Rochester Witness for Palestine

10/15/2026

Join Writers & Books and Witness Palestine Film Festival for a pair of short film screenings at University of Rochester in support of our Rochester Reads 25th Anniversary selection, One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad. This event is FREE and open to the public. Please register at bit.ly/stoplookingaway

Sumud (2025) and Khsara (2024) will be screened (total run time: 45 mins). El Akkad will be in conversation with University of Rochester associate professor of religion, Joshua Dubler. More info at wpff.us/

This event is a partnership between Writers & Books and Witness Palestine Film Festival and is co-sponsored by The University of Rochester’s Graduate Program in Visual & Cultural Studies and the Student Association for the Development of Arab Cultural Awareness.

10/15/2026

Our Opening Dinner is SOLD OUT!

Thank you all for your incredible support! We’re so grateful to everyone who purchased tickets and helped make this event possible.

Stay tuned for more announcements about the films and special events we have planned for this year’s Witness Palestine Film Festival. We can’t wait to share them with you!

10/13/2026

Join us in celebrating the opening of the 15th edition of the Witness Palestine Film Festival with an Evening of Palestinian Culture, Community & Cuisine! This year, we are honored to welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and writer Mosab Abu Toha, who will deliver the keynote address at our opening dinner.

Mosab Abu Toha
Mosab Abu Toha is a Palestinian poet, short story writer, and essayist from Gaza. His first poetry collection, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry and received several honors, including an American Book Award, a Palestine Book Award, and the Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry. He is also the founder of the Edward Said Library in Gaza, which he hopes to rebuild. In 2025, Abu Toha received the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary for his powerful essays on Gaza published in The New Yorker.

Dinner by Ahlam Abid of Mama’s Palestinian Kitchen
As we celebrate our 15th year, we are honored to have our opening dinner prepared by the talented Ahlam Abid of Mama’s Palestinian Kitchen. A proud Palestinian, Ahlam pours her heart into her cooking, celebrating her rich heritage and culture through every dish. Her food is more than just a meal; it is a heartfelt tribute to tradition, a testament to resilience, and a warm embrace of Palestinian hospitality. Through her cooking, Ahlam brings people together to share stories, celebrate traditions, and experience the richness of Palestinian culture.

Join us for this special evening and purchase your tickets today at WPFF.us!

10/10/2026

09/30/2026

Festival passes are going fast! Explore pass options at WPFF.US. We look forward to seeing you November 14–22!

09/12/2026

Celebrate 15 years of the Witness Palestine Film Festival with a 2026 Festival Pass! Your pass includes all film screenings, Q&As, our opening dinner, and WPFF swag. Help us continue creating space for Palestinian stories, voices, and perspectives in Rochester. Get your Festival Pass today at WPFF.us

09/11/2026

Don't miss American Doctor at The Little Theatre this week!

AMERICAN DOCTOR—a documentary about Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian doctors entering Gaza to save lives—opens Friday (Sept. 11). Presented with community partner Jewish Voice for Peace Rochester.

👨‍⚕️ From Oscar-nominated and Emmy award-winning filmmaker and journalist Poh Si Teng, AMERICAN DOCTOR follows three men – Palestinian-American emergency medicine physician Dr. Thaer Ahmad, Jewish-American orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Perlmutter, and Parsi-American trauma surgeon Dr. Feroze Sidhwa – united by a single oath to save lives. After volunteering in besieged hospitals in Gaza, they return home determined to fight for the patients and colleagues they left behind, taking their battle from the front lines of war to the halls of Congress.

Showtimes and tickets now available!

08/28/2026

The 2026 Witness Palestine Film Festival marks fifteen years of bringing Palestinian cinema and voices to Rochester through stories that preserve memory, challenge narratives, and celebrate culture, resilience, and everyday life.

Through Palestinian film and art, we connect communities, preserve history, and remind us of the power of storytelling across generations.
Join us and help us continue amplifying Palestinian voices in our 15th year of the Witness Palestine Film Festival.

November 14 to 22, 2026.

More information coming soon on our socials and at WPFF.us

05/15/2026

The 2026 Witness Palestine Film Festival marks fifteen years of bringing Palestinian cinema and voices to Rochester through stories that preserve memory, challenge narratives, and celebrate culture, resilience, and everyday life.

Through Palestinian film and art, we connect communities, preserve history, and remind us of the power of storytelling across generations.
Join us and help us continue amplifying Palestinian voices in our 15th year of the Witness Palestine Film Festival.

November 15 to 22, 2026.

More information coming soon on our socials and at WPFF.us

05/08/2026

More chances to see at in Rochester, NY! Don’t miss this riveting historical epic from the great

Tickets available at link in bio 🇵🇸🎞️