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).