The new Brighton film festival shining a spotlight on stories of displacement, identity and freedom
A brand new international film festival has arrived in Brighton – and it’s bringing powerful stories from around the world with it. Taking place from during Refugee Week (15th – 19th June), the inaugural Sama Brighton Film Festival aims to amplify the voices of displaced, diasporic and underrepresented filmmakers through a programme of films, discussions, music and community events across Brighton and Lewes.
An offshoot of the long-running Stockholm-based Sama International Film Festival, which has championed freedom of expression for nearly two decades, the Brighton edition is being organised by Stories from Nowhere with support from Chalk Cliff Trust and Enjoolata Foundation.
The festival is taking over venues including Duke’s at Komedia, Fabrica, The Rose Hill, Pink Moon and Depot in Lewes, with a programme spanning documentaries, features and shorts from Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan and beyond.
Among the highlights is BAFTA-winning documentary My Childhood, My Country – 20 Years in Afghanistan (Thursday), which follows one boy’s life over two decades against the backdrop of conflict and political upheaval. There’s also a short film night at Pink Moon (Tuesday) exploring themes of gender, identity and borders through the work of Iranian and Afghan filmmakers, with proceeds supporting the Hummingbird Refugee Project’s youth club for young refugees in Brighton.
The festival closes on Friday at Fabrica with a screening of acclaimed Kazakh film Bauryna Salu, a moving coming-of-age story exploring family, grief and belonging through the titular ancient nomadic tradition of giving away a family’s first-born to their grandparents. A Q&A with producer Dias Feld and a closing celebration with live music wraps up the evening.
But this isn’t just a film festival. As co-producer Sanjar Qiam has put it, Sama aims to create “a space for Brightonians to encounter films and conversations that engage with political oppression through the lens of displacement, identity and empathy.”
And this idea is anchored in the festival’s name, Sama. Arabic for ‘listening’, it refers to the Sufi practice of deep listening and attentive presence as a path towards understanding.
At a time when conversations around migration and belonging can feel increasingly polarised, Sama offers something a little different: an invitation to sit down, watch, listen and see the world through someone else’s eyes.
And if nothing else, it’s a reminder that some of the most interesting stories often come from people whose voices are least often heard.
Monday 15th – Friday 19th June; various times and prices
brighton.samaiff.com
