Rotterdam Arab Film Festival (RAFF) returns to LantarenVenster from 10 to 14 June 2026, with Syria as the central focus of this edition. Expect a packed week of screenings plus conversations that put personal stories, diaspora, and cultural identity at the centre.
RAFF is promising a varied programme of film screenings, masterclasses, debates, and meetings with filmmakers from the Middle East and North Africa, right here in Rotterdam.
If you like your film festivals with a strong sense of place, this one fits Rotterdam well: it treats cinema as a way to meet each other, not just as something you watch in the dark.
Syria takes centre stage in the 2026 programme
This year’s focus is Syria, with a special programme exploring the country, the diaspora, and the impact of war, migration, and resilience through film and conversation.
RAFF describes the theme as an invitation to stories that inspire, challenge, and open up dialogue, which is exactly what you want when a topic carries real weight and real lives.
Masterclasses and Q&As bring filmmakers to Rotterdam
Alongside short films, documentaries, and feature films, RAFF is building the week around masterclasses, debates, and Q&A moments where you can hear directly from makers and dig into context together.
The festival positions itself as a fixed part of Rotterdam’s cultural calendar, a place where cinema, culture, and society meet without needing you to be an expert to join in.
Faces of Syria adds personal stories to the festival week
RAFF is also linking the edition to Faces of Syria, a project that brings personal stories into the festival mix, connecting lived experience to what you are seeing on screen.
More details on titles and the full schedule are still to come, but the dates are set, the location is set, and the Syria focus gives this edition a clear heartbeat.
Arab Film Festival Rotterdam
Directions to the festival venue
LantarenVenster
LantarenVenster is situated in the Kop van Zuid neighbourhood, near Hotel New York and the Erasmus Bridge. It can be reached by metro (Wilhelminaplein station), tram, and water taxi.
