The promotional tour will continue on 4 August in Rome with "From Gaza with Love," held as part of the International Short Film Festival, before concluding on 11 September in Venice with a special event titled "Time Speaks of Gaza," attended by Italian political scientist and intellectual Luciana Castellina.
The second edition of the Gaza International Women's Film Festival has officially launched its promotional tour, which began on 16 July in Rome, along with the unveiling of its official poster.
Revealed on Monday through the festival's official social media page, the artwork depicts a woman blindfolded with strips of film, accompanied by traditional Palestinian symbols and doves of peace.
According to the festival's official page, the event will take place from 26 to 31 October 2026 in the Central Gaza Governorate.
Coinciding with Palestinian Women's Day, the second edition will be held under the slogan Women Creating Life from Death.
Festival founder and president Ezzedeen Shallah described it as "a vibrant tribute to women's resilience."
Bringing together filmmakers and film professionals from Palestine and around the world, the festival stresses that cinema remains "an essential tool for preserving memory, identity and justice."
A European tour to amplify Gaza's voice
Launched in mid-July from the Italian capital, the festival's extensive cultural campaign aims to strengthen the international presence of Palestinian cinema while attracting filmmakers from across the globe.
In collaboration with Italian filmmaker Milena Fiore, the festival is making several stops across Europe.
The tour opened on 16 July at Villetta Social LAB in Rome with a screening of Leila Abbas' Chokran Laanak Tahlma Maana (Thank You for Dreaming with Us) as part of the L'Aperossa programme.
It continued on 18 July with appearances at Italy's Cinema del Reale Festival in Lecce and the SiciliAmbiente Film Festival in San Vito Lo Capo.
On 25 July, the tour stopped in Viterbo for the event "Images from the Global South," featuring a screening of Annemarie Jacir's Falastin 36.
The promotional tour will continue on 4 August in Rome with "From Gaza with Love," organised as part of the International Short Film Festival, before concluding on 11 September in Venice with the special event "Time Speaks of Gaza," featuring Italian political scientist and intellectual Luciana Castellina.
Training local talent at the heart of the festival's vision
Beyond film screenings, the festival aims to empower Palestinian women in Gaza through a six-month filmmaking training programme, organised in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Culture.
Led by Palestinian, Arab and international instructors from countries including Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Cuba and Sweden, the free programme offers practical training in screenwriting, directing, cinematography, editing and production.
At the end of the programme, the participants' short films will be screened during the festival's second edition and submitted to international festivals, turning cinema into a powerful means of cultural expression and resistance.
Serving as a cultural and cinematic platform dedicated to women's empowerment and cultural exchange, the festival will also showcase feature films, short fiction films and documentaries exploring women's issues from around the world.
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*This article was originally published in Al-Ahram Hebdo (French) on 27 July 2026. Additional editing and translation: Ahram Online
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