Jerusalem, June 2025 – Cinema tells Jerusalem’s story like no other medium. The Munib & Angela Masri Foundation sponsors the fifth Jerusalem Arab Film Festival, “Our Story Lives On,” running June 24-29, 2025, as part of its commitment to cultural expression and creative youth empowerment.
This year’s program showcases 30 Arab films making their Palestinian debut, spanning feature narratives, documentaries, and short films across diverse themes, origins, and languages. Narrative features and shorts compete for Best Film and Jury Prize awards, while documentaries will compete for the Jury Prize and the Shireen Abu Akleh Award, honoring the late journalist. Select entries receive special mentions, with monetary recognition for top films. The festival’s fifth edition demonstrates Arab cinema’s artistic evolution, featuring films that showcase creative diversity and sophisticated storytelling maturity.
In addition to the film screenings, the festival will host a workshop on “Short Narrative Script Development” led by filmmaker and content creator Salam Hasri, as well as a discussion-based workshop titled “German Photography and Early Cinema in Jerusalem,” moderated by architect and international consultant on culture and sustainable tourism, Ghadeer Najjar.
The Foundation’s partnership reflects its belief that arts and culture drive community development while preserving identity and fostering creative engagement. This investment has helped establish the festival as Palestine’s premier cultural platform since its 2020 launch.
Through partnerships with local institutions, the Jerusalem Arab Film Festival connects audiences with regional filmmakers and narratives, strengthening Jerusalem’s position as a vibrant cultural center despite ongoing challenges.
