Culture alert: Gaza conflict spills over to cinema festivals

April, a month marked by film festivals around the Middle East, will this year also be notable for Saudi Arabia opening its first cinema in 35 years. The American blockbuster “Black Panther” will be the first film screened, premiering in Riyadh on April 18.

Iran for Palestine: For Iranian cinephiles and the film industry, April means the Fajr International Film Festival, whose 36th edition is slated for Tehran, April 19-27. In a gesture of solidarity with the Palestinians, the festival's Broken Olive Branches section will screen films highlighting the Palestinian resistance. In addition, Gazan director Rashid Masharawi, whose films focus on the behind-the-scenes world of the resistance movement, has been invited as the festival's guest of honor, and his 2017 film, “Writing on Snow,” will be screened. The regional lineup also includes documentaries and dramas from Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Turkey and, of course, Iran.