As we celebrate the close of our 5th film festival program, we invite you to dance with us at our Queer>>Forward Afterparty that will be featuring an all Queer SWANA lineup of local DJ’s and supporting dancers. As MENA is committed to platform emerging and alternative representations of SWANA arts, film, and culture — our festival programming has a very strong and intentional Queer SWANA featuring this year. And we hope to continue this effort within our events programming by creating a Queer + Trans SWANA safe space for our community.
We are beyond excited to be featuring two phenomenal and eccentric local DJ’s:
DJ Lionessa (insta @lionessa666) who will be serving up North African percussion, bass, UK Garage, Jersey club, Arabic music, cunty ballroom remixes, jungle, experimental, overall ass shaking guaranteed!!
And DJ Mikubat (insta @_mikubat ) who will be playing us some breaks, broken rhythms, Langobit (persian polyrhythmic inspired breaks), UK garage, atmospheric rhythms, and techno!
Online ticket sales close when doors open at 8:30PM, with more tickets available at the door!
DJ Mikubat & DJ Lionessa will play back-to-back from 9PM-10PM, DJ Mikubat at 10PM-11PM, And DJ Lionessa at 11PM-12AM.
We invite all allies to come take up space with us to celebrate, experience, and support the emerging SWANA underground arts. There will however be a zero-tolerance policy for any form of discrimination, harassment, or abuse. We reserve the right to ask anyone to leave who does not respect the space.
Accessibility information: Wheelchair accessible, all gendered bathrooms, coat-check available. For PWYC tickets, please email parisa@menafilmfestival.com (priority will be given to queer and trans BIPOC individuals.
Dj, Event Curator, Community builder and Researcher, LIONESSA, expresses her Queer Egyptian-Canadian identity through unlikely blends of North African percussion Arabic scales and vocals that drive storytelling coupled with pulsating bass and an apathy towards any one specific genre of electronic music. Her selections are filled with hypnotic world sounds of darbuka and global sound influences. The purpose is to weave sounds that paint a journey of curiosity and questioning. Questioning of times, expectations and belonging.
With roots in Tehran and a growing presence in Vancouver’s electronic scene, Mikubat is an innovative DJ and producer shaping a distinct sound. His signature style, “LangoBit,” blends atmospheric textures with breaky, percussive rhythms, making him stand out in today’s electronic music landscape. As one of the forces behind Miaan.art and Golchin events, Mikubat is dedicated to reclaim cultural narratives, challenging Western hegemony in the music industry, and giving voice to the experiences of the Iranian diaspora.
