Malmö Arab Film Festival Announces the Competition Films for Its 15th Edition
Malmö, March 27, 2025
The Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) has announced the film program for its 15th edition, set to take place from April 29 to May 5, 2025, along with the jury members for its competition sections.
The announced program includes 35 films (23 feature films and 12 short films) produced by 12 different Arab countries, with co-productions from 10 Western countries. The films are distributed as follows: the Feature Film Competition includes 12 films, the Short Film Competition includes 11 films, in addition to 2 films in the “Arabian Nights” section, 2 films in the “Special Screenings” section, 2 films in the Schools Screenings, and 1 film in the Family Screening.
Founder – Executive Chairman of the festival, Mouhamad Keblawi, commented on the selections:
“We are proud that the 15th edition of the Malmö Arab Film Festival brings together a selection of the finest recent Arab cinematic productions, reflecting the cultural diversity and creative richness of Arab filmmakers. This year, we have carefully curated a well-rounded program featuring powerful films with compelling themes and distinctive directorial visions, offering audiences a unique cinematic experience and the opportunity to engage with the filmmakers themselves.
The opening film of the festival will be (Passing Dreams) by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, a co-production between Palestine, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, and France.
As always, the festival extends beyond Malmö, bringing the magic of Arab cinema to the cities of Lund and Landskrona. A carefully selected lineup of 11 films will be screened in Lund on April 29, May 2, and May 3, while Landskrona will host a special screening of two films on May 3. This expansion allows an even broader audience to enjoy the rich storytelling and artistic brilliance showcased at the festival.
Feature Film Competition
Arzé (Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia) – Directed by Mira Shaib.
Diaries from Lebanon (Lebanon, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) – Directed by Myriam El Hajj.
Everybody Loves Touda (France, Morocco, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway) – Directed by Nabil Ayouch.
Front Row (Algeria) – Directed by Merzak Allouache.
Norah (Saudi Arabia) – Directed by Tawfik Alzaidi.
Red Path (Tunisia, France, Belgium, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Qatar) – Directed by Lotfi Achour.
Songs of Adam (Iraq, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, USA) – Directed by Oday Rasheed.
Sudan, Remember Us (Sudan) – Directed by Hind Meddeb.
Thank You for Banking With Us! (Palestine, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt) – Directed by Laila Abbas.
The Brink of Dreams (Egypt, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) – Directed by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir.
The Tale of Daye’s Family (Egypt, Saudi Arabia) – Directed by Karim El Shenawy.
Yalla Parkour (Sweden, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) – Directed by Areeb Zuaiter.
Short Film Competition
Abu Judy (Egypt) – Directed by Adel Ahmed Yehia.
Bougainvillea (Egypt, Sudan) – Directed by Yasir Faiz.
Chikha (Morocco, France) – Directed by Ayoub Layoussifi, Zahoua Raji.
Last Drops of Water (Iraq) – Directed by Chasib Al-Naima.
Loss (Egypt, Syria) – Directed by Rami Al-Kassab.
Mera, Mera, Mera (Saudi Arabia) – Directed by Khaled Zidan.
Nya (France, Algeria) – Directed by Imene Ayadi.
On The Edge (Tunisia) – Directed by Sahar El Echi.
One Last Time (Lebanon) – Directed by Karim Rahbani.
The Hand of the Creator (Jordan) – Directed by Gloria Njeim.
Upshot (Palestine, Italy, France) – Directed by Maha Haj.
Arabian Nights
The Bridge (Tunisia, France) – Directed by Walid Mattar.
Il Signor (Saudi Arabia) – Directed by Aymen Khoja.
Special Screenings
The Bad Son (Syria) – Directed by Ghatfan Ghanoom.
Aziz Epoch (Sweden, Iraq) – Directed by Basim Sabah Al-Basim.
