Banat AlSudan: Tales of Women – An Emergency Fundraiser for Sudan

In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, CCMS hosted for "Banat AlSudan: Tales of Women," an evening of powerful short films and urgent fundraising. This special screening event was dedicated to amplifying the voices and stories of Sudanese women, whose resilience defines the spirit of Sudan.

We presented a curated selection of acclaimed short films—Women of War, Al-Sit, Bougainvillea, and The Salon. These narratives explore the multifaceted lives of Sudanese women, from navigating their positions in society and confronting land control to their courageous fights against oppressive regimes.

This event was a direct call to action. All proceeds will provided critical humanitarian aid to survivors in the Darfur and Kurdufan regions, areas devastated by recent massacres.

We were grateful for the opportunity to host an evening of solidarity, storytelling, and essential support for the people of Sudan.

Featured Films: Women of War, Al-Sit, Bougainvillea, The Salon.

Charity: The Darfur Diaspora Association is deeply rooted in the lived experiences of its members. Most of their staff are genocide survivors who have endured unimaginable hardship; their voices carry the weight of heartache, resilience, and the long journey from struggle to progress. This gives their work authenticity, compassion, and a profound understanding of the challenges faced by those they support.

Funding partner: Sudan Solidarity Collective: The Sudan Solidarity Collective formed in response to the outbreak of a brutal war in Sudan. It seeks to resource grassroots civil society formations at the frontlines of relief efforts in those parts of Sudan that have been hardest hit by militarised state violence. Comprised of a group of Sudanese diaspora (students, professionals, activists and community members), the collective also aims to develop spaces for the Sudanese community in Toronto and beyond, to come together in solidarity to facilitate avenues for collaboration around political education, advocacy, collective healing, mutual aid and community-building. One of their main goals is launching and sustaining a Sudan Solidarity Fund that provides direct financial assistance to civilian-led groups such as emergency response rooms, resistance committees, mutual aid groups and independent labour and farmers unions leading relief efforts. We support these groups as they respond to the life-threatening consequences of war and continue their valuable work within the Sudanese civil society sphere.ucation rights in Afghanistan.

Panel

Featuring:

Yasir Faiz is a Sudanese Film Director, Creative Writer, and Cultural Producer currently based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is one of the five African directors selected for the prestigious “Open Doors Directors” 2025 program at the Locarno Film Festival, where his short film “Bougainvillea” was also officially selected. The work offers a bold and poetic exploration of women imprisoned during Sudan’s 2018-2019 revolution, foregrounding their resistance and humanity in the face of oppression.

Suzi Mirgani is an award-winning director and producer of Al-Sit.

In Conversation With:

Dalia Al-Ahmad is a Palestinian filmmaker based in Canada. She created her acclaimed documentary Ana Falastini, a documentary series exploring Palestinian identity and culture. After independently touring over 10+ cities across North America, Dalia is now leading a sponsored cross-Canada tour to continue sharing stories of identity, resistance, and belonging. The founder of Media for Good Productions, a company dedicated to amplifying voices that serve their communities and the planet.

Salome Ayuak is a South Sudanese organizer and graduate student in Geography at the University of British Columbia. She co-leads Political Education for the Sudanese Resistance Front (SuRF) and is the co-founder of the Reel Liberation Collective, which uses African cinema to foster political education and action. All of her work is rooted in African-centered movements for liberation and the eradication of imperialism.