About Us

The Arab Film Institute, is an Arab Non Profit Cultural Association . It is the place where Arab Films’ past, present and future is discussed, imagined, celebrated by those who make Arab Cinema.

As an organization open to all professions and stakeholders of the film environment in the Arab World, the Arab Film Institute will be a unique meeting point between the art, the technique, the commerce and industry.

A platform where standards are discussed and set, where films and their creators are celebrated, where training and nurturing of talent and know-how is dispensed and where advocacy for the profession becomes a must.

MISSION / ACTIVITIES

The Institute is designed to promote, inspire, influence and mainly to engage Arab film professionals under one roof. The main mission of the Institute is to preserve, educate, support, honor Arab film professional and their work around the Arab world and worldwide. The programs, structures, policies and strategies are being determined and designed to meet the following general aims and objectives:

  • To provide advanced level of training program for creative filmmakers in the film, documentary and animation sectors of the Region.
  • To train and to inspire our future generation of Arab filmmakers by supporting young people to develop their cultural knowledge and to make a professional career in the film industry.
  • To educate young filmmaker to develop their artistic and cinematic expression through our capacity building and exchange programs to help them improve their skills.
  • To develop, support and promote Arab films, ensuring pluralism and freedom of expression from any Region of the Arab World.
  • To establish the Institute as the point of reference in the Region for regular productive networking for the exchange of knowledge, information, ideas and resources to encourage and promote collaborative initiatives between industry colleagues and organizations.
  • To improve and sustain production industry standards and respond to new and changing audience expectations providing access to new industry equipment and technologies and monitoring industry developments in the Region.

DISTRIBUTION & PROMOTION

As an organization pursuing the development of the art, craft and industry of Arab filmmaking, the Institute develops programs to promote Arab films internationally.

It will also promote and/or initiate temporary or recurring programs, which promote the films that the Institute has celebrated and honored. Cooperate with international organizations (Cinematèques, film libraries, markets, festivals, exhibitors or distributors, other film Associations and/or unions) to raise awareness on Arab cinema, past, present and future.

Notwithstanding the incredible successes of so many Arab films in the festival circuits in both the Arab world and worldwide, we are still struggling to have our films seen or supported by an audience when it comes to theatrical release.

The institute will play a major role in supporting the promotion and distribution of Arab films in the Arab world and worldwide, filling the gap of a missing promotion entity for the distribution of Arab films in the world.