Welcome to Halaloween: A Muslim Horror Film Festival 2024!

What is Halaloween? Halaloween screens horror films from across the globe that were made by, for, or about Muslims, to understand: “What scares Muslim audiences? Are horror movies halal?”

This year’s 2024 film festival will be in-person and online, screening one film a week for the first half of October and culminating in one in-person event with the Palestine Fiction Council on October 16 and two in-person screenings at the State Theatre on Thursday, October 24 and 31 at 7:30 PM.

The festival is free in person and online–but make sure to reserve tickets! Some films may not be available in certain countries. Films will be unlocked online each week of October, and viewers will have the week to watch each film.

We are inclusive of everyone's film needs: from new horror fans who close their eyes through most scary movies to those who love the gore–we've got films for everyone! Check the Halaloween Horror Rating in the description of each film for its scariness rating.

The 2024 Halaloween Lineup:

October 10: Short films | Palestine | Morocco | Jordan | Azerbaijan
October 16: Special Event: Jinn & Legends: Stories from Palestine^
October 17: Warda | 2014 | Egypt
October 24: In Flames | 2023 | Pakistan*
October 31: Three | 2024 | UAE*

^This will be an in-person event in Ann Arbor
* These screenings will be in person at the State Theatre

Reserve your tickets/seats: https://watch.eventive.org/halaloween

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THIS WEEK’S FEATURE: Warda (2014)

From Oct 17th to the 24th, stream the Egyptian horror film Warda (2014) on demand at http://watch.eventive.org/halaloween. Pre-order the film anytime, and check out the rest of the month’s Halaloween Horror selection!

Warda | 2014 | 73 min | Egypt
Directed by Hadi El Bagoury

Description: Warda is an Egyptian found-footage horror movie about a video blogger who returns from the Netherlands to his village home, where his family has been dealing with creepy and strange events after the death of their father. Much like the Paranormal Activity franchise, Warda relies on slow, eerie vibes and jump scares to deliver its horrific message.

Halaloween Horror Rating: 2/5 | Rating Explanation: Somewhat scary. Includes familial murder, jump scares, a gun, found footage (shaky hand-held camera), jinn, possession, and exorcism.

Religious Content: Islamic religious exorcism involving recitations of Ayat al-Kursi and other Quranic verses, jinn, heikh consultations, Islamic prayer, and debates about rational/scientific versus religious explanations for paranormal phenomena.
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Halaloween: A Muslim Horror Film Festival is brought to you by the Global Islamic Studies Center at the University of Michigan and co-sponsored by the Middle East Studies Department, the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, the African Studies Center, the Center for South Asian Studies, the Digital Islamic Studies Center, Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, the International Institute, the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, the Department of Film, Television, and Media, the Institute for Research on Women & Gender, and the University of Michigan Library. This event is free and open to all. To watch the remaining Halaloween films, visit http://watch.eventive.org/halaloween.

For more events from the Global Islamic Studies Center at the University of Michigan, please visit ii.umich.edu/islamicstudies.

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If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact islamicstudies@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.