The 12^th MAFF’s line-up will comprise 56 films (31 features and 25 shorts), produced by 14 different Arab countries, with co-production with 10 Western countries.

MAFF founder and president Mouhamad Keblawi said he is “proud” of the programme diversity this edition, which is returning physically after two editions were held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Malmö is returning to be an annual meeting point, where Arab filmmakers meet their counterparts from Sweden and the Nordic countries, forming a unique window for cooperation between the two sides,” said Keblawi Monday on the MAFF website.

The program comprises the feature fiction films competition (12 films), feature documentary competition (eight films), the short film competition (25 films), four films in the Arabian Nights programme, four films in a special screening programme, Films Worth Watching, and two films in School screenings, in addition to two films in Gala screenings of opening and closing nights.

Egyptian films have a strong presence, with many films participating, including the award-winning ‘Abo Saddam’ by Nadine Khan, ‘Souad’ by Ayten Amin, ‘Captains of Zaatari’ by Ali El Arabi, ‘From Cairo’ by Hala Galal, and ‘Khadiga’ by Morad Mostafa.

‘Daughters of Abdulrahman’ by Jordanian director Zaid Abu Hamdan has been revealed as the opening film, while ‘Hamel El Lakab’ by Egyptian director Hisham Fathy will be screened at the closing.

Running since 2011, the MAFF is becoming among the leading and largest film festivals dedicated to Arab cinema outside the Arab world.

The full line-up of the 12th Malmö Arab Film Festival has been announced as follows:

Opening Film: ‘Daughters of Abdulrahman’ by Zaid Abu Hamdan (Jordan, Egypt, USA, Qatar)
Feature Fiction Film Competition:
‘Abo Saddam’ by Nadine Khan (Egypt)
‘The Alleys’ by Bassel Ghandour (Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar)
‘Costa Brava, Lebanon’ by Mounia Akl (Lebanon, France, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden)
‘Farha’ by Darin J. Sallam (Darin J. Sallam)
‘Life Suits Me Well’ by Al Hadi Ulad Mohand (Morocco, France)
‘Junoon’ by Maan B.Yaser B. (Saudi Arabia, United States)
‘Our River.. Our Sky’ by Maysoon Pachachi (Iraq, UK, France, Germany, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar)
‘A Second Life’ by Anis Lassoued (Tunisia)
‘Souad’ by Ayten Amin (Egypt, Tunisia, Germany)
‘Soula’ by Salah Issaad (Algeria, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia)
‘The Stranger’ by Ameer Fakher Eldin (Syria, Germany, Palestine, Qatar)
‘Streams’ by Mehdi Hmili (Tunisia, Luxembourg, France)

Feature Documentary Competition
‘The Blue Inmates’ by Zeina Daccache (Lebanon)
‘Captains of Zaatari’ by Ali El Arabi (Egypt, USA)
‘Diary of Gabrielle’ Street by Rashid Masharawi (Palestine)
‘Fiasco’ by Nicolas Khoury (Lebanon, Netherlands)
‘From Cairo’ by Hala Galal (Egypt)
‘Halal Cinema’ by Amine Boukhris (Tunisia, Qatar)
‘Suspended Wives’ by Merieme Addou (Morocco, France, Qatar)
‘Were it not for Metro’ by Georges Hachem (Lebanon)

Short Film Competition
‘An Algerian Game’ by Amel Blidi (Algeria)
‘And Then They Burn the Sea’ by Majid Al-Remaihi (Qatar)
‘Arnoos’ by Samer Battikhi (Jordan)
‘Ashes’ by Mustapha' Farmati (Morocco)
‘By The Sea’ by Wisam Al Jafari (Palestine)
‘Cairo-Berlin’ by Ahmed Abd El Salam (Egypt, UK)
‘Chitana’ by Amel Guellaty (Tunisia, Qatar, Norway)
‘Diyar Hisma’ by Fahd Fayz (Saudi Arabia)
‘Inside Happy Faces’ by Omar Al Halwany (Egypt)
‘Jmar’ by Samy Sidali (France)
‘Khadiga’ by Morad Mostafa (Egypt)
‘Last Day of Sun’ by Kays Mejri (Tunisia)
‘Lovesick’ In by Said Zagha (Palestine)
‘Mariam’ by Reem Jubran (USA)
‘The Mission’ by Mohammad Khalil Al-Dabbas (Jordan)
‘Night’ by Ahmed Saleh (Germany, Qatar, Palestine, Jordan)
‘Strangers After Midnight’ by Kinda Youssef (France)
‘Struck by Sarah’ Kaskas (Lebanon)
‘Tender Threads’ by Ouijdane Khallid (Morocco)
‘Then Came Dark’ by Marie-Rose Osta (Lebanon)
‘Touchline’ by Mohammed Saffouri (Jordan, USA)
‘Virtual Voice’ by Suzannah Mirghani (Sudan, Qatar)
‘Warsha’ by Dania Bdeir (France, Lebanon)
‘Whisper Down the Lane’ by Raghad Albarqi (Saudi Arabia)
‘Who Games Last’ by Hassen Marzougui (Tunisia)

Arabian Nights
‘2 Talaat Harb’ by Magdi Ahmed Ali (Egypt)
‘Bara El Manhag’ by Amr Salama (Egypt)
‘Quareer’ by Norah Almowald, Ragheed AlNahdi, Ruba Khafagy, Noor ELamir, Fatimah Alhazmi (Saudi Arabia)
‘Today is a Wonderful Day’ by Neveen Shalaby (Egypt)
Films Worth Watching
‘Beirut: Eye of the Storm’ by Mai Masry (Lebanon, France)
‘Communion’ by Nejib Belkadhi (Tunisia)
‘I'll Go to Hell’ by Ismahane Lahmar (Tunisia)
‘On The Fence’ by Nesrine Lotfy Elzayat (Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, UK)
School Screenings
‘Bara El Manhag’ by Amr Salama (Egypt)
‘Champions’ by Manuel Calvo (Saudi Arabia, Spain)

Closing Film: ‘Hamel El Lakab’ by Hisham Fathy (Egypt, Saudi Arabia)