The Arab Film Festival Rotterdam is an artistic forum showing a nuanced image of the cultural, political, social and artistic situation in the Arab world. We programme films about hot topics in the Arab communities in Europe.
By doing this, Arab Film Festival creates space for an open dialogue about art, human rights, emancipation and political freedom in Arab countries, in Europe as a whole and in the Netherlands in particular.
Dutch citizens with Arab roots get the chance to stay updated on the latest developments in their countries of origin in a way that goes beyond official media, mosques or their own social networks. The Arab Film Festival offers a good occasion to attract urban youth that generally don’t feel attracted to mainstream cultural events.
The Arab Film Festival considers the development of young talents of the utmost importance and therefore organizes workshops and masterclasses by international filmmakers. Furthermore, we dedicate a part of the program to experimental films and developing talent.
Christiaan van Schermbeek
Ingrid Rollema
Shariff Nasr