The International Exile Film Festival Gothenburg-Sweden
    "The filmmaker in exile is an uprooted in need of air, feeling from any form of suppression. He is on steady search, not only for new geographical borders but also new thinking borders. The view of an exiled filmmaker is comparable to that moving camera, seeing every thing anew, with the glance of a searcher who never settles down until he finds what he is after and he is always ready to pass the defined borders." The International Exile Film Festival with the slogan 'The world is My Home', is an event taking place every other year in Gothenburg, Sweden. The festival is a forum for filmmakers in exile, regardless of their national, ethnic, religious or political backgrounds. This festival focuses on 'exile' as a global question and its main intent is to promote democracy, freedom of speech and the development of an open and multicultural society. In the main program 'Exile-an International Experience' presents works made by filmmakers in exile where in the special program works made by non-exiled filmmakers as another view are shown. The special programs part also will contain other side events like seminars, lectures, exebition, etc. The film themes are mainly about exile, immigration and democracy.
    The International Exile Film Festival is a non-profitable cultural association established in 1993. A committee selects the films for the programs . All kinds of films and videos (short and long) are accepted.

    Festival Director
    Hossain Mahini
    The 1st festival (Oct 7-14, 1993):
    It was called´A prospect of Iran's film in Exile' and was entirely dedicated to films made by Iranian directors in exile. The first festival earned recognition and attracted a large audience of film lovers and gained media support and coverage..
    The 2nd festival (Oct 6-13, 1995)
    It enlarged its selection by including works by filmmakers of other nationalities and hence approached its initial international mission. Special programs: Hundred Years of Censorship in Films: (In celeberation of the centenary of the birth of the seventh art, "Hundred years' Censure In Films" ) Refugee Children: (an indictment against local wars, worlds' dictators and unequal conditionswith innocent children as a direct victims) Banned Films: (The films that are banned due to political or religious censorships in the countries of their origin)
    The 3rd festival (Dec 5-10, 1997)
    This festival continued to enlarge its scope by including works by directors not in exile. Special programs: Banned Films: (The films that are banned due to political or religious censorships in the countries of their origin) Another View: (an attempt to learn about views of non-exile and non-immigrant filmmakers on exile and immigration issues)
    The 4th festival (Oct 22-28, 1999)
    In the 4th festival, 107 short and long feature films made by 85 filmmakers in the main and speical program (in sex different sections, see blow) were shown. Special programs: Exile Portrait, Ylmaz Güney: ("Human fate is universal and is not limited to each respective nation") Gypsy Odyssey: (to shed light upon the life of gupsy people, a nation forced to exile many times in their life history) Rights from the Heart, Childrens Rights: (In celebration of the 10thanniversary of the United Nations declaration of childrens rights) Banned Films: (The films that are banned due to political or religious censorships in the countries of their origin) The Young Stranger: (focus on the lifes of the younger generation of refugees and immigrants in their new homeland) Another View: (an attempt to learn about views of non-exile and non-immigrant filmmakers on exile and immigration issues)