ALFILM - Arab Film Festival Berlin

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Taking place between the 22nd - 28th of April 2026, the 17th edition of ALFILM – Arab Film Festival Berlin features a wide selection of feature films, documentaries, and short films. 

ALFILM will open with Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36. The epic historical drama will celebrate its German premiere at ALFILM before being released in cinemas across Germany. 

Set in 1936 on the eve of the Great Palestinian Revolt, Palestine 36 traces the mounting resistance against British colonial rule and the dispossession of the indigenous Palestinian population. Through the story of protagonists from different social and cultural backgrounds all confronted with political betrayal, social fracture, and looming catastrophe, Jacir paints a powerful portrait of a society on the brink. With its international cast, including Hiam Abbas, Liam Cunningham, and Dhafer L’Abidine, the film explores the colonial roots of the conflict and the enduring struggle for dignity, freedom, and self-determination. Palestine 36 was Palestine’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

As in previous years, ALFILM presents in its two program sections a thoughtfully curated line-up reflecting a variety of artistic approaches and political perspectives in contemporary Arab cinema. The ALFILM Selection showcases recent productions from across the Arab-speaking region and the Arab diaspora, offering insights into current cinematic styles and thematic concerns.

The 17th ALFILM Spotlight, titled Sudan: New Projections – Retrospectives, Revolutions, and Restorations is, for the first time in the festival’s history, conceived by a guest curator, Talal Afifi, producer and director of the Sudan Film Factory. The programme is dedicated to Sudanese cinema and situates contemporary works alongside newly restored archival films and artistic interventions. In doing so, it traces the continuities and ruptures of a cinema shaped by revolution, memory, exile, and resilience, highlighting the creative force of Sudanese filmmakers despite war and the collapse of cultural infrastructure.

Masterclasses, panel discussions, Film Talks, special screenings, an art exhibition entitled Sudan Retold and a party on April 24 in Festsaal Kreuzberg will once again complement the film programme and invite audiences into dialogue with filmmakers, artists, and experts.

26th of April till the 2nd of May 2023