OSN, arguably the MENA region’s favourite streamer at the moment, mostly for giving us access to Disney+ and HBO’s portfolio, is now streaming a curated selection of 32 spellbinding award-winning Arab short films.

Arab indie filmmakers need not rely on annual film festivals, or obscure screenings by arthouse cinemas, to have audiences bask in their stories. From Berlinale Silver Bear winner ‘A Drowning Man’ by Medhi Fleifel, to 2016 Student Academy Award winner ‘Nocturne in Black’ by Jimmy Keyrouz, the streaming platform is bringing in regional indie darlings from UAE, Bahrain, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Algeria, and Tunisia. 

The films have all either nabbed coveted awards or screened at some of the most prestigious global film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Venice and many others. "Independent movies are often limited to special screenings and film festivals, so we are proud to be able to bring this form of art to viewers in the region and to champion these skilled Arab filmmakers by showcasing over 30 of their short films on our platform, on both OSN Yahala Cinema (television channel) and OSN’s streaming app,” said Rolla Karam, Interim Chief Content Officer at OSN.

Check out the full list of films categorised by country below, according to the service provider's announcement.

UAE

Karouma

The Remaining Time

Sarmad

Palestine

Five Boys and a Wheel

Bonbone

A Drowning Man

Jordan

The Parrot

Ayny

Give Up the Ghost

One Minute

Lebanon

The Rifle, The Jackal, The Wolf, and The Boy

Lilacs

Nocturne in Black

Nightshift

Submarine

Before We Heal

Sous Les Soutanes

Bahiya & Mahmoud

Tunisia

Fatum

Astra

Bolbol

Syria

Adam

Detained

Algeria / French

Kindil

Discipline

Sacrilege

Terrain/ Vague

Bahrain

Pick-up

Central Market

Iraq

Abdullah and Leilah

Abraham

Five O’Clock

Main image from Bonboné, directed by Rakan Mayasi (2018).