In its third edition, the festival, which takes place between 26 and 29 May, will screen over 40 films by Arab filmmakers as well as pan-Arab releases.

Abu Saddam, a 2021 drama directed by Nadine Khan, first premiered during the last Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) in December 2021, bringing the Best Actor Award to the protagonist Mohamed Mamdouh.

Mamdouh then won Best Actor Award for his role in the film at the 12th edition of the Malmo Arab Film Festival earlier this month.

This year's Toronto Arab Film Festival will have a hybrid format with films screened in cinemas and online.

During a panel discussion that took place within the CIFF’s programming, Khan explained that the film delves deep into the truck drivers community, one that she has been exploring for several years following a tragic truck accident she saw on a road.

Searching for Amal is a 30-minutes documentary directed and produced by Shehab Abdel-Hafez.

According to the film's synopsis: "The storyline focuses on a grandson who opens up old family photos to realize that there was always a picture of a girl hanging on the wall behind them, and now he sets upon a path of discovery."

The Toronto Arab Film Festival, the first festival of its kind in Toronto, focuses on presenting and promoting pan-Arab films by Arab filmmakers from all over the world.

The 2nd annual Toronto Arab Film Festival, which took place between 27 and 30 May 2021, screened films online, due to Covid-19 pandemic.