The festival celebrates the best in contemporary Arab cinema and is the largest and oldest independent festival of Arab films outside the Arab world.
The Arab Film Festival (AFF), now in its 28th year, opened in San Francisco on October 24. Scheduled to run till November 3, the festival will “challenge stereotypes and promote dialogue.”
The festival opened with the poignant documentary by Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly called Life is Beautiful: A Letter to Gaza. This is the first time the event has opened with a documentary.
Speaking to Arab News, managing director Maya Labban said: “In the current political climate, where representation matters more than ever, AFF provides a platform to amplify the voices of Arab American filmmakers and creatives. Because of the shared rage of inhumanity, we are actually starting to have great conversations with people in the movie industry.”
Established in 1996, the festival celebrates the best in contemporary Arab cinema and is the largest and oldest independent festival of Arab films outside the Arab world. Its mission is to provide authentic narratives that illuminate the complexity and richness of Arab culture. AFF seeks to establish an important platform for filmmakers from the Arab world and beyond within the US.
This year’s programme features more than 40 films from 26 countries, 16 of which are directed by women. It also includes filmmaker mixers, classic films, industry and community panels, talks and workshops. Select events will be streamed online. Other highlights at AFF include From Ground Zero, Palestine’s submission to the 97th Academy Awards, and Lebanese films Arze, and We Never Left.
“We are not just about entertainment, when we tell authentic Arab stories, we are reshaping perceptions and potentially the policies that are built on these perceptions,” added Labban.
“The more we diversify the narratives around Arabs, the more we can influence the broader cultural and political landscape to be more inclusive and just.”
