Join us for a free screening of Algerian thriller film Algiers (2023) on October 28th, 7:00 PM at the State Theatre

This screening is ONLY in person at the State Theatre in Ann Arbor. Reserve your free tickets here!

Welcome to the 7th annual Halaloween: A Muslim Horror Film Festival 2025!

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 2025 film festival runs throughout October on Tuesdays. Halaloween will showcase one film streaming online from October 1-15; a montage of short films in-person at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn on Tuesday, October 14 at 7pm; and two in-person screenings at the State Theatre, on Tuesday October 21 and 28 at 7pm.

The festival is free in-person and online–but make sure to reserve tickets! In-person screenings will be first-come, first-served with RSVPs strongly encouraged.

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 and other details.

The 2025 Halaloween Lineup:

October 1-15: Xoftex | Greece/Palestine/Syria | 2024 | Online Screening

October 14: Short Films | Saudi Arabia, Syria, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia | 7:00pm | Arab American National Museum (Dearborn)  

October 21: Agora | Tunisia | 2024 | 7:00 PM | State Theatre

October 28: Algiers | Algeria | 2024 | 7:00 PM | State Theatre

RSVP & stream our online selection: watch.eventive.org/halaloween

THIS WEEK’S FEATURE: Algiers (2024)

Join us at the State Theatre Algerian horror film Algiers (2024) on October 28th at 7:00 PM. http://watch.eventive.org/halaloween. 

Algiers | 2024 | 93 min | Algeria

Directed by Chakib Taleb-Bendiab

Description: After a little girl’s kidnapping ignites a whirlwind of tension and suspicion within the city of Algiers, Dounia, a brilliant psychiatrist, and Sami, a dedicated police inspector, attempt to uncover the demons of the city’s past and solve the perplexing mystery while the clock ticks. This police procedural film was Algeria's submission at the 2025 Academy Awards in the International Feature category. 

Chakib Taleb-Bendiab is an Algerian writer, director, and musician. He has won numerous prizes at global festivals for his scripts and short films SANG FROID (2013) and BLACK SPIRIT (2018) an African Samurai tale in the Sahara. 

Halaloween Horror Rating: 1/5 Pumpkins  

Rating Explanation: creepy police procedural and violence against children and adults, but no supernatural horror. Content warning: child kidnappings, violence against women and children, mob violence, mention of terrorism, murder, implied suicide, implied shooting, guns, Stockholm Syndrome, discussion of sexual assault.

Religious content: minimal.

__________________

Halaloween: A Muslim Horror Film Festival, is brought to you by the Global Islamic Studies Center and cosponsored by the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, the Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum, & the Middle Eastern Studies Department. This event is free and open to all. To watch the remaining Halaloween films, visit watch.eventive.org/halaloween. 

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

Join our Email newsletter: https://myumi.ch/nbW83

Islamic Studies Minor: https://myumi.ch/R5YnQ 

Email islamicstudies@umich.edu

Masters Program: https://myumi.ch/v2gVP

Email MIRS-info@umich.edu

Stay updated on our upcoming events by following our socials here:

Facebook: UmichGISC

https://www.facebook.com/UmichGISC/

Twitter: @umichgisc

https://twitter.com/umichGISC

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to islamicstudies@umich.edu.