The Twin Cities Arab Film Festival opened Wednesday evening at The Main Cinema in Minneapolis, beginning its 20th edition under the theme “Looking Forward, Looking Back.” The anniversary program includes a retrospective of short films by Lebanese filmmaker Hadi Moussally, whose work explores Arab and queer identity, and closes at the Walker Art Center. The festival’s recognition of Moussally is a retrospective, not an award.
According to Mizna, the organization behind the festival, 2026 marks the twentieth edition of its flagship program. The anniversary is part of a year-long, multi-venue program, with screenings drawing on the history of Southwest Asia and North Africa filmmaking as well as footage from the festival’s past editions. The festival’s closing day is at the Walker Art Center, which says its broader programming centers the work of Arab and Southwest Asian and North African artists, according to the Walker Art Center.
A Retrospective Twenty Years in the Making
Friday’s retrospective brings together films Moussally has made since 2020. In an interview with MPR News, he described leaving Lebanon for France in 2005; he now divides his time between France and Barcelona, the outlet reported.
The filmmaker's body of work has drawn international attention well beyond the Twin Cities. His films have collected more than 550 festival selections and over 70 awards worldwide, and his work has been presented at institutions including the Red Sea International Film Festival, Cinemed, the Festival du cinéma méditerranéen de Montpellier, LA Shorts International Film Festival, Leeds International Film Festival, and the Kennedy Center, according to his own event listing on hadimoussally.com. The Twin Cities appearance adds a Midwest stop to that international circuit.
On Representation and Life in Lebanon
In the MPR News interview, Moussally spoke about queer Arab visibility and described changes in Lebanon’s social scene since he left, including the presence of drag shows and queer parties. He also said the country remains an imperfect place for queer people.
Moussally told MPR News that people in Lebanon can express themselves, but not completely, and urged audiences to accept themselves without shame.
Beyond the Screen
The festival's programming extends beyond the screen. Moussally is set to host an event Saturday as his drag queen persona, Salma Zahore, the report noted, folding his performance work into the same weekend as his film retrospective. A Threads post from the festival's account previewed the pairing, describing the 20th Twin Cities Arab Film Festival lineup alongside the Moussally retrospective and a music video bingo night with Salma Zahore.
View on Threads
The 2026 program also includes a Lebanon-focused screening of the newly restored 1998 film Phantom Beirut by Ghassan Salhab, part of the festival's effort to look back at Southwest Asian and North African filmmaking history even as it looks toward its next twenty years. Major support for the festival comes from the Minnesota Humanities Center through the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, according to Mizna.
How the Twin Cities Festival Compares
The Twin Cities festival, produced by Mizna, is marking its 20th edition in Minneapolis, while a separate Arab Film Festival project by the Arab Film and Media Institute was planning its 27th edition in 2023-24. The California Arts Council described that festival’s primary presentation as being in the San Francisco Bay Area, with touring editions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. The records point to different organizers and geographic footprints; they do not establish a shared origin.
