Maghreb Film Festival 2026 films, venues and tickets

What is the Maghreb Film Festival?

The Maghreb Film Festival (MFF) is a small independent film festival devoted to cinema from North Africa. It shows feature films and shorts from the Maghreb, many of which are rarely screened in the Netherlands, and brings directors, actors and producers to the venues to talk to the audience.

It was started by two brothers, the filmmaker Karim Traïdia and the theatre maker Hakim Traïdia, born in Algeria and long active in Haarlem. The first edition took place in 2018 at Circus Hakim, Hakim's theatre. Hakim Traïdia is the festival's artistic director and Karim its programmer.

The 2026 edition has the theme 'Eenheid' (unity). It still centres on Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian cinema, and adds more films from the rest of the continent.

When is the Maghreb Film Festival?

The seventh edition runs from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November 2026, with an opening ceremony on Friday 30 October and a closing ceremony with the awards on Sunday 1 November at 19:00.

The festival does not keep a fixed week. The 2025 edition ran from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 October, and the 2026 edition moved to the end of October. Dates for 2027 have not been announced; this page will carry them once the organisers publish them.

Where does it take place?

Most of the festival is in Haarlem, with one venue in Amsterdam. The festival's own programme lists six venues:

Circus Hakim, Korte Verspronckweg 7-9, Haarlem: the festival's home base, with the opening and closing ceremonies, the short-film blocks and several feature films.

Kinepolis Haarlem: competition features such as Goundafa, Donya and Take My Breath.

De Pletterij, Haarlem: a block of four short films on Thursday 29 October.

De Schuur, Lange Begijnestraat 9, Haarlem: the children's programme MFF Junior.

Bibliotheek Schalkwijk, Haarlem: a screening of Enigma, a film by Hakim Traïdia.

De Balie, Amsterdam: Poupiya on Saturday 31 October, with the director present, and further screenings on Sunday 1 November.

Which films are in the 2026 programme?

Six feature films compete: The Thread of Life and Poupiya from Algeria, The Ants and Goundafa from Morocco, and Take My Breath and Donya from Tunisia. Several screenings are followed by a conversation with the director, producer or lead actor.

Outside the competition the programme has The Village Next to Paradise by Mo Harawe, a Somali film, and Enigma, the Adventures of Inspector Tahar, a film by Hakim Traïdia. Two blocks of competing short films run at Circus Hakim on Friday 30 October, and a special Algerian block on Saturday 31 October includes Smail Lif - Let's Make Your Film, Van Gogh et moi and Gazé.

Film titles are given in their original languages. Poupiya at De Balie is in Arabic with English subtitles; check each screening's page for its language and subtitles.

Which countries does the festival cover?

The Maghreb is the north-western part of Africa. Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia are its core, and the festival says its roots lie in their cinema. Libya and Mauritania are also counted as Maghreb states: all five founded the Arab Maghreb Union in 1989. The 2026 programme lists Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian competition films, and the Somali film Village next to Paradise out of competition.

The festival presents itself as a place for cinema from the Maghreb, and in 2026 it gives more room to voices from the rest of the continent.

The family day: MFF Junior

MFF Junior is the festival's children's programme. It builds on Hakim Traïdia's years of film workshops for children in Haarlem and is meant for children who see little film, among them newcomers.

In 2026 forty-five children aged 9 to 16 made short films in free workshops at Circus Hakim. The films are shown to an audience during the festival.

On Saturday 31 October, from 13:30, De Schuur in Haarlem shows a family programme for ages 6 and up: an introduction by Hakim and Karim Traïdia, three short animated films from Algeria, and the workshop films, followed by a performance by Hakim in the café. It is spoken in Dutch and needs a ticket.

On Sunday 1 November at 11:00 Circus Hakim shows a free MFF Junior presentation with the same animated films, the workshop film and a certificate ceremony.

Tickets and how to join

There is no single festival ticket: every venue sells its own. Circus Hakim sells through the festival's ticket pages, and the festival programme links each screening to its venue. At Circus Hakim in 2025 an online ticket cost €7 and a ticket at the door €10. At De Pletterij the short-film block in 2026 costs €6.50, €3 for under 25s and €1.50 with a Haarlem Pas.

The closing ceremony and awards on Sunday 1 November at 19:00, followed by music from Mohamed Rouane and Lyes Ksentini, is free, and so is the MFF Junior presentation at Circus Hakim on Sunday 1 November at 11:00, where you sign up in advance. The opening ceremony on Friday 30 October is by invitation.

With a Cineville pass you can see all films at De Schuur and De Balie, including the Q&As.