MATABELELAND

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Monica Strømdahl portrays the harsh realities of people living in run-down motels known as flophouses. The film evolved from a photo project after Strømdahl met Mikal, an early adolescent living in close quarters with his sparring parents. Flophouse America uses unembellished digital photography to capture raw, authentic moments and exposes the struggles of those who failed to achieve the American dream. An unflinching, necessary look at how poverty and alcoholism can shape a young life. - Murtada Elfadl

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Monica Strømdahl.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

WORLD PREMIERE Shedding light on the familial burden of the migrant crisis, A Place of Absence charts the physical and emotional journey of Central American mothers on a bus caravan as they desperately search for their disappeared children, clinging to hope against overwhelming odds. Interwoven with the filmmaker’s story of her beloved uncle’s disappearance, this film offers a poignant look at migration, loss, and the enduring bonds of family. - Karen McMullen

The first and second screenings will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer Marialuisa Ernst, co-producer Brenda Avila, and film participant Anita Zelaya.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE A groundbreaking comedy troupe takes the stage in Palestine, where laughter embodies survival and defiance. Following six comedians from Jenin, Hebron, Ramallah, the Golan Heights, and beyond, the film captures intimate family moments, raw rehearsals, and daring performances amid the suffocating grip of occupation and escalating violence. Especially amid unprecedented attempts to erase Palestinian culture, comedy is not just art, but an act of political resistance and a way to insist on Palestinian humanity. - Ruth Somalo

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with comedian and film participant Alaa Shehada, executive producer Carri Twigg, and editor Libby Knowles.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

US PREMIERE Set on Louisiana’s rapidly vanishing Isle de Jean Charles, this quietly powerful documentary captures the lives of two teenagers and their uncle as they navigate the slow erosion of their home. Faced with forced resettlement by the US government, their story unfolds through intimate, observational filmmaking that renders their daily lives with empathy and unbridled honesty. As the land disappears beneath their feet, the film offers a timely, human portrait of climate displacement. - Murtada Elfadl

The first and second screenings will be followed by a Q&A with director Sandra Winther and film protagonist Juliette Brunet.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE In the aftermath of Mosul’s destruction by ISIS, Bashar Salih and his family sift through the ruins of their ancestral home, salvaging fragments of life, culture, and memory. As they dig through debris, confront looters, and debate selling architectural relics to a passionate collector, the film meditates on the tension between rebuilding and accepting irretrievable loss. A quietly powerful portrait of resilience, it explores the personal and societal cost of war, memory, and cultural survival. - Ruth Somalo

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with producer Thorvald Nilsen.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

US PREMIERE A poignant and powerful story following Afghanistan’s female ambassador to Austria as she faces a life-altering decision in the wake of the Taliban’s return to power. Refusing to represent an oppressive regime, she bravely confronts the very forces that tore her country apart. Through her defiance, Manizha Bakhtari becomes a voice for Afghanistan’s women whose rights have been taken away. The Last Ambassador is a stirring and emotionally charged story of resistance. - Murtada Elfadl

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Natalie Halla.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.