A small group of film and cinema fans from Zurich have founded the non-profit association International Arab Film Festival Zurich (IAFFZ) in 2008 with the goal to bring the Arab cinema and the Arab culture closer to the Swiss audience. The festival strives to contribute to intercultural dialog in the hopes that it will result in greater understanding of different cultures. The festival further provides its audience with the opportunity to engage in the diversity of the Arabian region. The IAFFZ is a politically and denominationally neutral association. The Arab Film Festival takes place every two years. Besides the film festival, the association annually organises cultural events such as readings or movie nights dedicated to the Arab culture area. Movie nights were carried out for the first time in 2008.