Middle East Now

The 16th edition of Middle East Now (October 7 – 12, 2025) brought 34 award-winning titles from the best international festivals to Florence, under the theme "Radical Imagination", dedicated to the power of images and new visions of the Middle Eastern world.

The festival opened with the film Yalla Parkour by Areeb Zuaiter, preceded by the Synesthesia performance by Lebanese artist Mazen Kerbaj, and closed on October 12 with Kabul Between Prayers by Aboozar Amini. Highlights included the photography exhibition "Beirut, Recurring Dream" by Tanya Traboulsi at the SRISA Gallery and a cooking demonstration with Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi. With over 30 guests and a virtual room in collaboration with MyMovies, the edition confirmed the festival's role in the cultural landscape of Florence and Tuscany.