mhajba – Made in Mars Studios https://www.madeinmarsstudios.com We Tell Powerful, Heartfelt, and Thought-Provoking Stories Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:46:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 East Coast Premiere at YoFiFest! https://www.madeinmarsstudios.com/mhajba-yofifest-selection-2026/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:00:51 +0000 https://www.madeinmarsstudios.com/?p=7020 Al Mhajba: The Girl in the Veil will have its East Coast premiere at YoFiFest 2026 in Yonkers, New York! 🎉

YoFiFest holds a special place for Made in Mars Studios. Last year, it welcomed The Sign to its official selection, and we are so happy to return with a new film.

And the timing could not be more fitting: Al Mhajba screens on Friday the 13th, at 9 PM. 👻 An “innocent” children’s story… until it is not.

📅 Friday, November 13, 2026, at 9:00 PM
📍 YoFi Digital Media Art Center, 28 Wells Ave, Bldg 3, 5th Floor, Yonkers, NY 10701
🎟 Get tickets here

For more information about the film, visit the official Al Mhajba page.

See you in Yonkers!

]]> World Premiere at Seattle Film Festival 2026 https://www.madeinmarsstudios.com/mhajba-world-premiere-seattle-film-festival-2026/ Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:09:55 +0000 https://www.madeinmarsstudios.com/?p=6946 We are thrilled to announce that Al Mhajba: The Girl in the Veil will have its world premiere at the Seattle Film Festival on Saturday, October 3, 2026, in the presence of the filmmaker, Melissa Mars! 🎉

Written, directed, and produced by Melissa Mars, and filmed on location in Algeria, Al Mhajba is an “innocent” children’s story… until it is not.

📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 5:20 PM (Block 8)
📍 Tin Room Bar and Theater, 923 SW 152nd St, Burien, WA 98166
🎟 Buy tickets here

For more information about the film, visit the official Al Mhajba page.

We cannot wait to share it with our first audience. See you in Seattle!

]]> New Film! Al Mhajba: The Girl in the Veil https://www.madeinmarsstudios.com/new-film-al-mhajba/ Wed, 09 Sep 2026 17:09:36 +0000 https://www.madeinmarsstudios.com/?p=6957 Made in Mars Studios is proud to announce its newest short film, Al Mhajba: The Girl in the Veil, written, directed, and produced by Melissa Mars.

It begins as an “innocent” children’s story… until it is not.

Filmed on location in Algeria, in both Arabic and English, Al Mhajba has been quietly taking shape behind the scenes for quite some time. The film is now in the very final stages of color correction, and a trailer is on the way, along with some fun behind-the-scenes stories from the shoot.

A Family Affair
The film stars Melissa’s young cousins, who are not so little anymore, and it would not have been possible without the love and support of her family.

Editing and Original Score
Special recognition goes to Mark Ward, a filmmaker of many hats, who took on the bold challenge of editing a film in a language he does not speak. Mark and his band, Burnt Tavern, also composed the film’s original score.

The Poster
The official poster was designed by Melss PhotoGraphics, with the creative help of Mathias Bonnard. Special thanks to Saif and Mark for the handwritten titles.

Much more to come very soon. Stay tuned!

Discover Al Mhajba

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