Spotlight on Palestine in 2024 international film festivals

Ahram Online , Monday 30 Dec 2024

Throughout 2024, Palestine has made a significant impact on the international and regional cultural scene, including in Egypt, leaving indelible marks that cannot be overlooked.

Palestine

 

Film festivals, particularly those focusing on Arab films, have emerged as key platforms for amplifying the voices of countries submerged in war, offering a space for their people's stories to be heard on a global stage. 

Many festivals have dedicated segments to Palestinian cinema, spotlighting numerous filmmakers' works and allowing their narratives to reach a wider audience. 

Some films won important awards; others added an important colour to the festivals below.

Here's a look at notable festivals and their contributions to highlighting Palestinian narratives.

Berlin International Film Festival - Berlinale 
(15-25 February)

 

Founded in 1951, Berlinale is one of the world's largest film festivals.

At its 74th edition, the Palestinian documentary No Other Land by Basel Adra premiered, winning Best Documentary.

The film depicts the mass expulsion and destruction of Masafer Yatta, a village in the occupied West Bank.

Aswan International Women Film Festival - AIWFF (20-25 April)
 

AIWFF is the first and only Egyptian festival dedicated to women's creativity and the only festival of this size to take place in Aswan.

The 8th edition of the festival included the film programme I am Palestinian, dedicated to Palestinian cinema.

The programme also included several other films by Palestinian directors, such as Interrupted Futures by Alia Arasoughly, If They Take It by Liali Kiani, and Trying to Survive by Bashar Al-Belbisy.

Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi was the jury president of the Egyptian Film Competition, and Layaly Badr was a member of the jury of the Euro-Mediterranean Competition.

Chicago Palestine Film Festival - CPFF (20 April-4 May)
 

Founded in 2001, the CPFF is an annual cultural event that serves as a vibrant platform for showcasing Palestinian cinema's rich and diverse narratives.

The 23rd edition of the Palestine-dedicated festival featured a rich lineup of films, including the documentaries Yallah Gaza (Roland Nurier) and Three Promises (Yousef Srouji).

Yallah Gaza explores the historical and geopolitical aspects of Zionism, Palestinian politics, International Rights and Law and all the elements necessary to understand the experience of this Palestinian society.

Three Promises revolves around Srouji's mother and two children in Palestine during the Second Intifada.

Malmö Arab Film Festival - MAFF (22-28 April)
 

Based in Sweden, MAFF is Europe's largest Arabic film festival.

MAFF is an Arab film festival based in Malmö, Sweden. It is regarded as one of Europe's largest Arabic film festivals and the only one in the Scandinavian countries.

During its 14th edition, MAFF screened two Palestinian films: the feature film The Teacher by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Farah Nabulsi and the documentary film Bye Bye Tiberias by Lena Soualem.

The Teacher follows the story of a Palestinian school teacher who finds himself caught between his commitment to political resistance and his role as a father figure to one of his students.

Bye Bye Tiberias is about renowned Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass, who returns to her village in Palestine with her daughter (Soualem). She left her village to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, leaving behind her mother, grandmother, and sisters.

Rotterdam Arab Film Festival - RAFF (30 May-2 June)
 

RAFF, held in the Netherlands, focuses on Middle Eastern and North African cinema.

Rotterdam, the Netherlands, hosts an annual festival dedicated to Middle Eastern and North African films and related activities.

RAFF's 24th edition screened The Teacher, which garnered the Audience Award and the Best Screenplay Award, and the documentary film LYD by Rami Younis and Sarah Ema Friedland.

LYD is a Sci-Fi documentary about a city that once linked Palestine to the world, then gradually disappeared after the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories in 1948.

Additionally, RAFF held a Palestinian Film Day, during which they screened the two competing Palestinian films and offered music, interviews, and spoken-word performances.

Venice Film Festival (28 August-7 September)
 

Founded 92 years ago, the Venice Film Festival is the world's oldest film festival and one of the largest five festivals worldwide.

The 81st edition premiered the film Happy Holidays, by Oscar-nominated Palestinian filmmaker Scandar Copti, in the Orizzonti main competition segment, where it garnered the award for Best Screenplay.

The family drama film presents four interconnected characters who share their unique realities, highlighting the complexities between genders, generations, and cultures.

Toronto International Film Festival - TIFF (5-15 September)
 

Founded in 1976, the festival is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals worldwide.

The 49th edition of TIFF had three Palestinian titles competing in different segments: To a Land Unknown (Mehdi Fleifel), Happy Holidays, and From Ground Zero.

To a Land Unknown follows the story of a Palestinian refugee living in Athens who gets ripped off by a smuggler and sets out to seek revenge.

From Ground Zero is a collection of 22 short films by Gazan filmmakers. Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi initiated the project to tell the untold stories of the current war on film.

El-Gouna Film Festival (GFF) (24 October-1 November)
 

Located in the coastal town of Gouna, Egypt, the festival postponed its 2023 edition two times before launching its edition without special celebrations in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

GFF's 7th edition returned for the second year with its special programme Window on Palestine, which included films such as Mohammed Almughanni's An Orange From Jaffa, The Teacher, and Laila Abbas's Thank You For Banking With Us and panel discussions on Palestinian filmmaking in times of crisis. 

The lineup also featured Tewfik Saleh's classic Palestinian film The Dupes (1972).

Thank You For Banking With Us won the El-Gouna Star for the Best Arab Narrative Film.

 

Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (7-12 October)
 

Launched in 2013 in Sharjah, UAE, the festival aims to enhance the media literacy of children and youth, foster their creativity, and showcase the best in filmmaking for, by and about children and young people.

The 11th edition of the festival presented 98 films in 18 languages.

Palestine was the country of honour during the edition, which also hosted workshops and screened several films, including a selection of short films, Seven Waves (Asma Bseiso) and The Teacher.

The Seven Waves follows the journey of a Palestinian rowing champion striving to achieve her dream and the story of a fisherman and marine rescuer who has spent his life by the Gaza Sea. Inspired by a popular myth in Gaza, The Seven Waves weaves stories and dreams of a besieged sea filled with life and hope.

Palestinian filmmaker Hanna Atallah joined the festival's jury panel.

BFI London Film Festival (9–20 October)
 

Held every October, the BFI London Film Festival screens around 240 feature films and 150 short films from over 70 countries.

In its 68th edition, the festival showcased several Palestinian films, including Thank You for Banking with Us, To a Land Unknown, A Fidai Film, A Short Film About Kids (by Ibrahim Handal), Shattered Memory (by Hayat Laban), and A Night We Held Between (by Noor Abed).

The documentary Vibrations from Gaza, written and directed by Rehab Nazzal, won the Best Short Film award. This powerful film explores the lives of Deaf children in Gaza who navigate the challenges of growing up under siege.

Chicago International Film Festival (16–27 October)
 

Launched in 1964, the Chicago International Film Festival is North America's longest-running competitive film festival.

The 60th edition featured three Palestinian films: To a Land Unknown, No Other Land, and Happy Holidays, which competed in various categories.

Thessaloniki International Film Festival (31 October–10 November)
 

The Thessaloniki Film Festival is Greece's most significant cinematic event.

In its 65th edition, Palestinian films won several significant awards. Happy Holidays received the Best Feature Film award, while Mahmood Bakri, the lead actor in To a Land Unknown, won Best Actor. Laila Abbas was named Best Director for Thank You for Banking with Us.

To a Land Unknown also claimed the Fischer Audience Award in the International Competition segment.

Cairo International Film Festival - CIFF (13–22 November)
 

After its 2023 edition was postponed due to the Israeli war on Gaza, the 45th CIFF (2024) opened with a powerful demonstration of solidarity with Palestine. The opening ceremony featured a performance by Gazan dancers and screened Passing Dreams by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi.

Masharawi's project From Ground Zero received a special highlight during the festival days.

A few documentaries entered the programming, including Gazan Tales by Mahmoud Nabil and A State of Passion: Ghassan Abu Sitta by Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, where it had its world premiere.

Filmed in 2022, Gazan Tales follows the story of four men's everyday lives as they pass their days unaware of the disaster about to befall them.

A State of Passion is a documentary that chronicles the life of British-Palestinian war surgeon Ghassan Abu-Sittah, who volunteered in Gaza for 43 days following Israel's brutal war.

In addition, the festival created an additional special segment titled Spotlight on Palestinian cinema, where three shorts were screened: Born a Celebrity by Luay Awwad, Square Kilometer Dreams by Qassam Sbeih, and The Deer's Tooth by Saif Hammash.

Palestinian director and producer Raed Andoni was part of the Documentary Award Jury panel.

London Palestine Film Festival - LPFF (15–29 November)
 

Over 15 days, the LPFF facilitated crucial dialogue about Palestinian cinema, culture, and politics.

The festival opened with a live performance, A Grain of Sand, a one-woman show by theatre director Elias Matar depicting actual events in Gaza.

The festival's screenings included contemporary and classic Palestinian films, such as To a Land Unknown, The Fifth War (1980) by Monica Maurer and Samir Nemr, and From Ground Zero.

Ajyal Film Festival (16–23 November)
 

Initially scheduled for November 2023, the 11th Ajyal Film Festival in Qatar was cancelled in solidarity with Palestine.

For its 2024 edition, the festival introduced Voices from Palestine, a program showcasing short films by Palestinian filmmakers, such as Gaza Bride 17 (Waseem Khair) and Under (Kamal Aljafari). Thank You for Banking with Us won the Best Feature Film award.

Marrakech International Film Festival (29 November–7 December)
 

Launched in 2001 in Marrakech, Morocco, the festival is chaired by Prince Rachid of Morocco.

The 21st edition of the Marrakech Film Festival screened three Palestinian films that competed in different segments: Happy Holidays, To a Land Unknown, and A Fidai Film (Kamal Aljafari).

A Fidai Film aims to create a counter-narrative to the footage and archive collection of photos and film that were lost from the burning of the Palestine Research Centre in Lebanon (1982) by Israel. 

Happy Holidays won the Marrakech Film Festival's top award, Étoile d'Or (Golden Star), and the actresses portraying the protagonists, Manar Shehab and Wafaa Aoun, shared Best Actress Awards.

Red Sea International Film Festival (5–14 December)
 

The festival, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is organized by the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, the first Saudi independent non-profit organization with an official mandate to promote film culture.

The 4th edition of the Red Sea IFF screened the Palestinian films To a Land Unknown and Yalla Parkour by Areeb Zuaiter, which had its MENA premiere at the festival.

Yalla Parkour is about a parkour team that uses the ruins of Gaza's bombed buildings as obstacle courses, laughing for joy against the background of explosions.

Carthage Film Festival - JCC (14–21 December)
 

Africa's oldest film festival, the JCC, exclusively showcases Arab and African filmmakers.

After cancelling its previous edition in solidarity with Palestine, the 35th JCC returned with the special program Palestine at the Heart of the JCC. Films like A Fidai Film and Tunisian actress Dorra Zarouk's The Life That Remains were featured.

The Life That Remains tells the story of a young Gazan mother who arrives in Egypt with her twin daughters, born just months before the war shattered their lives.

The festival also paid tribute to renowned Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad.

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