Every year Vancouver plays host to film festivals representing a breadth of styles and geographies around the world: from local and international; grassroots to big budget. Taken together they would represent the panorama of Vancouver’s cultural life. Yet in spite of its strong economic and cultural roots, one demographic is missing in action, and - as far as the local film circuit goes - has been absent for too long: members of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)-otherwise known as Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA)-community.

The purpose of the MENA Film Festival is to fill that space with the voices of filmmakers and artists-local and national, young and established-who identify as part of the greater Canadian-MENA/SWANA community.