The Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI) is pleased to announce that the 29th edition of the Arab Film Festival (AFF25) will open on Thursday November 6th in San Francisco with Annemarie Jacir’s PALESTINE 36, Palestine’s entry to the 2026 Oscars.

The Arab Film Festival will run from Thursday November 6th through Saturday November 15th with a hybrid program of in-person and virtual events.

Acclaimed Irish director Jim Sheridan leads this year’s Festival Jury.

Opening Night special guests: Dina Shihabi, Nicholas Monsour, JC Kalache and Adam Habib

Palestine 36 is the new film by award-winning director Annemarie Jacir. As with each of her previous three feature films, Palestine 36 is Palestine’s entry to the Oscars.

Produced by Ossama Bawardi, Palestine 36 features a stellar international cast, including Hiam Abbass, Saleh Bakri, Jeremy Irons, Yasmine Al Massri, Liam Cunningham, Robert Aramayo, Kamel El Basha, and rising stars from the Palestinian diaspora.

One of the first contemporary Palestinian films set in 1936 that embraces a high level of cinematic craftsmanship, Palestine 36 promises to fully immerse audiences in a visually stunning and emotional experience.

“Set in a time I never lived, Palestine 36 is deeply personal. It’s about ordinary people in extraordinary times. A country erupts into rebellion—and everything, for a moment, feels possible.” – Annemarie Jacir

Palestine 36 had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) where it received a 15 minute standing ovation.

The Arab Film Festival offers special programming to local audiences, and unprecedented access to the diversity and range of authentic Arab experiences. It has gained an international reputation for excellence and offers its audiences access to media that reflects the beauty, complexity and diversity intrinsic to the Arab world, including under-represented and provocative themes at a cultural and societal level.

The festival runs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area with screenings in San Francisco, Oakland, and the South Bay. The program spans 10 days, and includes narrative and documentary features, short films, a classic film screening, a filmmakers mixer, industry and community panels, and filmmaker talkbacks. Select programs will also be simultaneously presented online.

“It is an honor to open this year’s Arab Film Festival with Palestine 36. When history, masterful storytelling, and the urgent issues of our own time come together, we are truly presented with a masterpiece. Annemarie Jacir’s sweeping historical epic captures the resilience and humanity of the Palestinian people fighting for their freedom and self determination. Palestine 36 represents the kind of bold, necessary storytelling AFMI is proud to elevate—and a milestone moment for Arab cinema on the global stage.” – Serge Bakalian, Executive Director of the Arab Film and Media Institute.

AFF2025 opens at the AMC Kabuki 8 in San Francisco with Palestine 36, Palestine’s entry to the 2026 Oscars. For the first time AFMI will offer two back-to-back screenings of its Opening Night film.

OPENING NIGHT: Palestine 36 – Palestine’s Submission to the 98th Academy Awards
Thursday, November 6 – AMC Kabuki 8 (San Francisco) 

• 1st screening at 6:45 PM 
• 2nd screening at 9:30 pm 

Directed by Annemarie Jacir, 2025, 115 mins
Palestine, France, Qatar, KSA, UK, Denmark, Jordan, Norway, US, Sweden, Australia

In 1936, as the British Empire tightens its grip on Palestine, Yusuf is caught between his village home and his work in Jerusalem. Amidst an anti-colonial revolt, and Jewish refugees fleeing persecution from Europe, all sides converge in a decisive moment for the entire region.

The full schedule will be announced soon. For Opening Night tickets and festival passes, please visit arabfilmfestival.org

TICKET & PASS INFORMATION
General admission tickets for virtual screenings, Q&A’s and panels range from complementary to $8. In-person admission is $20, $18 for students, seniors or low income people. Special presentations, such as opening night, range from $28 – $100. Virtual-only passes are $60, Festival passes are $180 and VIP passes are $250. For more information, visit the ticketing page at arabfilmfestival.org

About the Arab Film Festival (AFF)
The flagship event of the Arab Film and Media Institute, the Arab Film Festival is the largest and longest running independent festival of its kind in North America. Launched in 1996, the festival’s mission is to present the best of contemporary films that illuminate the richness of Arab culture through authentic narratives and images, providing insight into the beauty and complexity of the Arab world. The 29th edition takes place November 6 – 15, 2025. Check arabfilmfestival.org for the latest updates.

About the Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI)
The Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI) is the first organization of its kind outside the Arab world, a unique ecosystem to find, nurture and develop Arab film and media projects. It was rebranded from the Arab Film Festival in 2017 to fulfill its broader mandate to empower local Arab talent to tell their communities’ stories in their own voices. AFMI is built upon four programming pillars: Exhibitions, Education, Creators and Industry. For more information about AFMI, please visit arabfilminstitute.org