Thank you

To our beautiful Arabisk Filmfest community,

As we reflect on this year's festival, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the support and enthusiasm we have received.

We put a great deal of effort into building this year's festival on care. Our goal was to create a safe and welcoming space where everyone could feel seen, heard and appreciated.

We also worked hard to showcase a wide range of films that provide narratives that dismantle stereotypes and show the rich diversity of Arabic culture, identities and stories. We aim to be conscious about who gets access to funding and resources, who gets to make films, whose voices get amplified, and whose voices stay marginalized and unheard.

None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our incredible staff, collaborators and volunteers, who have gone above and beyond to make this year's festival an unforgettable experience. This includes Cinemateket i Bergen, Bergen filmklubb - uavhengig kino siden 1961, Bergen Offentlige Bibliotek and Teater kebab. You have all been the backbone of our festival, and we couldn't have done it without you!

We want to express our gratitude to our funders: Bergen kommune, Stiftelsen Fritt Ord, Bergesenstiftelsen and Vestnorsk filmsenter. Without their generous support, we would not have been able to bring this festival to life.

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our guests and filmmakers, whose creativity, passion, and talent have shone through in every frame of their films. Your presence has added excitement to our festival, and we are honored to have had the opportunity to showcase your work, to hear you talk about them, to learn so much from you, and share experiences.

But most of all, we want to thank you, our audience, for your unwavering support and enthusiasm for Arabisk Filmfest. Your love for our little festival and our films is what drives us to work harder year after year.

As we wrap up this year's festival, we are filled with a mix of emotions. On one hand, we are happy and proud of what our small team was able to achieve together. On the other hand, we are sad to say goodbye. We learned a lot and got inspired from this year, and we can't wait to do even better next year.

Thank you for being a part of our community and for your ongoing support of Arabisk Filmfest!!

That's a wrap! Lilililililililililililililiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!