Egypt, Iraq, Morroco and Tunisia take centre stage as HelAFF’25 draws to a close

Helsinki – 13 September 2025

The Helsinki Arab Film Festival (HelAFF’25) ended its week-long celebration featuring 75 films and seven prestigious awards amid exceptionally sunny and warm weather in Helsinki.

The festival announced the winners of this year’s competition as follows:

Essam Omar from Egypt won the Best Actor award for his leading role in “Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo”, which also won Best Production and Best Feature-Length Film.

The Iraqi film “Songs of Adam” shared the Best Feature-Length Film award alongside “Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo”. The “Songs of Adam” director, Mr. Odai Rasheed, received the Best Director prize.

Moroccan actress Ms. Amina Zahr earned Best Actress for her performance in the feature “Flous Lebn” (Milk Money).

Egyptian filmmakers also took home the remaining awards: the documentary “Saudi One Way” won Best Documentary, while “Jasmine Harvest Season” was named Best Short Film. The animated film “Natah” secured Best Animation Film. The short film "Welcome, Little One" Best cinematography.

The Tunisian feature “JAD” claimed the Best Screenplay award, placing Tunisia on the winners’ list.

HelAFF 25 was hosted in the Finnish capital from 8th to 13th September at the Korjaamo Cultural Centre, showcasing a vibrant programme of Arab cinema. This edition featured esteemed members on its committees, including Dr. Jabbar Jodi, head of the Iraqi Artists’ Association, who chaired the Programming Committee, and Dr. Ali Shawki, directing professor at the High Institute of Cinema in Cairo and Alexandria, who was the general supervisor of HelAFF’25.

The jury was led by Finnish filmmaker Arthur Franck and included notable figures such as Dr. Hikmat Al-Baidany, Director General of the Baghdad Film Festival; Mrs. Caroline Al-Faraj, Vice President and Head of Arabic Service at CNN; and JP Väisänen, Finnish journalist and political activist.