Join us for a free screening of the Saudi Arabian Horror film Madayen (2016) on October 8th at 7:00 PM at the Arab American National Museum. After the film, we will have a short Q&A with the directing and production team: Ayman Tamano & Hakeem Jomah, 

This screening is ONLY in person at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn. Reserve your free tickets here!

THIS WEEK’S FEATURE: Madayen (2016)

2016 | 62 minutes | Arabic | Saudi Arabia

Directed by: Ayman Tamano

Featuring: Hakeem Jomah, Khaled Yeslam, Abdullah Kurashi, and Nadia Malaika 

Halaloween Horror Rating 1/5 - Road trip buddy movie meets found footage horror.

An indie found-footage-style film out of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, written and produced by Hakeem Jomah and directed by Ayman Tamano, that tells the tale of three young Saudis who set out to the notoriously haunted Madayen Saleh ruins in the far north of the Kingdom to investigate the myths and the truths behind the cursed place.

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Welcome to the 8th annual Halaloween: A Muslim Horror Film Festival 2026!

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 2026 film festival is bringing back some of our favorite films from the past couple of years, and runs throughout October with a different screening & event every week.  Halaloween will start off in Dearborn on Thursday, Oct 8th, with a screening of Madayen; head to Ann Arbor for Under the Shadow at the State Theatre on Oct 13 & Tiger Stripes on Oct 20th; then we will have a panel discussion on Grief, Death & Horror films on Oct 27th & we will close out in Detroit for Devil's Night on October 29th. 

The festival is mostly free in-person –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 2026 Halaloween Lineup:

• October 8: Madayen | Saudi Arabia | 2016 | 7:00 PM | Arab American National Museum
• October 13: Under the Shadow | Iran | 2016 | 7:00 PM | State Theatre
• October 20: Tiger Stripes | Malaysia | 2023 | 7:00 PM | State Theatre
• October 27: Panel: Fears of the Body: Processing illness, Death, & Loss with Horror Movies | Time & Date TBA
• October 29: Devil's Night Detroit: Halloween Short Films | 7:00 PM | Brooklyn Detroit (Venue)*

*This event is ticketed & not free

RSVP & find out more: watch.eventive.org/halaloween

Halaloween: A Muslim Horror Film Festival is brought to you by the Global Islamic Studies Center and co-sponsored by the Arab American National Museum and the Devil’s Night Detroit.  

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.

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