Call for Submissions

The MENA Film Festival will celebrate its latest edition in January 2026, and we want you to be a part of it! For seven years, MENA has been Vancouver's first and only festival dedicated to films from the Middle East and North Africa – otherwise known as South West Asia – and North Africa (MENA/SWANA) region.

We are excited for the chance to continue showcasing stories and experiences from the region, our local and Canadian community, and the global diaspora.

We acknowledge that our festival is based on the unceded, ancestral, and traditional lands of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səlí̓lwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. MENA Film Festival stands in solidarity with the diverse indigenous populations of the MENA/SWANA region including its Palestinian, Armenian, and Sudanese community members among others, their resistance, dreams, and futures

Timeline:

  • March 16, 2025 - Opening Date
  • April 4, 2025 - Earlybird Deadline
  • May 1, 2025 - Regular Deadline
  • May 24, 2025 - Late Deadline
  • September 1, 2025 - Notification Date
  • January 2026 - Festival Dates
Apply on Film Freeway