3rd Helsinki Arab Film Festival Opens With Focus on Cross-Cultural Dialogue
Helsinki, Finland — September 10, 2026
HELSINKI — The third edition of the Helsinki Arab Film Festival opened Wednesday evening in the Finnish capital, bringing together diplomats, filmmakers, artists, cultural figures and representatives of Finnish and Arab organisations for an evening celebrating Arab cinema and cross-cultural dialogue.
The opening ceremony was attended by Morocco’s Ambassador to Finland and Estonia, Mohammed Asqalou, and Palestine’s Ambassador to Finland and the Baltic states, Taissir Al-Adjouri, along with representatives of Helsinki’s cultural, artistic and civil society communities.
This year’s festival features 27 films selected from around 100 submissions from several Arab countries. The programme includes feature films, shorts and documentaries, offering Finnish audiences a broad selection of cinematic styles and perspectives on the social realities, histories and aspirations of the Arab world.
“The festival prides itself in this edition on the participation of several Arab countries and the rich diversity of films, stories and cinematic experiences,” said festival Vice-President Shaimaa Al-Battat.“Every film does not merely present an image or a story, but carries a human voice, a memory of a homeland, and a culture reflecting aspects of societies’ realities and dreams,” she added.
Launched in the winter of 2024, when its inaugural edition featured films from 15 Arab countries, the Helsinki Arab Film Festival aims to strengthen the presence of Arab cinema in Finland while creating an annual platform for cultural exchange.
“Cinema is a language that transcends borders, narrows distances between peoples, and opens doors for dialogue and understanding,” Al-Battat said. She added that the organisers hope the festival will continue to grow into a wider meeting place connecting filmmakers and audiences from different cultural backgrounds.
This year’s festival is being held in collaboration with Korjaamo Culture Factory, a major cultural venue in central Helsinki. Organisers said the partnership reflects the festival’s ambition to bring filmmakers and audiences together and expand opportunities for intercultural dialogue.
The official competition features several categories, including Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. The jury is chaired by Dr. Hikmat Al-Baydhani, director of the Baghdad International Film Festival, and Dr. Yaser Musa, an Iraqi cinema specialist and filmmaker.
The opening evening also featured musical and artistic performances inspired by Arab heritage. The Hosseny Dance Troupe presented Egyptian folkloric performances, while Iraqi singer Nawaf Al-Kaabi brought an Eastern musical flavour to the programme.
The Embassy of Palestine also contributed to the evening by offering Palestinian snacks and hospitality. Ambassador Al-Adjouri expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to take part in the cultural gathering, highlighting the embassy’s participation not only through its presence but also through its contribution to the evening’s hospitality.
The ceremony concluded with a screening of the Moroccan historical drama “Fez Summer
55” (Fès Été 55), directed by filmmaker Abdelhai Laraki.
The 114-minute film is set in Morocco in 1955, during a pivotal period in the country’s struggle against French colonial rule. Told through the perspective of an 11-year-old boy, the film explores the anti-colonial resistance movement and the social and political atmosphere of the period.
With its diverse programme and emphasis on cultural exchange, the third Helsinki Arab Film Festival seeks to position Arab cinema as a bridge between communities in Finland, bringing stories from across the Arab world to local audiences while creating space for dialogue, understanding and artistic collaboration.
