Refugee Week 2025: LIFF and RETAS host screenings in Leeds

As part of Refugee Week 2025, Leeds International Film Festival is partnering with RETAS (Refugee Education Training Advice Service) to present two community-focused film events in Leeds. 

These screenings are part of our commitment to engage with wider communities in Leeds, making our events accessible to all and using the power of film to highlight different lived experiences of those in our city. Alongside hosting free screenings at community partner venues, we also offer local charities the opportunity to attend our yearly festivals and year-round programme so that everyone feels welcome and can attend without barriers. If you're interested in partnering with us in the future, please get in touch at leeds.film@leeds.gov.uk.

The first event takes place on Wednesday 18 June at 6pm at Hyde Park Picture House, with a screening of We Dare to Dream (12A), directed by the Oscar-nominated Waad al-Kateab. The documentary follows refugee athletes from Iran, Syria, South Sudan and Cameroon as they fight for the chance to compete on the world stage. The screening will open with introductions from RETAS and LASSAN (Leeds Asylum Seekers’ Support Network). Tickets are available on a Pay-What-you-Can basis.

We Dare to Dream, Wednesday 18 June at 6pm

The second film screening takes place on Thursday 19 June from 5pm at St Luke’s Cares in Beeston, and centres on Life Is Beautiful: A Letter to Gaza, a moving and intimate film by Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly. Stranded in Norway due to border restrictions, Jabaly uses his personal archive and video calls to navigate life between Gaza and the arctic city of Tromsø. The film is both a love letter to his hometown and a testament to the power of creative expression during times of uncertainty.

This screening is part of a relaxed, welcoming event that also includes a free creative art workshop led by RETAS clients and food. You’re invited to take part in the art activity, the film screening, or both, with free hot and cold drinks available throughout the evening.

Life Is Beautiful: A Letter to Gaza, Thursday 19 June from 5pm

Lorna Gray, Fundraising and Communications Manager at RETAS, states:

“RETAS are very excited to host a special film screening and art workshop and showcase for this year's edition of Refugee Week, in collaboration with Leeds International Film Festival. We're especially excited to showcase a film which encapsulates the navigation of current conflicts, and utilising creative outlets as activism. We invite and welcome the community to join us in the celebration of the resilience and brilliance of our refugee and asylum seeker community.”

These events are part of Refugee Week, the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. This year’s theme is ‘community as a superpower’. 

For further details about Refugee Week and events across the UK, visit refugeeweek.org.uk.

If you have any questions about either event, please get in touch with us at leeds.film@leeds.gov.uk.