17. ALFILM — Arab Film Festival Berlin — Edition 2025

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23 Apr 2025 — 30 Apr 2025 Finished

Overview

The 16th ALFILM edition took place from April 23 to 30, 2025 — for the first time with the opening at HAU Hebbel am Ufer. The opening film was Mahdi Fleifel's "To a Land Unknown". The program included the ALFILM Selection with current films from the last two years and the Spotlight "Canceled Futures, Endless Pasts: Speculative Fiction on and Archival Subversions of the (Post)colonial Condition". Venues included HAU as well as City Kino Wedding, Kino in der Kulturbrauerei, Sinema Transtopia, Wolf Kino, Spore Initiative, and Gretchen. Closing party on April 30 at Gretchen.

The 2025 edition marked a curatorial and spatial turning point for ALFILM: for the first time, the opening and several screenings took place at HAU Hebbel am Ufer, giving the festival new visibility in the Berlin theater and performance scene. It opened with Mahdi Fleifel's "To a Land Unknown" on Wednesday, April 23, at HAU1. The Spotlight focused on speculative fiction and subversive archival use in the (post)colonial context of the Arab world — a programmatic exploration that also positioned the festival beyond cinema. The closing party on April 30 at Gretchen marked the end of the festival. Festival director: Iskandar Abdalla. The festival remained true to its multi-site concept, bringing Arab film productions to seven Berlin venues.

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