Our Mission

The DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival champions the work of Palestinian artists and filmmakers in Palestine and in diaspora, showcasing the range and complexity of Palestinian identities and narratives.

Our Vision

Our vision for the DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival is to bring together the District’s various communities through art, catalyzing productive conversations about film, culture, and diaspora, utilizing the lens of Palestinian artists as an entry point.

This is us

The DC Palestinian Film + Arts Festival (DCPFAF) was founded in 2011 by three women - Huda Asfour, Nadia Daar, and Noura Erakat - with a shared love of film, the arts, and Palestine. They envisioned a festival that would serve as a platform for the artistic creativity of Palestinians through film, music, and the visual arts.

Today, the DCPFAF is a volunteer-run 501c3 nonprofit that has drawn national and international attention for providing a unique platform in the District for Palestinian filmmakers and artists. The stories shared in this festival are not necessarily about Palestine in relation to Israeli occupation and apartheid, nor are they stories necessarily about Palestinians. The aim of the DCPFAF is to reflect the dynamic formation of a transnational identity common to Palestinians and diasporic communities in general.