This January, Mizna is partnering with SooVAC to bring contemporary arts programming by Southwest Asian/North African (SWANA) artists + filmmakers to greater Minnesota. Visual arts exhibition Let There Be Spaces in Your Togetherness will travel to SCSU (on view January 30-February 27, 2020) accompanied by a selection of notable films from the Twin Cities Arab Film Fest. Presented by Mizna's Arab Film Fest + Soo Visual Arts Center. Full details here. FREE admission for students, $5-$10 sliding scale contribution for the general public. All film screenings will take place at the Miller Center Auditorium. These events are for any and all who are curious about SWANA/Arab/Muslim narratives - all are welcome!

SCHEDULE--

Thursday, January 30 4-6pm OPENING RECEPTION @ Kiehle Gallery 6:30-9pm DACHRA Set in contemporary Tunisia, this horror film follows a group of journalism students who stumble into the archaic and ominous world of Dachra, an isolated country village. Forced to spend the night, they find themselves drawn into dark secrets and a desperate attempt to escape alive. Thursday, February 6 6:30-9pm SPEED SISTERS + talkback with CAIR-MN Despite a tangle of roadblocks and checkpoints, a thriving street car racing scene has emerged in the West Bank. This riveting documentary follows the first all-women racing team in the Middle East, weaving together their lives on and off the track. *Family friendly* Thursday, February 13 6:30-9pm SUDANESE SHORTS + talkback In April 1989, a group of filmmakers founded the Sudanese Film Group (SFG) under the ruling government, only to be disbanded a few months later due to the precarious political climate. Many of the SFGs visionary films were lost or hidden from the public until recently. Digitally restored in 2018, these rare and experimental short films touch on a variety of subjects and provide a glimpse of life in Sudan. *Family friendly* Thursday, February 20 6:30-9pm TINY SOULS + talkback Marwa, her mother, and her siblings are stranded in Jordans Zaatari refugee camp after escaping war in Syria in 2012. Over a four year period, the director follows Marwas everyday life in the camp, where she blossoms from a child to a young woman, and highlights the immense uncertainty of their settled lives.