In the second AFAC Film Week held in Cairo from 15-22 April 2015, AFAC will hold two panel discussions that aim to bring experts from the Arab region and the world to discuss the role of documentary films, social justice and film distribution in the region.
The panels are themed: Documentary Films for Social Justice, and Arab Film Distribution.
The first panel, Documentary Films for Social Justice, will take place at Goethe Institute on 21 April and will discuss documentaries as ideal platforms for issues of social justice. Some of the questions that will be discussed, include: ‘What are good examples of films that helped push social justice forward? How do filmmakers view this dimension of their work? Are they conscious of the impact these films can have and their potential to create change, or are they mostly concerned with expression and storytelling? Does awareness of the “audience” lead to the necessity to compromise?’
The various topics will be addressed by a group of film professionals that include Cara Mertes, director of the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms Initiative, producer Orwa Nyrabia and filmmaker Nadine Salib.
The second panel to take place at Cimateque on 22 April and titled Arab Film Distribution: Initiatives and Attempts, discusses the distribution of Arab films within the Arab region as the biggest challenge facing filmmakers, producers, and distributors today.
The panel will focus on: “The question of ‘audience vs. content’ is more of a ‘chicken and egg’ riddle: Until we are able to provide the public the right diversity of Arab films, one is unable to anticipate the kind of relationship between this audience and those films. Many believe that the way to go is building the audience first and restoring its ability to enjoy films outside of commercial formats. This panel will bring together key players and initiatives on the ground, trying to tackle this important issue through alternative approaches as well as classical means, sharing with the public their findings and challenges.”
Panelists attending the session include: Khalid Abdalla from CineCima, Mohammad Shawky Hassan from NAAS, Youssef Shazli from Zawya and Diana El-Jeiroudi from DOX BOX.
Programme:
Documentary Films for Social Justice
21 April 2015 from 4-6:00pm
Goethe Institute, 5 El Bustan Street, Cairo
Arab Film Distribution
22 April 2015 from 4-6:00pm
Cimatheque, Apt 28/29, 5th Floor, 19a Adly Street, Downtown, Cairo
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