NAAS

What NAAS does

NAAS (Network of Arab Alternative Screens) is a non-profit association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) registered in Berlin, Germany, founded in 2007. It operates as a membership-based network that champions innovation in cinema exhibition across the Arabic-speaking region, currently spanning member organizations in at least ten countries including Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Algeria, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan. NAAS serves a primary segment of alternative cinema exhibitors—art house cinemas, film clubs, and cultural venues such as Wekalet Behna (Alexandria), Samawa Cinema Club (Baghdad), Métropolis Cinema Association (Lebanon), Cinema Akil, FilmLab Palestine, Cinémathèque de Tanger, and Sudan Film Factory—and a secondary segment of film researchers and curators.

The organization's core deliverables include the Malaffat publication platform (publishing thematic dossiers on Arab cinema history and practices), the NAAS Prize for Film Circulation, the NAAS Research & Curatorial Fellowship, the NAAS x Esmat Research Fellowship, FIAF Film Restoration Summer School scholarships, recurring regional workshops (e.g., ALFILM x NAAS), and convening events such as the Global South Programmers' Meeting (Cairo, June 2025). Its technology stack is non-proprietary: a website built on October CMS, with Mailchimp for newsletters, Google Analytics for traffic analysis, and standard embedded media (YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Mixcloud, Twitter). Revenue is generated through membership fees (managed via the Member Space platform) and grant funding plus institutional supporter contributions, consistent with its non-profit status. The organization is led by Executive Director Jowe Harfouche and Programs and Communications Director Dana Alawneh, with a board comprising Marion Schmidt, Noémi Kahn, and Frédéric Cornet, and operates with a core team of approximately 7 employees.

Name

NAAS

Legal name

NAAS – Network of Arab Alternative Screens e.V.

Website

https://naasnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NAAS (Network of Arab Alternative Screens) is a Berlin-registered non-profit network that champions alternative cinema exhibition across the Arabic-speaking region, serving member film clubs, art house cinemas, and researchers through fellowships, workshops, the Malaffat publication platform, and convening events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Cinema Network Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative Content Exhibition (Live Broadcasts, Concert Films, Sports, Opera) (MPADAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Alternative cinema exhibition
• Arab cinema network
• Film programming workshops
• Cinema culture development
• Film research fellowships

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: NAAS operates a membership model where institutions and individuals can join the network through registration on the Member Space. The organization collects membership data and processes applications to manage the network of Arab alternative screens.
2. Grant funding and supporter contributions: As a non-profit association (e.V. in Germany), NAAS operates with support from funders and partners, implementing programs and initiatives in cinema exhibition across the Arabic-speaking region.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NAAS is a network organization that champions innovation in cinema exhibition in the Arabic-speaking region, supporting alternative screen spaces, art-house cinemas, and film clubs through programming, events, fellowships, scholarships, workshops, and the Malaffat publication platform. It connects cinema professionals across the Arab world via a membership model, regional workshops, an annual prize, and presence at major film festivals.

Product overview

NAAS is a network organization (not a traditional SaaS company) that champions innovation in cinema exhibition in the Arabic-speaking region. The organization operates several interconnected programs: Malaffat (a publication platform), workshops (like ALFILM x NAAS), research fellowships, scholarships (like the FIAF Film Restoration Summer School), and the NAAS Prize for Film Circulation. NAAS also maintains a Member Space for registered members and offers a newsletter subscription service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Malaffat Publication platform dedicated to documenting and publishing texts, dossiers, and articles about cinema history, practices, and challenges across the Arab region. Malaffat publishes thematic dossiers with text contributions exploring cinema within cultural intersections, serving cinema researchers, curators, writers, and the broader alternative cinema community.
• NAAS Research & Curatorial Fellowship Fellowship program providing opportunities for research and curatorial work in the cinema exhibition field for members of the NAAS network and the broader Arab cinema research community.
• NAAS x Esmat Research Fellowship Research fellowship collaboration with Esmat supporting fellows in cinema research within the Arab region.
• NAAS Scholarship for FIAF Film Restoration Summer School Scholarship opportunity supporting participation in the annual FIAF Film Restoration Summer School for Arab cinema professionals.
• NAAS Prize for Film Circulation Annual prize recognizing excellence and innovation in film circulation within the Arab region.
• ALFILM x NAAS Workshop (Rewriting the Self – Cinema as a Laboratory of Becoming) Collaborative workshop exploring cinema as a laboratory of becoming, examining self and identity through film, organized with regional cineclub partners for cinema professionals in the Arab region.

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Gudran Association for Art and DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Gudran Association for Art and Development and Behna Film Selections company to operate Wekalet Behna art space in Alexandria, Egypt - an NAAS member organization providing film screenings and visual arts events.
• Mailchimp (The Rocket Science Group LLC)coreTechnology or IntegrationMailchimp provides email newsletter services for NAAS communications. The Rocket Science Group LLC, headquartered in Georgia, USA, processes subscriber data for newsletter distribution in compliance with Standard Contractual Clauses for EU/UK/Swiss data transfers.
• Google (Google Analytics, Google Drive)coreTechnology or IntegrationNAAS uses Google Analytics for website traffic analysis with IP anonymization enabled, and Google Drive for data storage. Google Ireland Limited serves as the data processor for EU publishers.
• October CMScoreTechnology or IntegrationOctober CMS is the platform powering NAAS's website content management system.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TorinoFilmLab: International lab supporting filmmakers and film professionals from underrepresented regions through fellowships and training — directly comparable to NAAS's fellowship and workshop programs targeted at Arab cinema professionals.
• Berlinale Talents: Berlin International Film Festival's emerging-talent program for international film professionals — comparable platform-style program for cinema professionals that NAAS's fellowships complement.
• International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF): Global federation of film archives with a membership model, training programs (e.g., FIAF Film Restoration Summer School where NAAS sends scholars), and convening role across countries — a structurally analogous nonprofit cinema network.
• Locarno Open Doors: Locarno Film Festival's program focused on filmmakers from the Global South and underrepresented regions — overlaps with NAAS's mission of supporting alternative cinema from the Arab world and frequently engages similar audiences.
• Independent Cinema Office: UK-based membership organization supporting independent and arthouse cinema exhibition with programming resources, training, and audience development — a directly comparable network model to NAAS, just operating in the UK rather than the Arab region.
• Hubert Bals Fund (IFFR): International Film Festival Rotterdam's fund supporting arthouse cinema projects from developing countries, including the Arab region — operates in the same funding-and-fellowship space as NAAS programs.

Broad incumbents

• Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP): US-based nonprofit membership organization supporting independent filmmakers and storytellers — comparable membership-network model for indie/alternative cinema professionals, though US-centric and broader in scope.
• Sundance Institute: Established US-based nonprofit supporting independent storytelling and cinema through labs, fellowships, and a festival — a much larger incumbent operating a similar nonprofit support model for independent film, but at global scale rather than regionally focused.

Others

• Cineuropa: European cinema information portal covering festivals, funding, and industry news — a thematic peer in the cinema ecosystem that supports the kind of curated knowledge NAAS's Malaffat platform publishes.

Regional players

• Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) / Cinema Akil Network: Regional art-house cinema operators in the Gulf/Arab region (e.g., Cinema Akil in Dubai) — operate in the same Arabic alternative-cinema exhibition niche NAAS supports, providing a regional execution peer rather than a network peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naasnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 NAAS