Keswick Film Festival

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Two vivacious girls begin to discover their sexuality, their desires and the limitations placed on them by the society in which they live. Set in modern Iran, this is a story of seldom seen Iranian youth culture. Positive, fun-filled lives fuelled by parties, defiance and more may not be the conventional take on life in Iran so be prepared to re-evaluate any media driven preconceptions.

This is a film that reveals how two women defy the rules, despite the dangers, to live their lives as they wish.

Thanks to Peccadillo Pictures.

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The character Yossi first appeared in the 2002 film Yossi and Jagger where two soldiers fall in love. Now a workaholic doctor, Yossi lives a solitary existence in Tel Aviv. When a woman from his past talks into his examination room he re-evaluates his life and sets off on a new journey.

One critic (Melissa Hanson) says "You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll grin from ear to ear". Yossi is a film with a tender, deeply romantic sensibility that gradually leads to a climactic scene of soaring emotion.

Thanks to Peccadillo Pictures.

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Only released in the UK in September 2012 and from the director of Oscar winning A Separation, this is another gripping tale of secrets and lies. Three Iranian families travel to spend time at the seaside. But it is not all pleasure - ulterior motives lurk under the surface as well as secrets, betrayals and tragedy. The opening scenes allow you to understand the film's personalities and relationships through the humour and knowing banter of friends having a good time. Then someone disappears and their orderly life begins to crack. Blame is tossed around, small lies grow in size and number, and the mystery of the disappearance becomes compounded by the greater mysteries of their life; enthralling and suspenseful.

Thanks to Axiom Films.

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One drunken kiss brings the world of popular Dominik - he with the hottest girl for his girlfriend, money to spend on designer clothes and rich parents – to a crashing halt. Seeking solace in the world of social networking he begins to isolate himself from the real world and enters a place from which there seems to be no escape; Suicide Room shows this virtual world in all its beauty and wonderment. If you have ever wondered how a person can be drawn into this on-line universe then Suicide Room is a must-see. Winner of many awards, this is one title that fully deserves its Best of the Fests billing.

Thanks to KADR Film Studios, Poland.

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This Norwegian documentary looks at the events one year after the euphoria of the Tahrir Square protests in Cairo. How have the lives of ordinary Egyptians changed since those momentous events in 2011? Those who have followed the story in the news will be aware that there is still much unrest in Egypt but this documentary tells how things are for those who actually live and work in Cairo. This is a film with some fascinating insights that will elicit much debate, playing at many film festivals all over the world.

Thanks to the Norwegian Film Institute.

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The rhythm of the life of a village. Found Memories draws the viewer into the rhythm - from predawn bread baking to prickly interactions to post-squabble coffee and mass - so that when a young woman appears on Madalena's doorstep, she seems to have entered this suspended world along with us. Rita (Lisa E. Fávero) is a backpacking photographer in search of aesthetic bliss. Initially treated like the parasite she appears to be, over the course of this crisp, gracefully inflected meditation on time's passage, Rita develops the interest in her subjects that turns an image into more than stolen light.

Thanks to MPM Film (France).

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Presented with the participation of Keswick Peace and Human Rights Group.

Two young lovers are university students in the West Bank and hail from Gaza. Forced to return home before completing their courses and now within a more religious and traditional environment, their love story can continue only by marrying. But can a lowly construction worker living in a refugee camp convince her father that he can provide for his beloved daughter?

Judged best Arab feature at the Dubai Film Festival following its initial bow at Venice Days and Toronto Discovery. Shot in the occupied Palestinian Territories, the first fiction film shot there for 15 years, the digital camerawork earned the film technical awards.

Thanks to Susan Youssef.

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The journey depicted in the film was one attempted by thousands during 2005 and 2010, with many perishing in the attempt. This film was created in memoriam of those that did not survive and to humanise those who may have been received with suspicion and contempt upon arrival. It was an illegal and extremely dangerous mission but one undertaken in the hope that they could earn a better living and more amply provide for their family. The journey is made all the more poignant as we hear characters reminisce about what they are leaving behind and what they speculate they will find.

Thanks to Memento Films.

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Winner of a host of festival awards and the 2013 submission from the Netherlands to The Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. This is the story a young boy – brought up alone by his father and having difficulty coping with the absence of his mother – who develops a special relationship with a fledgling rescued jackdaw. The arrival of the bird acts as a catalyst between father and son, as both struggle to come to terms with their loss. Whilst aimed at audiences from age 12, it still has an emotional punch and something to offer all ages.

Thanks to Waterland Film, Netherlands.