The 8th Arab Film Festival Zurich (AFFZ) 2 to 7 February 2027 – New Horizons of Arab Cinema

Encounters with Arab films and filmmakers improve the Swiss audience's understanding of the challenges in these countries, and filmmakers benefit from broadening their horizons in a different cultural area.

The Arab Film Festival Zurich provides a meeting place and a platform for dialogue between Western and Arab cultures. This is intended to correct the one-sided reporting on Arab countries in the media and promote mutual understanding.

Arab filmmakers will have the opportunity to present their works to a Swiss audience and to exchange ideas with them in person. Workshops and panel discussions will also provide Arab filmmaking with new impulses.

Cultural exchange is promoted through a targeted selection of new films from Arab countries and the invitation of participating filmmakers to Zurich. The appropriate financial resources must be made available for this purpose.

Filmpodium of the City of Zurich, Arthouse Cinemas

The first seven editions of the festival have shown that this form of cultural exchange resonates with both Swiss audiences and members of the Arab diaspora. The festival's popularity has increased.

The Arab Film Festival Zurich is the only Swiss film festival that shows films from all Arab countries. The IAFFZ association, which produces the festival, is made up of Swiss citizens and people from the Arab world, who work on a volunteer basis.