Our Story

The Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society (CAA&CS) has been organizing the Calgary Arab Film Nights Festival since 2013. For the past years, the festival has been growing and attracting different forms of arts and stakeholders who want to savor a piece of Arab culture. As the festival grew, the society started bringing more artistic productions. 

Also, CAA&CS organized standalone events that brought poetry and provided the stage for rising talents in the community, like Dr. Ghada Al-Atrash, after releasing her new book “Stripped to the Bone: Portraits of Syrian Women”. CAA&CS also organized “Popcorn & Skype” events where the audience watched Arabic movies and chatted with the filmmakers. Distinguished speakers were accordingly invited to initiate conversations and dialogues with our festival audience, such as Luke Azevedo, Southern Alberta Film Commissioner this event gave voice to artists through old topics such as, 2SLGBTQ+ in the Arab world, Arab Jews, and Hijab. 

By 2017, the Calgary Arab Film Festival expanded its offering by adding an extra night, calling it “Canadian Eye on the Arab World”, which showcased Canadian productions depicting Arab related issues. That led to the Cooperation with the National Film Board of Canada in screening “Things Arab Men Say” and “Arab Women Say What?!” by the Edmonton filmmaker, Nesreen Baqer.

​Since 2023, the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society acted upon Canada’s recognition of April as the “Arab Heritage Month” and organized an annual celebration that invited the community to celebrate with Canadian Arab artists, as well as cultural brokers and Canadian politicians from Ara origins to learn about the richness and diversity or Arab culture and how it adds to the Canadian mosaic. 

Bill C-232, passed in November 2021, officially designates April as Arab Heritage Month. This legislative move opens up avenues for Arab Canadians to proudly exhibit the richness of their cultural heritage. Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society looks to celebrate Arab Heritage Month by facilitating the sharing of Arab culture through music, dance, visual arts, and food for the second year. Now in its 12th year, the Society began as a modest film festival, and has evolved into a year round offering; notable highlights include the inclusion of Arab stand-up comedians, collaboration with acclaimed filmmakers.The Society is proud to call writers, theater directors, and radio hosts among its board members.
Arab Heritage Month serves a deeper purpose beyond celebration. It serves as a vital opportunity to share, educate, and contribute to the enrichment of our multicultural home, fostering understanding and unity among all who call it their own.

For all these successes, the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society decided to transform from a working board and initiate an administrative body to take care of increasing activities and repertoire. With this transformation, the Society issued its Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Statement/Policy, and started drifting towards institutional funding, which reached fruition in 2024 with support from the Calgary Arts Development, The City of Calgary, The Government of Alberta and Heritage Canada.