Malmo Arab Film Festival

What Malmo Arab Film Festival does

Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) is a Sweden-based cultural organization founded in 2011 that operates an annual film festival screening approximately 100 Arab feature films, documentaries, and short films with Swedish and English subtitles in Malmö. The organization also runs MAFF Industry Days (MID), an industry platform launched in 2015 as MAFF Market Forum and rebranded in 2021, which convenes producers, funders, distributors, and film professionals for co-production between the Arab world and the Nordic region through seminars, pitching venues, workshops, and funding initiatives including MAFF Development Funding and the Doc Post-Production Platform. Sub-programs include MAFF Arabian Nights, Arab Women Film Days, and MAFF in Skåne, with pan-Arab distribution handled in partnership with MAD Solutions.

MAFF is funded primarily through grants from public institutions (Malmö Stad, Region Skåne, Film i Skåne, Swedish Film Institute, Creative Europe) supplemented by corporate sponsorships (EgyptAir), film submission fees, ticket and accreditation sales, and service packages. The organization is governed by a board chaired by founder Mouhamad Keblawi, with Mohamad Abo Whatfa serving as Festival Director and a small staff of 11-50. GTM is event-driven: the festival concentrates audience and industry attention during its annual window, while year-round outreach is conducted through social media, email, and earned press coverage. Pricing is quote-based for sponsorships and not publicly disclosed for accreditation fees.

Name

Malmo Arab Film Festival

Legal name

Malmö Arab Film Festival

Website

https://maffswe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) is a Sweden-based annual film festival founded in 2011 that screens ~100 Arab films and runs MAFF Industry Days, an industry platform connecting Arab and Nordic film professionals for co-production, funding, and distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival / Cultural Events

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAKAH

Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

SECONDARYMPADAJAJ

Non-Theatrical Distribution (Educational, Airlines, Cruise, Community)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Distribution (Theatrical, Home Entertainment, International Sales)

SECONDARYMPADAKAI

Campus & Educational Screenings (Universities, Schools)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

Keywords

• Arab film festival
• Film industry platform
• Arab cinema screenings
• Nordic arab co-productions
• Cultural event programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Malmö

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales and festival screenings: Revenue generated from selling tickets and accreditation to the annual film festival screenings, featuring Arab feature films, documentaries, and short films with Swedish and English subtitles.
2. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship arrangements providing exposure, customer activities, and special events tailored for sponsors during the festival.
3. Festival accreditation and service packages: Fees for festival accreditation and service packages for industry professionals and attendees.
4. Film submission fees: Revenue from filmmakers submitting their work for festival consideration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) operates an annual film festival in Malmö, Sweden, screening approximately 100 Arab feature films, documentaries, and short films with Swedish and English subtitles. Alongside the festival, MAFF runs the MAFF Industry Days (MID) platform, which brings together producers, funders, distributors, and film professionals through seminars, workshops, pitching venues, networking sessions, and funding initiatives focused on Nordic/Arab co-productions. The organization also supports Arab film distribution across the Nordic region and partners with MAD Solutions for Arab world distribution.

Product overview

Malmo Arab Film Festival operates as a unified festival platform offering both a cultural event and an industry-focused film industry program. The core product is the annual Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF), which showcases Arab cinema across feature films, documentaries, and short films. The companion platform, MAFF Industry Days (MID), formerly known as MAFF Market Forum (MMF), serves film professionals through funding programs (MAFF Development Funding), post-production support (Doc Post-Production Platform), networking, workshops, and pitching sessions. Additional programs include MAFF Arabian Nights and Arab Women Film Days.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) Annual cultural film festival screening approximately 100 Arab feature films, documentaries, and short films with Swedish and English subtitles; one of the region's largest cultural events and a bridge between Swedish and Arabic cultures. Targets Swedish and international audiences, film industry professionals, Arab filmmakers and cultural partners.
• MAFF Industry Days (MID)

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 Arab films screened annually with Swedish and English subtitles

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• MAD SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPan-Arab entertainment industry company providing film distribution across the Arab world for MMF award winners.
• PanoraminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal cinema/exhibition partner in Malmö for film screenings.
• Arab Cinema CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry platform providing networking and expert representation for Arab cinema professionals at MMF.
• Arab Cinema in SwedencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform promoting Arab cinema in Sweden, founded by MAFF founder Mouhamad Keblawi, providing funding awards for Arab-Swedish productions.
• Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival partner providing industry expertise and jury participation.
• El Gouna Film FestivalmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival partner providing awards and industry participation.
• Luxor African Film FestivalmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival partner providing short film workshop awards and Etisal Film Fund support.
• Nordic Film and TV-FondmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerDocumentary advisory and funding partner for Nordic/Arab co-productions.
• Doha Film InstitutemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerQatar-based film institute providing workshops and labs support.
• Carthage Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTunisian festival providing programming expertise.
• Screening Institute BeirutmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Doc Post-Production Platform helping Arab filmmakers finalize documentary projects.
• Saudi Film CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational film body providing industry representation.
• Torino Film LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian film lab providing industry presentations and expertise.
• The ProducersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company providing jury expertise and awards.
• The General Union of Arab ArtistsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnion providing awards to Arab filmmakers.
• NDU International Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLebanese festival providing USD 2,000 awards and short film workshop opportunities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• El Gouna Film Festival: Egypt-based Arab film festival that partners with MAFF (listed as a festival partner). Directly comparable as a curated Arab cinema showcase with industry programming, targeting both regional and international audiences.
• Luxor African Film Festival: Egyptian film festival that partners with MAFF for short film workshop awards and Etisal Film Fund support. Comparable as a regional film festival with industry programming and Arab/African cinema focus.
• NDU International Film Festival: Lebanese university-based film festival partnering with MAFF to provide USD 2,000 awards and short film workshop opportunities. Comparable as a smaller-scale Arab film festival with both competition and industry components.
• Doha Film Institute: Qatar-based film institute that partners with MAFF for workshops and labs support. Comparable as an Arab film industry funding and development organization supporting Arab and international co-productions.
• Carthage Film Festival: Tunisian film festival providing programming expertise to MAFF. Comparable as a North African Arab cinema showcase with both competitive screenings and industry components serving filmmakers across the Arab world.

Broad incumbents

• Cairo International Film Festival: One of the oldest and largest film festivals in the Arab world, focused on Arab and international cinema. Comparable to MAFF as a major Arab cinema exhibition platform, but operates at much larger scale and within the Arab world rather than as a bridge to European audiences.
• Dubai International Film Festival: Major Gulf-based film festival that has partnered with MAFF for industry expertise and jury participation. Comparable as a high-profile Arab cinema platform with industry programming, though operating at a substantially larger scale from a Dubai base.

Regional players

• Gothenburg Film Festival: Major Scandinavian film festival based in Sweden. Comparable as a Nordic film festival operating in a similar Swedish/Nordic geographic context, though with broader (non-region-specific) programming and larger scale.

Emerging players

• Arab Cinema Center: Industry platform that partners with MAFF to provide networking and expert representation for Arab cinema professionals. Comparable as an Arab cinema industry infrastructure player supporting Arab filmmakers' international exposure.
• Torino Film Lab: Italian film lab partnering with MAFF for industry presentations and expertise. Comparable as a European film development lab supporting international co-productions and emerging filmmaker talent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maffswe
• YouTubeyoutube.com/MalmoArabFilmFestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/maffswe
• Instagraminstagram.com/maffswe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/malmo-arab-film-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Malmo Arab Film Festival