The 7th annual festival will take place in June 2026 in Toronto.

The Toronto Arab Film Festival is a non-for-profit festival dedicated to bringing films from, and about the Arab world, to Toronto audiences.

Our latest edition featured over 55 films from 20 countries, with in-person and virtual screenings, as well as social, networking and professional development events. We handed out 4 awards totalling over $2500 in financial and in-kind awards.

In 2026, the festival will primarily taking place in-person, with select screenings and programming available online.

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Awards & Prizes

Awards presented offer a financial reward to winning filmmakers, along with a one of a kind trophy designed by a local artist.

> Nakheel Jury Award for Best Feature Film
> Juthour Jury Award for Most Promising Filmmaker
> Qayqub Award for Best Canadian Short Film
> Yamama Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film

Rules & Terms

Toronto Arab Film accepts films that reflect Arab voices, stories, and experiences from around the world.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for submission, films must meet at least one of the following criteria:
* Be directed, written, or produced by an Arab filmmaker, or
* Focus primarily on Arab subjects, Arab communities, Arab history, culture, or contemporary Arab experiences

Accepted Film Categories
* Feature-length films
* Short films
* Documentaries
* Narrative films
* Experimental and hybrid works

Language
* Films may be in any language
* English subtitles are required for films not primarily in English

Production Date
* Films must have been completed within the last 2 years

Premiere Status
* Toronto, Canadian, or international premieres are welcome
* Films that have screened publicly and are available online are not eligible

Short films will be automatically entered into the following competitions:
* Yamama Audience Choice Award
* Juthour Jury Award for Most Promising Filmmaker
* Qayqub Award for Best Canadian Film*

** Only applicable to Canadian films **

Feature films will be automatically entered into competition:
* Nakheel Best Feature Film Award
8 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Mona Hammoud

    Very good communication with the team, who were receptive and responsive — the festival seems to be very popular in Toronto. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend as I live abroad.
    The only downside is that, as a filmmaker, I wasn’t informed in advance that my film would only be available online. As a result, it had less chance of being seen compared to films screened in theaters.
    I would have appreciated knowing this before the screenings began.
    That said, I still recommend the festival.

    July 2025
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  • Karar Hayder Abed

    Although my film Talisman was screened online, the Toronto Arab Film Festival truly impressed me with the level of promotion and attention it received.
    The festival fulfilled all my aspirations and even exceeded them. The media coverage, digital presence, and the way the film was presented to the audience reflected a high level of professionalism and a deep understanding of what an independent filmmaker truly needs.

    What stood out most for me was that they didn’t treat the film as just another online file to be streamed, but as a living cultural work worthy of reaching people and being celebrated.
    Not for a moment did I feel that the online format diminished the value of the participation or the impact of the experience. On the contrary, I found myself engaging with a diverse audience that reacted, shared, asked questions, and offered feedback.

    In short, the Toronto Arab Film Festival is not merely a film screening event. It is a genuine platform that supports and promotes Arab cinema on a global level. Even though the screen may have been virtual, the impact was very real and deeply felt.

    July 2025
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  • Hassib Hani

    A wonderful film festival that really brings Arab film to the spotlight. Highly recommend for filmmakers to send in their films as they make an effort to feature a wide variety.

    October 2024
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  • Hadi Moussally

    A festival with great selection of films and communication. Thank you!

    June 2023
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  • Maher Hasnaoui

    Merci pour cette belle expérience <3

    June 2022
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