The Arab Film Festival Zurich is organized every two years by the association IAFFZ . The next festival will take place from 02.04.2025 until 06.04.2025.
The focus is on films by Arab filmmakers that could not find their way to “commercial” cinema. The program includes short and full-length feature, documentary, animation and experimental films exploring social, cultural and political issues. Discussions with the invited filmmakers also offer the audience the opportunity to discuss films and topics further.
Please note that we can only accept movies from or about the Arab world. We define the Arab world in cultural terms. Unfortunately, we cannot accept movies from or about Iran or Turkey, except if they explicitly deal with issues related to the Arab world as defined above.
The Arab Film Festival Zurich is a place of encounters and dialogue between cultures. Through its internationally understandable language, film serves as a means of communication and understanding, and so the festival should make a contribution to a differentiated analysis of the Arab cultural area beyond media coverage.
The first edition of the festival in 2012 was well received by the audience and the media. Every two years, the Arab Film Festival Zurich presents a representative selection of outstanding current international films from various Arab countries.
The festival team consists of honorary board members of the association IAFFZ and the volunteers who share a great interest in film and in the Arab culture. The program is compiled by Aida Schläpfer Al-Hassani (filmmaker, president of the association IAFFZ and co-director of AFFZ) and Michel Bodmer (co-director of AFFZ).
