Younis was appointed co-head of Forum Expanded together with Ulrich Ziemons in 2021. Together with their co-curators, they headed three successful editions of the Berlinale section. Between 2012 and 2020, Younis served as a member of the Forum Expanded advisory board, and participated in many editions as artist, speaker and moderator.
A longtime collaborator and associate of Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art, she has realized numerous exhibitions, film programs and research endeavors for and with the institution. “Being part of Forum Expanded has been a valuable experience for me. I am grateful to its team, filmmakers, artists and audience members whose dedication has fostered a space for creativity and growth. I wish Forum Expanded all the best and look forward to seeing its future development,” comments Younis.
“Ala Younis has played a decisive role in shaping the Forum Expanded program over many years,” adds Stefanie Schulte Strathaus, artistic director of Arsenal - Institute for Film and Video Art and founder of Forum Expanded. “I deeply regret her departure, but I am confident that our creative and always inspiring collaboration in the different areas of Arsenal will not end here – ideas are already in the pipeline. We wish her every success in her various projects”.
Ulrich Ziemons remains the section’s head. Together with the co-curators Karina Griffith and Shai Heredia, who both joined the curatorial team in 2021, he is currently preparing the program for 2025 edition of the festival which marks the 20th anniversary of Forum Expanded. Now about to complete its second decade, the section remains an ever-changing, evolving space for the presentation and discussion of expanded, experimental and artists’ cinematic practice as a vital field of engagement with the (geo-)political, social, and aesthetic developments that shape the world we live in.
