In this V edition the participation with respect to previous years has been tripled.

AMAL means hope in Arab, the same hope that has been the motor of our Foundation since 1984, and of the Euro Arab Film Festival since 2003; promoting an active work in the cultural exchange. This hope is the one that moves us to try to improve every year and to increase the participation and quality of the Festival. Our values continue being the same as in the first edition: to approach to the West the reality of the Arab world, using for it the cinema like symbol of a universal language.

This year we fulfilled five editions, with an increasing public attendance; as well as in a remarkable rise of the received submissions, that consolidate the Festival at world-wide level.

In the last years, we are pleased to discover the increase of Spanish productions with Arab subject. Spain is the country that more films have sent in this edition. It denotes a high attention on the subject; tie, in numerous cases, to the social interest on the subject of immigration.

About Arab works, it’s especially valuable contribution of Palestine, with a great number of sent films, mainly documentary. This is an especially significant participation considering the complicated political, economic and social situation in which this country is involved.

Other Arab countries that we found represented are United Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria, Sudan, Tunisia or Yemen, among others. The contribution made by countries like Egypt and Morocco is especially numerous, because of their traditional development in cinema industry; as well as Lebanon.

Most of the Arab countries have a representation within the Festival, and it is in where we appreciated a cinema committed not only with the diffusion of the Arab culture; but also with the social changes: the roll of the woman, the discrimination, the violence, the wars, etc. These subjects are frequently treated through short films, that require a smaller investment and allow a fast development of subjects of interest without needing great means, and recover a way of frequent brief narration in stories of Arab oral tradition. The documentary are also especially numerous, frequently used as denunciation method.

A 20% of the received films were made in coproduction of two or more countries. The collaboration of an Arab country with western countries is frequent, emphasizing, mainly, the participation of France and Germany. At European level, in addition to mentioned France and Germany, we counted with representation of Belgium, Switzerland and Great Britain, among others.

The call crossed the Atlantic, consolidating the reception of films from countries like the United States or Canada.

AMAL 007 has received numerous works worldwide; and, before of the final selection, we can already say that we will have a very interesting program in October, between the 22nd and the 31st, days in which we will open our doors to the public. The progressive increase of participation, allows us to make a better selection, more rigorous; displaying each year one selection more exclusive in this bridge that we tend towards the Arab culture.