Believe it or not, it's mid April already

and in celebration of Arab American Heritage Month,

it's time to update your queues with these independent films directed by members of Film Fatales:

Advocate co-directed by Rachel Leah Jones

The Advocate is a feature documentary examining the journey of Jedidiah Brown and his collaborators in struggle as they fight for a new america..

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Amreeka directed by Cherien Dabis

A vivacious Palestinian woman and her teenage son cope with culture clash and more as they try to build a new life in rural Illinois.

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Are You Glad I'm Here directed by Noor Gharzeddine

After a millennial American girl becomes friends with a Lebanese housewife and disrupts her ordered life, they become accidental partners in crime.

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Detroit Unleaded directed by Rola Nashef

A fresh and funny urban comedy about an unlikely romance between the reluctant manager of a family-owned gas station and a gorgeous `up-do-girl' with an overprotective brother.

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Jaddoland directed by Nadia Shihab

Filmmaker Nadia Shihab explores the meaning of identity and home across three generations of an Iraqi family in Texas.

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Lift Like a Girl directed by Mayye Zayed

A feature documentary about the female weightlifting community training in the streets of Alexandria, Egypt.

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Marjoun And The Flying Headscarf directed by Susan Youssef

A teenager in Arkansas searches for identity and a motorcycle.

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Speed Sisters directed by Amber Fares

Checkpoints set up by the Israeli military and social expectations don't stop members of the Middle East's first all-women racing team as they speed between the cities of the West Bank in high-octane car races.

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The Feeling Of Being Watched directed by Assia Boundaoui

Assia Bendaoui sets out to investigate long-brewing rumors that her quiet, predominantly Arab-American neighborhood was being monitored by the FBI. When she's investigating, she exposes a surveillance program on a scale no one could have imagined.

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The Judge directed by Erika Cohn

With unparalleled access to the courts, THE JUDGE presents an unfolding vérité legal drama, with rare insight into both Islamic law and gendered justice. In the process, the film illuminates some of the universal conflicts in the domestic life of Palestine—custody of children, divorce, abuse—while offering an unvarnished look at life for women and Shari'a.