Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) is an Arab

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...

based in

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal pop ...

, Sweden. MAFF is widely regarded as the most influential and largest Arabic film festival in Europe, and is the only one in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

. The first edition was held in 2011 and today the festival presents a broad selection of films made by Arab filmmakers or that in some way connects with questions of the

Arab world The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

Winners

Best Film

*2011: '' Messages from the Sea'', directed by

Daoud Abdel Sayed Daoud Abdel Sayed ( ar, داود عبد السيد ) is an Egyptian director and screenwriter. He was born in Cairo in 1946. He started as the assistant of Youssef Chahine in The Land. He made several critically acclaimed films, and won s ...

(

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

) *2012: '' Cairo Exit'', directed by Hesham Issawi (

) *2013: '' Blind Intersections'', directed by Lara Saba (

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

) *2014: '' Adiós Carmen'', directred by Mohamed Amin Benamraoui (

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

) *2015: ''

Theeb ''Theeb'' ( ar, ذيب ''dhīb'' , "wolf") is a 2014 internationally co-produced period drama thriller film written and directed by Naji Abu Nowar. It is a coming-of-age story about a Bedouin boy, Theeb, who must survive in the wide-open Wad ...

'', directed by

Naji Abu Nowar Naji Abu Nowar ( ar, ناجي أبو نوار; born 1981) is a British-Jordanian film director, writer and producer. Best known for his works ''Death of a Boxer'' (2009), ''Till Death'' (2012) and ''Theeb'' (2014) for which he received wide spre ...

(

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

) *2016: '' 3000 Nights'', directed by Mai Masri ( Palestine) *2017: '' Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim'', directed by

Sherif El Bendary Sherif El Bendary ( ar, شريف البنداري; born 29 September 1978) is an Egyptians, Egyptian film director, Screenwriter, writer and Film producer, producer. His debut feature film was ''Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim''. Life and career Sher ...

(

) *2018: ''

Wajib ' ( ar, فرض) or ' () or fardh in Islam is a religious duty commanded by God. The word is also used in Turkish, Persian, Pashto, Urdu (''spelled farz''), and Malay (''spelled fardu or fardhu'') in the same meaning. Muslims who obey such c ...

'', directed by

Annemarie Jacir Annemarie Jacir ( ar, آن ماري جاسر) is a Palestinian filmmaker, writer, and producer. Career Filmmaker She has been working in independent cinema since 1998 and has written, directed and produced a number of award-winning films. Two o ...

( Palestine) *2019: '' Exterior/Night'', directed by Ahmad Abdalla (

) *2020: '' A Son'', directed by Mehdi Barsaoui (

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

) *2021: ''

The Man Who Sold His Skin ''The Man Who Sold His Skin'' () is a 2020 internationally co-produced drama film directed by Kaouther Ben Hania. Its plot was inspired by Belgian contemporary artist Wim Delvoye's living work ''Tim'' (2006), which was in turn inspired by Roald ...

'', directed by

Kaouther Ben Hania Kaouther Ben Hania ( ar , كوثر بن هنية; born 1977) is a Tunisian film director. '' Beauty and the Dogs'' (2017), her best-known film, was selected as the Tunisian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. He ...

(

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

)

Best Director

*2013: Maggie Morgan for ''Asham: a man called Hope'' (

) *2014:

Hany Abu-Assad Hany Abu-Assad ( ar, هاني أبو أسعد; born 11 October 1961) is a Palestinian-Dutch film director. He has received two Academy Award nominations: in 2006 for his film ''Paradise Now'', and again in 2013 for his film ''Omar''. Early life ...

for ''

Omar ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...

'' ( Palestine) *2015:

Amin Dora Amin Dora ( ar, أمين درة, born 1980 in Zahle, Lebanon) is a film director, visual artist and professor at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts. In 2010, he directed the first Arabic web drama series, ''Shankaboot'', winner of the Digital Emm ...

for '' Ghadi'' (

) *2016:

Lotfi Bouchouchi Lotfi Bouchouchi (Arabic: لطفي بوشوشي, born 1964 in Algiers) is an Algerian filmmaker and producer. Biography Bouchouchi graduated from the École supérieure de cinéma de Paris. He made his debut in the audiovisual field as first ass ...

for ''

The Well The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, normally shortened to The WELL, was launched in 1985. It is one of the oldest continuously operating virtual communities. By 1993 it had 7,000 members, a staff of 12, and gross annual income of $2 million. ...

'' (

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

) *2017:

Lotfi Achour Lotfi Achour (Arabic: لطفي عاشور) is a Tunisian writer, producer and director for theater and cinema. He is the author of more than 25 theater productions on different stages (London, Paris, Festival In d'Avignon, Tunis, Carthage, Hammam ...

for ''Burning Hope'' (

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

) *2018: Mohamed Al-Daradji for ''

The Journey The Journey may refer to: Film and television * ''The Journey'' (1942 film), or ''El viaje'', an Argentine film * ''The Journey'' (1959 film), an American drama starring Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, and Jason Robards about the Hungarian Revoluti ...

'' (

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

) *2019: Bahij Hojeij for ''Good Morning'' (

) *2020:

Amjad Abu Alala Amjad Abu Alala (, born in Dubai) is a Sudanese film director and screenwriter, who was born and lives in the United Arab Emirates. He became internationally known for his first feature film '' You Will Die at Twenty'' in 2019. This film was the ...

for '' You Will Die at Twenty'' ( Sudan) *2021: Abdulaziz Alshlahei for '' The Tambour of Retribution'' (

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

)

Best Actor

*2011: Asser Yassin for '' Messages from the Sea'' *2012: Amine Ennaji for ''The Forgotten'' (''Les oubliés de l'Histoire'') *2013: Basse Samra for '' After the Battle'' *2014:

Adam Bakri Adam Bakri ( ar, آدم بكري; born May 15, 1988) is an Israeli-born Palestinian actor. He made his feature film debut by starring in Oscar-nominated film '' Omar'', directed by Hany Abu-Assad. He currently lives in New York. Early life A ...

for ''

'' *2015: Nour El Sherif for ''

Cairo Time ''Cairo Time'' is a 2009 film by Canadian director Ruba Nadda. It is a romantic drama about a brief, unexpected love interest that catches two people completely off-guard. The film won the award for Best Canadian Film at the Toronto Internation ...

'' *2016:

Ashraf Barhom Ashraf Barhom ( ar, أشرف برهوم, he, אשרף ברהום; born January 8, 1979) is an Palestinian Arab actor from Tarshiha, in Galilee, Israel. He has starred in '' The Kingdom'', ''Paradise Now'', '' By Any Means'' and '' The Syrian Bri ...

for ''The Curve'' (''Al Munataf'') *2017: Azelarab Kaghat for ''Hayat'' *2018: Ali Yahyaoui for ''Benzine'' *2019: Ahmed Hafiane for ''Fatwa'' *2020: Mohamed Hatem for '' When We're Born'' *2021:

Salim Dau Salim Daw (also spelled Salim Dau, ar, سليم ضو; born 1950) is an Israeli-Arab actor. With appearances in more than 60 works of stage, television and film, he is perhaps best known for portraying Mohamed Al-Fayed on seasons 5 and 6 of Netf ...

for ''

Gaza mon amour ''Gaza mon amour'' () is a drama film, directed by Tarzan Nasser and Arab Nasser and released in 2020.Jonathan Romney"'Gaza Mon Amour': Venice Review" ''Screen Daily'', September 4, 2020. It is a coproduction of companies from Palestine, France ...

Best Actress

*2011:

Julia Kassar Julia Kassar is a Lebanese actress, who is known for her roles in Lebanese cinema and theater. She has worked with many famous directors such as Nidal Al Achkar, Jawad al-Assadi, Jalal Khoury, and Roger Assaf. She received a Master diploma in ...

for ''Here Comes The Rain'' *2012:

Nelly Karim Nelly Karim ( ar, نيللي كريم; born 18 December 1974) is an Egyptian actress, model, and ballerina. Life and career Nelly is the daughter of a Russian mother and an Egyptian father from Zagazig. Karim said in an interview with the jou ...

for '' Cairo 678'' (''Les Femmes du bus 678'') *2013: Waad Mohammed for ''

Wadjda ''Wadjda'' ( ar, وجدة, translit=Wajda, ) is a 2012 Saudi Arabian drama film, written and directed by Haifaa al-Mansour (in her feature directorial debut). It was the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first feature-lengt ...

'' *2014: Yasmin Raeis for '' Factory Girl'' *2015: Malak Ermileh for ''

Eyes of a Thief ''Eyes of a Thief'' ( ar, عيون الحرامية) is a 2014 Palestinian drama film directed by Najwa Najjar. It is Najjar's second feature film, and is based in part on an incident that took place in Silwad in 2002. It was selected as the ...

'' *2016: Menna Shalabi for ''Nawara'' *2017: Anissa Daoud for ''Burning Hope'' (''Demain dès l’aube'') *2018: Zahraa Ghandour for ''

'' *2019: Fatima Attif for ''The Healer'' (''La Guérisseuse'') *2020: Najla Ben Abdallah for '' A Son'' *2021: Naima Lemcherki for ''Autumn of Apple Trees'' (''L'Automne des Pommiers'')

References

External links

Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF)
- Official homepage Film festivals in Sweden Culture in Malmö {{Europe-film-festival-stub