:30 p.m. Afterward, executive director of the FSU Center for the Advancement of Human rights and Associate Professor of Criminology Terry Coonan and Professor of Philosophy Simon May will lead a discussion session with Sachs.

On Thursday, Oct. 30, Sachs will deliver “Presidents and Power: How South Africa’s Highest Court Held Nelson Mandela and Two Other Presidents Accountable to the Constitution,” as part of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy Ruth K. and Shepard Broad International Lecture Series. The lecture will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. at the College of Medicine Auditorium. A reception will precede the talk at 4:30 p.m. and a book signing will follow. Both events are free and open to the public.

“Albie wasn’t just an observer — he was a participant in the events he’ll be speaking about, and he played a central role in the post-apartheid transition,” Hellweg said. “His visit underscores the importance of international studies at American universities. Students will be enriched by an introduction to another English-speaking part of the world that has a very different experience of democracy than the United States, one from which we can learn.”

Sachs’ visit is sponsored by FSU’s College of Arts and Sciences, the FSU Department of Religion, the FSU Department of Philosophy, the FSU College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, the FSU College of Law, the FSU Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, and the Office of the Provost.

Please contact Matthew Goff, mgoff@fsu.edu, or Joseph Hellweg, jhellweg@fsu.edu, with questions.

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Florida State University’s Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics and the FSU Middle East Center  (MEC) will host the 16th annual Middle East Film Festival, providing insight into international cinema and sharing perspectives rarely seen in mainstream media.

The festival, co-sponsored by MEC and the FSU Student Life Cinema, will feature four film screenings each Thursday over four weeks beginning Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Student Life Cinema (SLC) on FSU’s Tallahassee campus. All films screen at 6 p.m. and screenings are free and open to the public.

• Jan. 30: “Far from the Nile” (Egypt/U.S.), directed by Sherief Elkatsha

• Feb. 6: “Dream’s Gate” (Iran/France/Norway), directed by Negin Ahmadi

• Feb. 13: “Batata” (Canada/Lebanon), directed by Noura Kevorkian

• Feb. 20: “Inshallah Boy” (Jordan), directed by Amjad Al Rasheed

“The festival has become a highly anticipated event in Tallahassee,” said Zeina Schlenoff, director of the FSU Middle East Center and teaching professor of Arabic. “It is a highly informative occasion for our FSU students and the wider community to learn about this diverse, cultured and fascinating region of the world. Our films represent a broad perspective on the socio-political realities of the recent Middle East.”

Now in its 16th year, the event plays an important role in promoting international programs and education at FSU. Schlenoff, who has been at the festival’s helm since its inception in 2009, also hopes the exposure to these lesser-known films will encourage meaningful conversation among members of the FSU community.

“All the films have something heartfelt and personal to say,” Schlenoff said. “They are stories of family, adventure, hope, persistence and inspiration. Each year, the festival offers a selection of food, entertainment and discussions to complete each evening’s experience, and this year is no exception.”

Prior to the opening film, “Far from the Nile,” participants are invited to the festival’s kickoff celebration 5:30-6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 30, at the SLC. During this time, Middle East student organizations will showcase their organizations and programs. The film will be followed by a reception featuring Middle Eastern food catered by The Sweet Shop Café and Lounge, with entertainment provided by the FSU Belly Dancers.

The festivities extend beyond the first event, and each screening will be accompanied by a unique addition. The second film, “Dream’s Gate,” will be introduced by Professor Emeritus Peter Garretson, who taught Middle Eastern history at FSU, and free popcorn will be provided.

In collaboration with FSU’s third annual Festival of the Creative Arts, the screening of “Batata” will be followed by a roundtable led by Schlenoff; Teaching Professor of Arabic Zafer Lababid; Executive Director of FSU’s Center for the Advancement of Human Rights and Associate Professor of criminology in the College of Law Terry Coonan; and CAHR Senior Program Director Mark Schlakman. Following the festival’s final film, “Inshallah Boy,” MEC will serve baklava and tea.

“Not only does the festival provide us an opportunity to highlight the Middle East on campus, but each new film also inspires an appreciation of the talent, creativity and dedication of Middle Eastern writers, directors, actors and producers,” Schlenoff said.

For more information about this year’s film festival, visit mec.fsu.edu or the center’s Facebook page.

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Florida State University’s Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics and the FSU Middle East Center present the 15th annual Middle East Film Festival, providing insight into international cinema and sharing perspectives rarely seen in mainstream media.

The festival, co-sponsored by the FSU Middle East Center and FSU Student Life Cinema (SLC), will feature four film screenings each Thursday over four weeks beginning Feb. 1 at the SLC on FSU’s main campus. All screenings are free and open to the public.

• Feb. 1: “Souad” (Egypt), 6 p.m., directed by Ayten Amin
• Feb. 8: “Cinema Sabaya” (Israel), 6:30 p.m., directed by Orit Fouks Rotem
• Feb. 15: “Hit the Road” (Iran), 6:30 p.m., directed by Panah Panahi
• Feb. 22: “The Stranger” (Palestine), 6:30 p.m., directed by Ameer Fakher Eldin

“Since its inception, the Middle East Film Festival has aimed to present films that spark discussion between family, friends and colleagues about experiences outside their own perspectives,” said Zeina Schlenoff, director of the FSU Middle East Center. “We choose films that help our audience make sense of a world that is unfamiliar to them, to raise awareness and inspire social change.”

Schlenoff, who has been at the helm of the festival since its establishment in 2009, hopes the exposure to these lesser-known films will encourage meaningful conversation among members of the FSU community.

“We select films that represent a broad perspective on the socio-political realities of the recent Middle East,” Schlenoff said. “We hope that they become a subject of discussion among our viewers and stimulate reflection on many themes that are new to them.”

Several organizations and members of the FSU community, as well as the larger Tallahassee community, will join in the film festival. The FSU Belly Dancers will perform at the opening ceremony, along with a vocal performance presented by the Lebanese Social Organization at FSU. Hillel at FSU is co-sponsoring the showing of “Cinema Sabaya” on Feb. 8. As in previous years, the local Sweet Shop will cater food for the kickoff celebration.

Now in its 15th year, the event plays an important role in promoting international education and programs at FSU.

“The festival provides an opportunity to highlight the Middle Eastern Studies program at FSU and to promote an environment for students and members of the community to develop a deeper understanding of the Middle East,” Schlenoff said. “It is also a reflection of the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics and the Middle East Center’s missions and commitment to international education.”

The public is invited to the festival’s kickoff celebration following the 6 p.m. viewing of “Souad” on Thursday, Feb. 1, at the SLC. The festival will conclude on Feb. 22 with a closing ceremony following the 6:30 p.m. showing of “The Stranger.”

For more information about this year’s film festival, visit mec.fsu.edu or the center’s Facebook page.

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