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 partners who want to savor a piece of Arab culture. As the festival grew, the society started bringing more artistic productions.

Over the past years, the society brought Arab standup comedians to Calgary, in partnership with the YukYuks, such as Ahmed Ahmed and Eman El-Husseini. 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.

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 partnership with and support from the Calgary Arts Development, The City of Calgary, The Government of Alberta and Heritage Canada.

Our Vision

CAACS’s vision is anchored in the belief that arts have the power to evoke emotions, provoke thought, and promote empathy.

Our Mission

CAACS envisions a diversified arts scene in Canada in which Arab-themed arts have the opportunity, space and resources to tell a different story, the power to build bridges, deepen relationships, and accordingly advance a more equitable society.

Meet The Board

Moness Rizkalla

Board Chairperson

Moness Rizkalla is the co-founder of CAACS. A well-respected Professional Engineer, with over 40 years of engineering, management and business leadership experience in the energy transmission industry. An extensively published and recognized technical leader with expertise and a track record of achievements. Mr. Rizkalla supports several volunteer and philanthropic interests.

Hicham Abbadi

Board Treasurer

Hicham was a co-founder of CAA&CS in addition to leading his own Accounting firm, Abbadi Professional Corporation, plus being a director at Horizon Academy Institute. With an MBA, along with certifications as a CGA and CPA, Hicham chose recently to step down from the board and focus on administering its finances as its funding and repertoire increased.

Balkan Farage

Board Secretary

As a dedicated banking professional, Balkan is committed to advancing her goals by embracing change and delivering effective solutions. With years as a Business Relationship Manager, she earned her the ‘Best of the Best’ distinction many times, along with high achievement awards. Her active community involvement that is clear is effective partnerships.

Sura Abdul-Razzak

Director

Sura is one of CAACS newest members. Her dedication to community engagement has led her to hold diverse volunteer positions ranging from front-line volunteer work to serving on boards focused on social work and language learning. She is a professional in energy policy and regulation, with a focus on emerging trends and industry engagement. She looks forward to supporting CAACS in expanding Calgary's access to the beauty of Arab culture.

Ranny Shibley

Director

Ranny Shibley is the founder and CEO of Bloom Benefits Group. Born and raised in Calgary, he attended the University of Calgary, earning a bachelor's degree in geomatics engineering. He worked in the energy industry for 15 years, then transitioned to the venture world for seven years, finally ending up in insurance when he founded Bloom in 2022.

Hashem Kadri

Director

Hashem Kadri is a well-established, international business advisor of professional and personal contacts, complemented by a reputation as a trusted member of the community through leadership roles in academic and work projects. A natural relationship-builder and persuasive communicator with a collaborative ability to present complex information to the audience.

Norma Lewis

Director

With well over twenty years of experience in Calgary's theater scene, Norma Lewis has worked with various theater companies and has become a recognized, and respected figure in the community. As the co-founder of 8Rojo, a collaborative performance company, Norma has been at the forefront of creating innovative, fantastical theater experiences. For more than a decade, she has produced, co-created, and performed in several original works. She is also a writer. A passionate storyteller, Norma, with her unique voice and incredible stage presence, continues to explore the intersections of writing, voice, mask, and movement, solidifying her place as a versatile and dedicated artist.

Lindsey Rizkalla

Director

Lindsey is one of the founders of the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society. With double majors in Sociology and Commerce, specializing in organizational development, Lindsey has been the second longest serving board member. She has been instrumental in managing volunteers, leading film selection committees and marketing beside her role as a Secretary of the Society. Her banking career and living in Victoria, British Columbia hasn't hindered her input and presence at the Society's board functions, committees' meetings and major events. Lindsey is known to be very accurate and a wonderful communicator, and takes great joy in sharing Arab art with Calgarians.

Sleman Aldib

Director

Sleman Aldib is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Arab Canadian Theatre, Kawalease ACT. He is an accomplished actor, writer, performer, theatre director and also professional photographer. Sleman is a recipient of the Canadian Arab Institute's "30 Under 30" Initiative Award.

Meet The Executive Director

Bassem Hafez, M.A

Executive Director

Bassem, an academic, graduate of Political Science who taught political science, sociology, philosophy and history at UofC & MRU; Immigration & Refugee Law at CDI; and Academic Writing & Business Communication at MCG College. BigB, as his students call him, was the founder & first president of the Calgary Egyptian Association in 2012 .. and many metal music bands since 1992. He is a published writer, musician, playwright and has sat on many boards, such as ANTYX, Calgary Outlink; and currently ICAI, the Canmore Folk Music Festival and is the chairperson of the board of CJFF. In 2023, Bassem obtained his Arts Manager Diploma from the Rozsa Foundation and Haskayne Business School, and had his first play produced. He is currently writing his first musical.

Our Funders

Our Community Sponsors

Our Community Partners

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Our Catering Supporters

Our Festival Partners

CAA&CS in the Community

Over the years, the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society has been an active member of the community. Between supporting initiatives and partnering in events, the Society has gained recognition and been part of the vibrant Calgary arts scene.

The Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society organized in 2016 for the first time, an exhibition for newly arriving Syrian entrepreneurs resettled in Canada, which allowed for the discovery of amazing talents. At the following Film Festival it organized in 2017, a great opportunity was given to Syrian artists to perform a show at the opening night. That artistic endeavor developed to be the Arab Canadian Theatre, Kawalease ACT, which received its official recognition in 2024. In 2023, CAA&CS was one of the sponsors of the huge production by Kawalease ACT, “Interrogation”. It is worth noting that the playwright was a CAA&CS board member and also the director and the Founder of Kawalease.

Since then, CAA&CS has been a community partner of the Calgary International Film Festival during its annual copies. Based on that, the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society struck partnerships with other festivals, such as the Calgary European Film Festivals, the Calgary Justice Film Festival, the Okotoks Film Festival and, underway, the Alliance Francaise and the Festival du Film Francophone. In addition, the Moroccan Festival Maroccain du Film Oujda has donated more than a film to our past festivals and invited members of the board to sit on their selection committees.

Between 2016 and 2021, the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society sponsored the local radio show, Calgary Arabia, and its founder, Noha Mohamed, in her coverage of the 2021 & 2022 Cannes International Film Festival in France as well as the 2021 & 2022 coverage of the Toronto International Film Festival.

In 2022, the Okotoks Film Festival organized an Egyptian Film Evening, which CAA&CS was happy to provide, and also took care of the cultural program and catering. In the same year, the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society donated an Arab film to the Calgary European Film Festival. The same happened with the Calgary Justice Film Festival.

In 2023, CAA&CS continued its collaboration with the CUFF and Kawalease ACT by supporting their production.

In 2024, the Calgary Arab Film Nights Festival became an official Supporter of the Calgary Justice Film Festival, supporting the screening of the Syrian short, “Black Rain in My Eyes”, and the Chairperson will be a co-presenter and discussant after the film.

In 2025, the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society organized a month-long and city wide celebrations of Arab Heritage, and beside a big event at the Calgary Public Library, it engages 30 artists from different Arab origins to organize 6 art exhibitions around Calgary, giving voice to different forms of arts and introducing Calgarians to a new angle of the existing & thriving art movement. As well, the Calgary Society for Independent Filmmakers approach to organize a thematic screening of Arab film during the Heritage Month, which took place on the 28th of April. The Confluence, a new partner, is booked for a bigger event on April, 25, 2026.

With all these successes in organizational and engagement capacity, the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society decided in its 15th year to go provincial. The feedback and support from artists, cultural brokers, elected officials and funders is very encouraging. So far, studies and partnerships are underway to have the 2026 programming in Calgary, Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane, Canmore, Banff, Red Deer, Edmonton Lac La Biche and Lethbridge.

For our 2025 14th Arab Film Nights Festival, the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society is confirmed to partner with the Calgary International Film Festival on the Iraqi film: The President’s Cake and the Calgary Justice Film Festival on the Syrian film: Aamelat. Furthermore, for the first time, a “Trailer Night” is organized at the Confluence to give the Calgary audience a feeling of what to expect during the October 3-5 film festival. In addition, the aboriginal artist, Wendy Walker, who had recorded in her voice CAA&CS Land Acknowledgement, and her band, "Walker and the Tribe," will be performing at the Festival's Opening Night, "Canadian Eye on the Arab World."