October is a month of film festivals in the Middle East from Beirut to Tehran. Ranging from indie films to large productions supported by the country’s ministries of culture, the festivals provide a platform for cultural exchange, discovering new talents and showing that there is more to the film industry than international blockbusters. Most countries in the region have already picked their nominations for the 2018 90th Academy Awards for best foreign language film: Egypt with “Sheikh Jackson”; Iran with “Breath”; Iraq with “The Dark Wind”; Israel with “Foxtrot”; Lebanon with “The Insult”; and Turkey with “Ayla: The Daughter of War.” 

Beirut International Film Festival: This festival, Oct. 4-12, starts off the festival season. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the festival will include a Middle East competition in short films, where a number of young directors showcase their short films on issues that range from immigration, employment, the generation gap and woes over the education system.

33rd Haifa International Film Festival: Also starting Oct. 4, this festival has a mix of international blockbusters and local productions. Lesser known than the film festivals in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Haifa’s festival has a special place with its Israel documentaries category. The festival will also screen Chinese artist Ai WeiWei’s “Human Flow” — a documentary on refugees.

Tehran International Short Film Festival: Taking place Oct. 17-22, this festival will select winners in four categories: fiction, documentary, animation and experimental. Around 6,000 short films have been submitted to the jury for the fest; only about 60 are shortlisted and will be screened to the public.