Talk & Tour with Visualizing Palestine's Aline Batarseh

On Sunday, October 1st, 4pm, we will be joined by Aline Batarseh, Visualizing Palestine's executive director, who will talk to us about Visualizing Palestine's work, and the visuals that will be exhibited at the festival. Please register in advance for this free event.

From September 27-October 1, visit the exhibition of Visualizing Palestine's research-based visuals that cover the root causes of injustices in Palestine, and acts of collective action to resist Israeli oppression. The exhibition will be on display at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Access to the exhibition is free during festival hours.

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Sahtain! Take a culinary trip through Palestine's traditional breakfast cuisine and enjoy a wide array of delicious dishes with our very welcoming TPFF community. Join us on Sunday, October 1 for our always popular Sahtain! Brunch at Petra Restaurant. Worth the trip to Mississauga!

Tickets are expected to sell fast! Get your tickets as soon as possible to guarantee admission.

Vegetarian friendly.

Sahtain! Brunch is generously sponsored by Petra Restaurant.

Co-Presented By

TPFF is proud to host author Isabella Hammad and the Toronto launch of her critically acclaimed second novel Enter Ghost. This novel follows her award-winning debut The Parisian (2019), which is set in Nablus, Palestine in the turbulent era of the early 20th century. In Enter Ghost, Hammad’s protagonist Sonia, a British-Palestinian actress, returns to Haifa after her tumultuous relationship ends. Her original plan is to spend time with her sister Haneen and rejuvenate in this coastal city. Instead, she is coxed into performing in a production of “Hamlet” in the West Bank – a decision that leads to a painful political awakening.

The discussion will be moderated by critically acclaimed author Saeed Teebi (Her First Palestinian). Following our conversation with Isabella Hammad, she will be signing copies of her books. Please order your copy of the book in advance using the registration link.

This is event is organized jointly with our literary partners Another Story Book Shop.

Isabella Hammad

Isabella Hammad was born in London. Her writing has appeared in the Paris Review, the New York Times, Conjunctions, and elsewhere. She was awarded the 2018 Plimpton Prize for Fiction and a 2019 O. Henry Prize. Her first novel The Parisian (2019) won a Palestine Book Award, the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Betty Trask Award from the Society of Authors in the UK. She was a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Honoree, and has received literary fellowships from MacDowell, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, and the Columbia University Institute for Ideas and Imagination.

Awards
She was awarded the Plimpton Prize for Fiction, the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Palestine Book Award and a Betty Trask Award. She has received fellowships from MacDowell, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Lannan Foundation.

Learn More: Isabella Hammad

saeED TEEBI

Saaed Teebi is a writer and lawyer based in Toronto. His story "Her First Palestinian" was shortlisted for the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize. He was born to Palestinian parents in Kuwait and, after spending time in Connecticut and California, has lived in Canada since 1993.

Co-presented by

Unlock your creative potential and immerse yourself in the rich heritage of Palestine as we delve into the intricate geometric designs adorning one of Palestine’s most iconic landmarks - Al-Aqsa Mosque. Artist

Ola Alanqar will lead a step-by-step workshop on Islamic geometric design, focusing on the history and significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque. No prior experience is necessary – this workshop is open to all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned artists.

Workshop Highlights

• Introduction to Islamic geometric design

• History of Al-Aqsa Mosque

• Step-by-Step pattern construction

• Hands-On artistic exploration
  

Ola Alanqar

Ola Alanqar is a Palestinian-Canadian interdisciplinary artist, designer, and researcher in art
history. Inspired by Arabic Calligraphy, Sacred Geometry, and traditional arts, with a smattering of Van Gogh, Ola enjoys creating art pieces that aim to manifest the beauty of Sacred Arts. Ola uses a wide array of mediums including hand-made watercolors, inks and shell-gold and finds joy in preparing papers as per the traditional methods. Currently, she is working towards her “Ijaza” (license) in Arabic Calligraphy under the traditional Ottoman School. She is also pursuing her graduate studies in Art History at the University of Toronto to bridge the gap between practitioners of the traditional arts and academic research.

olaalanqar.com
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Artist Ola Alanqar will lead an Islamic geometric design workshop, specifically tailored for our young audience. Prepare for a workshop of Palestinian cultural insights with the help of colourful shapes, patterns, puzzles and more!

This workshop is perfect for young artists aged 5-14 years old, whether they are beginners or already budding artists. No prior experience is necessary.

Workshop Highlights

• Introduction to the world of geometric art

• Hands-on pattern colouring

• Geometric design through puzzles

• Fun and interactive learning and creative expression

• Learning about Palestinian arts and culture
  

Ola Alanqar

Ola Alanqar is a Palestinian-Canadian interdisciplinary artist, designer, and researcher in art
history. Inspired by Arabic Calligraphy, Sacred Geometry, and traditional arts, with a smattering of Van Gogh, Ola enjoys creating art pieces that aim to manifest the beauty of Sacred Arts. Ola uses a wide array of mediums including hand-made watercolors, inks and shell-gold and finds joy in preparing papers as per the traditional methods. Currently, she is working towards her “Ijaza” (license) in Arabic Calligraphy under the traditional Ottoman School. She is also pursuing her graduate studies in Art History at the University of Toronto to bridge the gap between practitioners of the traditional arts and academic research.

olaalanqar.com
Instagram

In Conversation with Chef Fadi Kattan: Palestinian cuisine’s ties to identity and resilience

Palestinian cuisine is an act of resistance. Closely tied to Palestinian identity, traditional dishes feature prominently in Palestinian culture, arts and politics. In the face of cultural appropriation that erases Palestinians from their land, a growing number of influential Palestinian chefs are putting Palestinian dishes on international culinary maps. TPFF is thrilled to be hosting one such culinary luminary – Chef Fadi Kattan. From food tours to acclaimed restaurants, Chef Fadi has made it his lifework to bring Palestinian cuisine to the forefront of local food scenes, spotlighting its significance to Palestinians.

The conversation will be moderated by Monika Wahba (Maha’s Restaurant). Chef Fadi’s will discuss how culinary traditions passed through the generations shape Palestinian identity and feeds Palestinian resilience.

The event is in person. For those outside the city, we will offer online access if possible. The event is free but registration in advance is required.

Chef Fadi Kattan

Fadi Kattan grew up in Bethlehem where he inherited his love of food from his maternal grandmother.  In 2015 Fadi opened, Fawda, his restaurant in Bethlehem. Alongside his restaurant, he pioneered the region’s first food tours, where visitors could explore the markets of Bethlehem, meet farmers and artisans, and taste foraged herbs, raw cheeses and fresh taboun bread. Fadi’s cuisine and savoir faire combine worldly influences, a desire for perfection and a passion for sharing the stories of the local foragers, gardeners, farmers and cooks that have shaped the culinary heritage of Palestine. Fadi speaks and writes on various platforms of Palestine’s rich culinary heritage, the importance of terroir, the role of cuisine as a diffusor of culture.

During the pandemic, Fadi launched his podcast Sabah el Yasmine – Ramblings of a Chef and hosted a Youtube series on Palestinian cuisine, Teta’s Kitchen. Fadi opened Akub, bringing his take on Modern Palestinian Cuisine to London, the first Palestinian Modern cuisine Restaurant, in Notting Hill early 2023. Recently, he co-founded Kassa, Bethlehem’s first heritage luxury boutique hotel with Chilean-Palestinian entrepreneur, Elizabeth Kassis.

CHEF Monika Wahba

Originally from Egypt, Monika Wahba immigrated to Canada in 2000 and is currently the chef and owner of Maha’s Restaurant. While she has no formal culinary training, Monika learned how to cook in her family’s kitchen. She creates full bodied Egyptian dishes, drawing inspiration from her cultural roots and upbringing. She was the first Egyptian chef to compete in Top Chef Canada.

KEEP UP WITH Chef Fadi Kattan

fadikattan.com Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube

Co-Presented By

TPFF is pleased to announce that we have received a " Music Production and Presentation Projects Grant" from the Ontario Arts Council for the Faraj Suleiman Live in Toronto concert.

The grant has made it possible to bring a major Palestinian Artist to Canada for the first time and to assemble a backing group of ten Ontario based musicians to support Faraj’s performance.

We would like to thank the Ontario Arts Council and the government of Ontario for this grant.

To date, Faraj has released a number of albums and musical projects such as : "Login", "Three Steps", "Mud", "Opening of the Palestinian Museum", "Al-Bashiq", "Love in the Cloud", "Once Upon a City”, "Love Without a Story”, “Toy Box” and his first songs album “Second Verse”, the recording of "London Jazz Festival 2019", "Better than Berlin"(Songs album), "Faheem" - a songs album for children, and lately "Upright Biano"(Songs album).

He also composed music for theatre and award-winning films, including Ameen Nayfeh’s "200 Meters", and most recently ""Alam" by Feras Khoury.

Keep up with FARAJ SULEIMAN

farajsuleiman.com Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Spotify

Singers / Choir

Musicians

In Collaboration with

Co-presented by