REFLECTS THE BREADTH AND INTRICACIES OF MUSLIM STORYTELLING
Championing the narratives of international Muslim filmmakers and highlighting their compelling stories, MUSLIM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (MIFF) returns to London’s Leicester Square for its second edition, running July 2 – 5. MIFF first entered the film festival circuit in 2024, at a time of polarised public opinion and a prevalence of negative portrayals of Muslims in the mainstream media. Two years later and the overriding perception of Muslims has, if anything, worsened.
MIFF is ever more determined to use the medium of film to counter this, by showcasing the diverse nature of Muslim communities in Britain and throughout the world. This second edition showcases the rich tapestry of Muslim storytelling with premieres and special preview screenings of acclaimed new features from the UK and across the world including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Algeria and Palestine, with topics ranging from racial profiling to celebrating the sacred pilgrimage of Hajj.
The second edition of MIFF opens on July 2 with HIJRA (dir: Shahad Ameen, Saudi Arabia/Iraq/Egypt/UK, 2025). Winner of the Netpac Award when it premiered at Venice film festival, it centres on the bond formed between different generations of Saudi women during a journey across the desert to Mecca. When the eldest granddaughter disappears, the grandmother travels to the north in search of the missing teenager. Other films featured include:
GHOST SCHOOL (dir: Seemab Gul, Pakistan/Germany/ Saudi Arabia, 2025) + Q&A
Nominated for the Crystal Bear at Berlin film festival, it follows Rabia, a ten-year-old Pakistani girl who sets out to find why her only school in the village is closed. This fable is a ghost story with a tinge of magical-realism that explores corruption from a child’s perspective.
ROQIA (dir: Yanis Koussim, Algeria/France, 2025) London Premiere
Having premiered at Venice film festival, this bold horror sees amnesiac Ahmed return home bandaged after a crash. His child fears him, and nightly visitors speak in strange tongues. His neighbour makes him uncomfortable, leaving him questioning everything.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA (dir: Arab Nasser, Tarzan Nasser, France/Palestine/Germany/Portugal, 2025)
Winner of Un Certain Regard: Best Director at Cannes film festival in 2025, this powerful story is set in Gaza. Yahya seeks vengeance for his friend Osama’s brutal murder. His encounter with the killer alters everything.
BIRDS OF WAR (dir: Janay Boulos, Abd Alkader Habak, UK/Syria/Lebanon, 2026)
A champion at festivals including Sundance and Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, it documents the love story of a London-based Lebanese journalist and a Syrian activist/cameraman as told through thirteen years of personal archives across revolutions, war and exile.
The festival closes on July 5 with the European Premiere of HUMAN TIDE (dir: David Ward, Saudi Arabia, 2025) + Q&A. Each year, millions of Muslims embark on the sacred pilgrimage of Hajj. Having premiered at the Red Sea film festival, this documentary provides an intimate look at this spiritual journey through the eyes of six diverse groups of pilgrims. By weaving together their individual voices, the film offers a captivating portrait that reveals the profound transformations this once-in-a-lifetime trip sparks.
MIFF is supported by UK Muslim Film (UKMF), a charity working to change perspectives by championing underrepresented talent and voices, both onscreen and behind the camera. UKMF has worked as cultural consultants with C4’s comedy drama Screw, ITV’s Good Karma Hospital, C4’s Hollyoaks, and Columbia Pictures’ Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, ensuring that cultural and faith-based aspects of storylines are portrayed accurately
The Director of UKMF and Festival Director of MIFF, Sajid Varda was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2026 King’s New Years Honours List for his services to Diversity and Inclusion in the Film and Television Industry. He received his MBE from The Prince of Wales at an investiture at Windsor Castle on 13 May.
“Returning to London this summer, the Muslim International Film Festival creates a space where audiences and industry come together to experience stories that challenge, inspire and connect. MIFF 2026 celebrates exceptional filmmaking while opening the door to perspectives that are too often overlooked or misunderstood. Across four days in Leicester Square, we will welcome emerging voices alongside internationally recognised filmmakers to present work that is bold, entertaining and deeply human.”
“Alongside our screenings, industry conversations and Script Pitch Live will create opportunities for new talent, fresh ideas and meaningful collaboration. In a world becoming increasingly fragmented, MIFF is a reminder that stories remain one of our most powerful tools to bring people together. Through cinema, we discover worlds, change perceptions and are reminded that understanding one another is still one of the most important acts of our time.”— Sajid Varda, Festival Director, Muslim International Film Festival.
