Netflix has come under fire from several human rights groups over its non-renewal of 19 films that were part of its “Palestinian Stories” collection launched in October of 2021.
These films will soon exit the service because the rights acquired by Netflix as part of its licensing deal will end at the end of the month. This standard content licensing practice is also the reason why “Friends” is no longer available in the U.S. or Mr. Robot” is no longer available in Arabic countries.
The streamer still has titles by Palestinian creators on its service.
“We are deeply concerned by Netflix’s decision to delete at least 19 films by Palestinian filmmakers or about Palestinian stories from your platform last week” human rights organization Freedom Forward said in a letter to the streamer posted on their website.
Freedom Forward noted that the “Palestinian Stories” page now shows only one film that is available for viewing.
These films will soon exit the service because the rights acquired by Netflix as part of its licensing deal will end at the end of the month. This standard content licensing practice is also the reason why “Friends” is no longer available in the U.S. or Mr. Robot” is no longer available in Arabic countries.
The streamer still has titles by Palestinian creators on its service.
“We are deeply concerned by Netflix’s decision to delete at least 19 films by Palestinian filmmakers or about Palestinian stories from your platform last week” human rights organization Freedom Forward said in a letter to the streamer posted on their website.
Freedom Forward noted that the “Palestinian Stories” page now shows only one film that is available for viewing.
- 10/25/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy and Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Elia Suleiman returned in 2019 to Cannes with his long-awaited fourth feature: It Must Be Heaven, an existentialist comedy which sees the director travel from his native Nazareth to New York via Paris on an existential(ist) journey peppered with surrealistic, mostly hilarious micro-encounters in the vein of the auteur’s previous works. Often central in Suleiman’s cinema is his own image, which in itself is largely based on his own persona and biography—acting as a concrete instance of a witness (onto which the spectator can project or latch themselves), caught in the fray of actions other than his own. He’s a silent yet nonetheless reactive observer of the oddities of quotidian life (thus inspiring comparisons with the work of the legendary Jacques Tati), which draw upon everything from a neighbor who gets territorial around an orange tree to French policemen zooming the streets on Segways, which he...
- 5/20/2021
- MUBI
Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman, one of the world’s most renowned directors who has won awards at many prestigious European film festivals, has been named jury president for the 54th International Antalya Film Festival, it was announced today by Antalya Film Festival Artistic Director Mike Downey.Elia Sulieman
Elia Suleiman has participated in numerous festivals as a jury member including Cannes Film Festival (2006) and was a President of the Jury of The New Horizons Competition, Abu Dhabi Film Festival (2010), Deauville Asian Film Festival (2012), Rotterdam Film Festival (2014).
He has been given tributes amongst which are the MoMA in New York, Istanbul Film Festival, and Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival in Portugal. He was the recipient of the 1992 Rockefeller Award and the 2008 Prince Claus Award. In 2009, he was named the Variety Magazine Middle-East filmmaker of the year in Abu Dhabi Film Festival where he was awarded the Black Pearl Award for The Time That Remains.
Elia Suleiman has participated in numerous festivals as a jury member including Cannes Film Festival (2006) and was a President of the Jury of The New Horizons Competition, Abu Dhabi Film Festival (2010), Deauville Asian Film Festival (2012), Rotterdam Film Festival (2014).
He has been given tributes amongst which are the MoMA in New York, Istanbul Film Festival, and Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival in Portugal. He was the recipient of the 1992 Rockefeller Award and the 2008 Prince Claus Award. In 2009, he was named the Variety Magazine Middle-East filmmaker of the year in Abu Dhabi Film Festival where he was awarded the Black Pearl Award for The Time That Remains.
- 8/7/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The Time That Remains director set for jury stint at Turkish festival.
Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman has been named jury president for the 54th Antalya Film Festival in Turkey (Oct 21-27).
The Nazareth-born director is known for Chronicle Of A Disappearance, which won the Best First Film Prize at Venice in 1996; Divine Intervention, which won the Jury Prize and Fipresci Prize at Cannes in 2002; and The Time That Remains, which played In Competition at Cannes in 2009.
He is currently servicing as artistic advisor for the Doha Film Institute, and is prepping his next feature film.
Suleiman has a lengthy history of stints on festival juries. In 2006, he served on the main competition jury at the Cannes Film Festival, and more recently he was president of the competition jury at the Sarajevo Film Festival last year.
Earlier this month, Antalya appointed Mike Downey as its new artistic director.
He commented on the selection of Suleiman: “Elia Suleiman is a film...
Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman has been named jury president for the 54th Antalya Film Festival in Turkey (Oct 21-27).
The Nazareth-born director is known for Chronicle Of A Disappearance, which won the Best First Film Prize at Venice in 1996; Divine Intervention, which won the Jury Prize and Fipresci Prize at Cannes in 2002; and The Time That Remains, which played In Competition at Cannes in 2009.
He is currently servicing as artistic advisor for the Doha Film Institute, and is prepping his next feature film.
Suleiman has a lengthy history of stints on festival juries. In 2006, he served on the main competition jury at the Cannes Film Festival, and more recently he was president of the competition jury at the Sarajevo Film Festival last year.
Earlier this month, Antalya appointed Mike Downey as its new artistic director.
He commented on the selection of Suleiman: “Elia Suleiman is a film...
- 7/31/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Palme d’Or-nominated director to head Competition jury at Sarajevo Film Festival.
Palestinian director Elia Suleiman has been named jury president for the feature film competition at the upcoming 22nd Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 12-20).
The filmmakers is perhaps best known for Chronicle Of A Disappearance, which won the Best First Film Prize at Venice in 1996; Divine Intervention, which won the Jury Prize and Fipresci Prize at Cannes in 2002; and The Time That Remains, which played in Competition at Cannes in 2009.
In 2012, Suleiman made a short film titled Diary Of A Beginner, part of a collective feature titled 7 Days In Havana, which played in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
The Nazareth-born director is currently serving as artistic advisor for the Doha Film Institute and is preparing his next feature film, which remains under wraps but promises “a voyage that will be crossing countries”.
At Sarajevo last year, the Feature Film Competition jury was presided over by Călin...
Palestinian director Elia Suleiman has been named jury president for the feature film competition at the upcoming 22nd Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 12-20).
The filmmakers is perhaps best known for Chronicle Of A Disappearance, which won the Best First Film Prize at Venice in 1996; Divine Intervention, which won the Jury Prize and Fipresci Prize at Cannes in 2002; and The Time That Remains, which played in Competition at Cannes in 2009.
In 2012, Suleiman made a short film titled Diary Of A Beginner, part of a collective feature titled 7 Days In Havana, which played in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
The Nazareth-born director is currently serving as artistic advisor for the Doha Film Institute and is preparing his next feature film, which remains under wraps but promises “a voyage that will be crossing countries”.
At Sarajevo last year, the Feature Film Competition jury was presided over by Călin...
- 3/30/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
I had the good fortune of spending some time speaking with the CEO of the Doha Film Institute, Fatma Al Remahi, whom I had met previously at the Toronto Film Festival. She is a woman of rare talents and I intend to devote a "Women to Watch" feature on her when I return to Los Angeles. With her this day in Cannes were Khalil Benkirane, Head of Grants and Elia Suleiman, the Palestinian filmmaker known for his wry comedies/ commentaries of the current state of affairs around the Mideast, like "Divine Intervention", "The Time That Remains", "Chronicle of a Disappearance", winner of five major awards, and a segment in the 2012 omnibus, "7 Days in Havana".
They are here to celebrate being in Cannes with five films that they have invested in and which have won slots in the festival, thus proving how well their grants have worked. Even this past fall in Venice two of their films won prizes, one, "Sivas" from Turkey and Germany won the Special Jury Prize and Best Actor Award, and "Theeb" from Jordan UAE, Qatar and UK.
Before going into the films the Doha Film Institute is granting not only money to, but greater support from the filmmaking community in the Mideast and the larger world, I asked Suleiman how he envisaged his role. His answer was that, "with age, as strong passions wind down a bit, one has time and the wish to give back to the young, fresh filmmakers. In the process, you learn from their experience, and your own passion is rekindled by theirs. We all felt the same way at the same time, and the new grants program started very quickly with a wholeness to it.
It offers a way to stay connected and alert. Personally, it gives us a community, helping others and in doing this, we help ourselves. That is why we are here."
CEO Fatma Al Ramahi added that after five years of curating projects, granting financial aid and co-financing projects, they had come full circle and Dfi was now offering filmmakers more in what resembles an ecosystem.
I pointedly asked about the place of women in this "ecosystem" to which Khalil Benkirane replied, it depends upon the submissions. They preselect some and others are chosen; the decisions are based upon the combination of merit, narrative story, content, relevance and a direction toward a cinema for tomorrow, bringing in a new voice. The last three sessions before this one included more projects by women than men. This last session had less than 50% by women, more like 30%. But they have no quota which they must fill. They are conscious, but the chose by merit. Women may be in greater numbers because they offer fresh, new voices. In five years we will see more features by women.
I asked about the presence of USA projects their selection, having noticed a little known incident dramatized in "Houston, We Have a Problem!" by Ziga Virc (Slovenia, Germany, Croatia, Qatar) which occurred in March, 1961 when Yugoslavia sold its secret space program to the USA. Two months later, President Kennedy announced that Americans would travel to the Moon.
They pointed out the USA coproduction, "Liyana" by Aaron and Amanda Kopp (USA, Swaziland, Qatar), a feature doc about some talented orphaned children in Swaziland who create a fictional heroine and send her on a dangerous quest.
In their first year, 30 projects from the Us were submitted by Sundance and none made the cut. Last year saw some strong Us docs. This year they saw some real USA indies which were submitted by individuals who heard the call. These were indies not influenced by Us commercial concerns, wanting to fill TV slots or other such systemic strictures.
I agree with them that Us filmmakers need to look abroad for more originality and cannot remain Us-centric if they want to break the constraints of TV and Hollywood imposed styles.
Since those early years, Sundance itself has changed its direction and expanded its international slate, and Us itself has become more multi cultural.
Submissions for the Fall 2015 grants session will open July 18 and close August 1, so act now!
By and large however, topical themes of exile, the aftermath of war, coming of age and the importance of family feature figure prominently in the Institute’s Spring 2015 session of its grants program whose recipients were announced today at the Cannes Film Festival.
Twenty-five projects – comprising 14 narrative feature films, 5 feature documentaries, 1 feature experimental film and 5 short films – will receive funding for development, production or post-production.
This round’s selection also highlights the strength of submissions from first- and second-time feature filmmakers from the Mena region along with a strong group of short films receiving grants, reflecting the Doha Film Institute’s dedication to supporting emerging new talent.
After expanding the grants criteria to include established filmmakers from the Mena region for the category of post-production, this cycle also sees Mai Masri (Palestine) and Merzak Allouache (Algeria) awarded funding for their respective new projects – Masri’s ‘"3000 Nights," a narrative feature about a newlywed Palestinian schoolteacher who gives birth to her son in an Israeli prison and Allouache’s "Madame Courage," a narrative feature about an unstable and lonely teenager, living in a slum in the suburbs of Mostaganem, Algeria.
Former grantees Leila Hotait Salas ("Crayons of Askalan") and Nejib Belkadhi (‘Bastardo’) are also returning with new projects. Hotait Salas’ narrative feature "Stolen Skies," is set against the demonstrations in Cairo in 2011 about a women who remembers her Lebanese lover from 30 years ago and Belkadhi’s narrative feature ‘Retina’, is about a Tunisian immigrant forced to return to his country to take care of his autistic son.
Gulf representation in the short films includes Fahad Al Kuwari’s "One of Them’ from Qatar" and Amal Al-Agroobi’s "Under The Hat" from the UAE. Qatari feature film, "Sahaab" by Khalifa Abdullah Al Muraikhi marks the first Qatari feature awarded for a production grant and is a project which recently participated in Qumra – the first edition of the Institute’s new industry platform dedicated to the development of first- and second-time filmmakers.
In the feature documentary category, stories from or about Syria and its ongoing civil war and set against a backdrop of political, social and emotional turmoil form the subject matter of several projects selected for grants including Boutheyna Bouslama’s "Seeking The Man With the Camera" (Tunisia, Switzerland, France, Qatar), Ziad Kalthoum’s "Beirut Rooster" (Syria, Lebanon, Qatar) and Noura Kevorkian’s "Batata" (Lebanon, Qatar).
In the feature narrative category, regional projects from Algeria, Lebanon and Palestine span a variety of genres and cover a range of subject matter such as modern-day life in the Middle East, lost love and immigration; projects include Muhannad Lamin’s "Tin Hinan," Lidia Terki’s "Paris The White," Firas Khoury’s "Alam, The Flag" and Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya’s innovative genre film "Film Kteer Kbeer."
Five projects from outside the Mena region have received funding, including grants for filmmakers from Singapore (‘Apprentice’ by Junfeng Boo) and Slovenia (‘Houston, We Have a Problem’ by Ziga Virc) for the first time.
The new-wave of filmmaking coming out of Argentina, a story of familial secrets between sisters and a moving documentary about orphan children in Swaziland form an eclectic selection of projects chosen from the rest of the world by filmmakers Francisco Varone ("Road To La Paz"), Manu Gerosa ("Between Sisters") and Aaron and Amanda Kopp ("Liyana").
Fatma Al Remaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Our Spring grantees demonstrate the strength of new work coming from emerging filmmakers with 23 projects awarded to first- and second-time directors and a strong selection of short films by new talents to watch.”
“These grants give support to projects with diverse regional perspectives and genres, underlining the Doha Film Institute’s commitment to the development of innovative new voices in cinema which is also echoed in our recently launched development platform, Qumra.”
What is Qumra? I asked and they showed me the recent Screen International Cannes supplement about it. Those of you in Cannes can get it off the trade stands or in the Screen offices. It is no red carpet event, nor is it a series of matter lasses. It is a regional conference aimed at deepening the conversations of experienced experts and emerging filmmakers. No masterclass or labs replace the personal conversations though there are workshops and grants involved. The grants are not merely monetary; they are grants of support, mentorships and approval which open the way for the filmmakers to optimize their chances to move ahead with their projects toward their intended goals.
It is a question of control often for filmmakers who may be forced to fit an organization's requirements when they receive funding. In Qumra, they have their own space without an authoritarian producer, although the producer is also invited and is treated well. Because the projects and producers themselves are curated, the producers are committed to committing themselves as it were to the projects. They are not forced to take on projects if they don't find the one that fits, but they are only invited if they intend to consider the projects seriously for their own portfolio. That filmmakers and producers both come out of Qumra contented is crucial.
“We have funded more than 220 projects through the grants programme since it was established and I am pleased to welcome back some of our grantee alumni who are returning this session with their new films. I am also pleased to introduce in this funding round a new avenue of support for established Mena directors, which reflects an integral part of our mission to support voices from the Arab world.”
Films supported in previous sessions of the grants programme are strongly represented in the Festival de Cannes this year with five grantees making their world premiere in various sections. They are: "Waves ’98" by Elie Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar) competing in the Official Short Film Competition; "Dégradé" by Tarzan and Arab Abunasser (Palestine, France, Qatar) and "Mediterranea" by Jonas Carpignano (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar) in the Critics’ Week sidebar which is dedicated to showcasing innovative works by new filmmakers; ‘"Lamb" by Yared Zeleke (Ethiopia, France, Qatar) in the main world cinema showcase, Un Certain Regard; and "Mustang" by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (Turkey, France, Germany, Qatar) selected for the Directors’ Fortnight.
Submissions for the Fall 2015 grants session will open July 18 and close August 1, so act now!
The fund is primarily for first and second-time filmmakers with the exception of the category of Post-Production which is available to established filmmakers from the Mena region.
For more information about eligibility and submission process visit:
http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/financing/grants/guidelines
A full directory of past grant recipients is available to view online at:
http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/financing/projects/grants
Doha Film Institute grantees for the Spring 2015 session are:
Development
Feature Narrative
"Seeking the Man with the Camera" by Boutheyna Bouslama (Tunisia, Switzerland, France, Qatar)
An investigative documentary that follows the narrator as she seeks out Seymo, a childhood friend with whom she used to play in the streets of Homs.
"Stolen Skies" by Laila Hotait Salas (Lebanon, Qatar)
Against the backdrop of the demonstrations in Cairo in 2011, a woman wants to remember the Lebanese lover she had 30 years ago – but first she will need to forgive herself.
"Tin Hinan" by Muhannad Lamin (Libya, Qatar)
A mythical coming-of-age tale in which a young girl is forced to travel into the Sahara to find a new home, ‘Tin Hinan’ depicts the struggle for identity in the midst of a revolution.
Production
Feature Narrative
"1982" by Oualid Mouaness (Lebanon, Qatar)
When 11-year-old Wissam decides to tell a classmate that he loves her, his will is challenged, his courage falters and an impending war threatens to separate them permanently.
"Alam, The Flag" by Firas Khoury (Palestine, France, Qatar)
Tamer, a young Palestinian high-school student, takes part in the mysterious Operation Flag mission on the eve of Israel’s Independence Day celebrations – a day of mourning for Palestinians.
"Paris the White" by Lidia Terki (Algeria, France, Qatar)
Aicha, a woman of 70, leaves her village in Algeria for the first time to go to Paris in search of her husband, who has not contacted her in years.
"Retina" by Nejib Belkadhi (Tunisia, Qatar)
Lotfi, a Tunisian immigrant who lives in France, is forced to return to his homeland to take care of his autistic child.
"Sahaab" by Khalifa Abdullah Al Muraikhi (Qatar)
When Nasser and his friends are lost in the desert, struggling to retrieve their falcon, their search turns out to be a deadly journey.
Short Narrative
"Aya" by Moufida Fedhila (Tunisia, France, Qatar)
‘Aya’ is a story about faith in God and in humanity, and of making changes and sacrifices in order to save one’s soul.
"The Boss" by Rzgar Huseein Ahmed (Iraq, Qatar)
A group of boys decides to select a boss from among themselves. Then the boss becomes the group’s dictator.
"One of Them" by Fahad Al Kuwari (Qatar)
Khalid finds himself in an enigmatic situation when he suddenly develops immunity to religious advocacy.
"Under the Hat" by Amal Al-Agroobi (United Arab Emirates, Qatar)
A mosque’s mu’athen loses his voice and looks for a replacement in his neighbor – the young vocalist in a heavy metal band.
Feature Documentary
"Batata" by Noura Kevorkian (Lebanon, Qatar)
While war rages back home, a family of Syrian potato farmers works the fields in neighboring Lebanon.
"Ghosts Hunting" by Raed Andoni (Palestine, France, Qatar)
Director Raed Andoni assembles an eclectic group of Palestinian ex-prisoners to rebuild the Israeli investigation centre in which they were imprisoned – a place they never in fact saw, because they were always blindfolded.
Short Experimental or Essay
"The Most Pretty Dudes" by Mohammad Dibo (Syria, Qatar)
In Homs, a city destroyed by war, two embattled groups negotiate to ensure their safe escape from the building they are both trapped in.
Post-production
Feature Narrative
"3000 Nights" by Mai Masri (Palestine, France, Jordan, Lebanon, UAE, Qatar)
A recently wed Palestinian schoolteacher gives birth in an Israeli prison, where she fights to protect her son, survive and maintain hope.
"Apprentice" by Junfeng Boo (Singapore, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Qatar)
Aiman, a corrections officer, is transferred to a high-security prison. There, he befriends Rahim, who, it turns out, is chief executioner. Can Aiman overcome his conscience and become Rahim's apprentice?
"Film Kteer Kbeer" by Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya (Lebanon, Qatar)
Intending to smuggle the amphetamine Captagon to Iraq in film canisters, a small-time Lebanese drug-dealer transforms himself into a film producer and, with the help of an underrated filmmaker, slyly manipulates public opinion.
"Houston, We Have a Problem!" by Ziga Virc (Slovenia, Germany, Croatia, Qatar)
In March, 1961, Yugoslavia sold its secret space programme to the USA. Two months later, President Kennedy announced that Americans would travel to the Moon.
"Madame Courage" by Merzak Allouache (Algeria, France, Qatar)
Omar, an unstable and lonely teenager, lives in a slum in the suburbs of Mostaganem.
"Road to La Paz" by Francisco Varone (Argentina, The Netherlands, Germany, Qatar)
Sebastián is hired to take Jahlil, a Muslim retiree, on the most important mission of his life. What begins as an inconvenient trip turns out to be a life-changing adventure.
Feature Documentary
"Beirut Rooster" by Ziad Kalthoum (Syria, Lebanon, Qatar)
While Syrian workers rebuild Lebanon, a country ruined by a lengthy civil war, their hometowns in Syria are destroyed during the brutal conflict there. Who will rebuild their houses?
"Between Sisters" by Manu Gerosa (Italy, Qatar)
Before life runs out, Ornella decides to confront her aging sister Teresa with a painful untold story – one that might change their close bond forever.
"Liyana" by Aaron and Amanda Kopp (USA, Swaziland, Qatar)
In Swaziland, some talented orphaned children create a fictional heroine and send her on a dangerous quest.
Feature Experimental or Essay
"In My Head, A Roundabout" by Lahcene Ferhani (Algeria, France, Qatar)
In the Ruisseau District of Algiers, workers and animals come together for a last dance of death: the city’s main slaughterhouse is about to close forever.
They are here to celebrate being in Cannes with five films that they have invested in and which have won slots in the festival, thus proving how well their grants have worked. Even this past fall in Venice two of their films won prizes, one, "Sivas" from Turkey and Germany won the Special Jury Prize and Best Actor Award, and "Theeb" from Jordan UAE, Qatar and UK.
Before going into the films the Doha Film Institute is granting not only money to, but greater support from the filmmaking community in the Mideast and the larger world, I asked Suleiman how he envisaged his role. His answer was that, "with age, as strong passions wind down a bit, one has time and the wish to give back to the young, fresh filmmakers. In the process, you learn from their experience, and your own passion is rekindled by theirs. We all felt the same way at the same time, and the new grants program started very quickly with a wholeness to it.
It offers a way to stay connected and alert. Personally, it gives us a community, helping others and in doing this, we help ourselves. That is why we are here."
CEO Fatma Al Ramahi added that after five years of curating projects, granting financial aid and co-financing projects, they had come full circle and Dfi was now offering filmmakers more in what resembles an ecosystem.
I pointedly asked about the place of women in this "ecosystem" to which Khalil Benkirane replied, it depends upon the submissions. They preselect some and others are chosen; the decisions are based upon the combination of merit, narrative story, content, relevance and a direction toward a cinema for tomorrow, bringing in a new voice. The last three sessions before this one included more projects by women than men. This last session had less than 50% by women, more like 30%. But they have no quota which they must fill. They are conscious, but the chose by merit. Women may be in greater numbers because they offer fresh, new voices. In five years we will see more features by women.
I asked about the presence of USA projects their selection, having noticed a little known incident dramatized in "Houston, We Have a Problem!" by Ziga Virc (Slovenia, Germany, Croatia, Qatar) which occurred in March, 1961 when Yugoslavia sold its secret space program to the USA. Two months later, President Kennedy announced that Americans would travel to the Moon.
They pointed out the USA coproduction, "Liyana" by Aaron and Amanda Kopp (USA, Swaziland, Qatar), a feature doc about some talented orphaned children in Swaziland who create a fictional heroine and send her on a dangerous quest.
In their first year, 30 projects from the Us were submitted by Sundance and none made the cut. Last year saw some strong Us docs. This year they saw some real USA indies which were submitted by individuals who heard the call. These were indies not influenced by Us commercial concerns, wanting to fill TV slots or other such systemic strictures.
I agree with them that Us filmmakers need to look abroad for more originality and cannot remain Us-centric if they want to break the constraints of TV and Hollywood imposed styles.
Since those early years, Sundance itself has changed its direction and expanded its international slate, and Us itself has become more multi cultural.
Submissions for the Fall 2015 grants session will open July 18 and close August 1, so act now!
By and large however, topical themes of exile, the aftermath of war, coming of age and the importance of family feature figure prominently in the Institute’s Spring 2015 session of its grants program whose recipients were announced today at the Cannes Film Festival.
Twenty-five projects – comprising 14 narrative feature films, 5 feature documentaries, 1 feature experimental film and 5 short films – will receive funding for development, production or post-production.
This round’s selection also highlights the strength of submissions from first- and second-time feature filmmakers from the Mena region along with a strong group of short films receiving grants, reflecting the Doha Film Institute’s dedication to supporting emerging new talent.
After expanding the grants criteria to include established filmmakers from the Mena region for the category of post-production, this cycle also sees Mai Masri (Palestine) and Merzak Allouache (Algeria) awarded funding for their respective new projects – Masri’s ‘"3000 Nights," a narrative feature about a newlywed Palestinian schoolteacher who gives birth to her son in an Israeli prison and Allouache’s "Madame Courage," a narrative feature about an unstable and lonely teenager, living in a slum in the suburbs of Mostaganem, Algeria.
Former grantees Leila Hotait Salas ("Crayons of Askalan") and Nejib Belkadhi (‘Bastardo’) are also returning with new projects. Hotait Salas’ narrative feature "Stolen Skies," is set against the demonstrations in Cairo in 2011 about a women who remembers her Lebanese lover from 30 years ago and Belkadhi’s narrative feature ‘Retina’, is about a Tunisian immigrant forced to return to his country to take care of his autistic son.
Gulf representation in the short films includes Fahad Al Kuwari’s "One of Them’ from Qatar" and Amal Al-Agroobi’s "Under The Hat" from the UAE. Qatari feature film, "Sahaab" by Khalifa Abdullah Al Muraikhi marks the first Qatari feature awarded for a production grant and is a project which recently participated in Qumra – the first edition of the Institute’s new industry platform dedicated to the development of first- and second-time filmmakers.
In the feature documentary category, stories from or about Syria and its ongoing civil war and set against a backdrop of political, social and emotional turmoil form the subject matter of several projects selected for grants including Boutheyna Bouslama’s "Seeking The Man With the Camera" (Tunisia, Switzerland, France, Qatar), Ziad Kalthoum’s "Beirut Rooster" (Syria, Lebanon, Qatar) and Noura Kevorkian’s "Batata" (Lebanon, Qatar).
In the feature narrative category, regional projects from Algeria, Lebanon and Palestine span a variety of genres and cover a range of subject matter such as modern-day life in the Middle East, lost love and immigration; projects include Muhannad Lamin’s "Tin Hinan," Lidia Terki’s "Paris The White," Firas Khoury’s "Alam, The Flag" and Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya’s innovative genre film "Film Kteer Kbeer."
Five projects from outside the Mena region have received funding, including grants for filmmakers from Singapore (‘Apprentice’ by Junfeng Boo) and Slovenia (‘Houston, We Have a Problem’ by Ziga Virc) for the first time.
The new-wave of filmmaking coming out of Argentina, a story of familial secrets between sisters and a moving documentary about orphan children in Swaziland form an eclectic selection of projects chosen from the rest of the world by filmmakers Francisco Varone ("Road To La Paz"), Manu Gerosa ("Between Sisters") and Aaron and Amanda Kopp ("Liyana").
Fatma Al Remaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Our Spring grantees demonstrate the strength of new work coming from emerging filmmakers with 23 projects awarded to first- and second-time directors and a strong selection of short films by new talents to watch.”
“These grants give support to projects with diverse regional perspectives and genres, underlining the Doha Film Institute’s commitment to the development of innovative new voices in cinema which is also echoed in our recently launched development platform, Qumra.”
What is Qumra? I asked and they showed me the recent Screen International Cannes supplement about it. Those of you in Cannes can get it off the trade stands or in the Screen offices. It is no red carpet event, nor is it a series of matter lasses. It is a regional conference aimed at deepening the conversations of experienced experts and emerging filmmakers. No masterclass or labs replace the personal conversations though there are workshops and grants involved. The grants are not merely monetary; they are grants of support, mentorships and approval which open the way for the filmmakers to optimize their chances to move ahead with their projects toward their intended goals.
It is a question of control often for filmmakers who may be forced to fit an organization's requirements when they receive funding. In Qumra, they have their own space without an authoritarian producer, although the producer is also invited and is treated well. Because the projects and producers themselves are curated, the producers are committed to committing themselves as it were to the projects. They are not forced to take on projects if they don't find the one that fits, but they are only invited if they intend to consider the projects seriously for their own portfolio. That filmmakers and producers both come out of Qumra contented is crucial.
“We have funded more than 220 projects through the grants programme since it was established and I am pleased to welcome back some of our grantee alumni who are returning this session with their new films. I am also pleased to introduce in this funding round a new avenue of support for established Mena directors, which reflects an integral part of our mission to support voices from the Arab world.”
Films supported in previous sessions of the grants programme are strongly represented in the Festival de Cannes this year with five grantees making their world premiere in various sections. They are: "Waves ’98" by Elie Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar) competing in the Official Short Film Competition; "Dégradé" by Tarzan and Arab Abunasser (Palestine, France, Qatar) and "Mediterranea" by Jonas Carpignano (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar) in the Critics’ Week sidebar which is dedicated to showcasing innovative works by new filmmakers; ‘"Lamb" by Yared Zeleke (Ethiopia, France, Qatar) in the main world cinema showcase, Un Certain Regard; and "Mustang" by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (Turkey, France, Germany, Qatar) selected for the Directors’ Fortnight.
Submissions for the Fall 2015 grants session will open July 18 and close August 1, so act now!
The fund is primarily for first and second-time filmmakers with the exception of the category of Post-Production which is available to established filmmakers from the Mena region.
For more information about eligibility and submission process visit:
http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/financing/grants/guidelines
A full directory of past grant recipients is available to view online at:
http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/financing/projects/grants
Doha Film Institute grantees for the Spring 2015 session are:
Development
Feature Narrative
"Seeking the Man with the Camera" by Boutheyna Bouslama (Tunisia, Switzerland, France, Qatar)
An investigative documentary that follows the narrator as she seeks out Seymo, a childhood friend with whom she used to play in the streets of Homs.
"Stolen Skies" by Laila Hotait Salas (Lebanon, Qatar)
Against the backdrop of the demonstrations in Cairo in 2011, a woman wants to remember the Lebanese lover she had 30 years ago – but first she will need to forgive herself.
"Tin Hinan" by Muhannad Lamin (Libya, Qatar)
A mythical coming-of-age tale in which a young girl is forced to travel into the Sahara to find a new home, ‘Tin Hinan’ depicts the struggle for identity in the midst of a revolution.
Production
Feature Narrative
"1982" by Oualid Mouaness (Lebanon, Qatar)
When 11-year-old Wissam decides to tell a classmate that he loves her, his will is challenged, his courage falters and an impending war threatens to separate them permanently.
"Alam, The Flag" by Firas Khoury (Palestine, France, Qatar)
Tamer, a young Palestinian high-school student, takes part in the mysterious Operation Flag mission on the eve of Israel’s Independence Day celebrations – a day of mourning for Palestinians.
"Paris the White" by Lidia Terki (Algeria, France, Qatar)
Aicha, a woman of 70, leaves her village in Algeria for the first time to go to Paris in search of her husband, who has not contacted her in years.
"Retina" by Nejib Belkadhi (Tunisia, Qatar)
Lotfi, a Tunisian immigrant who lives in France, is forced to return to his homeland to take care of his autistic child.
"Sahaab" by Khalifa Abdullah Al Muraikhi (Qatar)
When Nasser and his friends are lost in the desert, struggling to retrieve their falcon, their search turns out to be a deadly journey.
Short Narrative
"Aya" by Moufida Fedhila (Tunisia, France, Qatar)
‘Aya’ is a story about faith in God and in humanity, and of making changes and sacrifices in order to save one’s soul.
"The Boss" by Rzgar Huseein Ahmed (Iraq, Qatar)
A group of boys decides to select a boss from among themselves. Then the boss becomes the group’s dictator.
"One of Them" by Fahad Al Kuwari (Qatar)
Khalid finds himself in an enigmatic situation when he suddenly develops immunity to religious advocacy.
"Under the Hat" by Amal Al-Agroobi (United Arab Emirates, Qatar)
A mosque’s mu’athen loses his voice and looks for a replacement in his neighbor – the young vocalist in a heavy metal band.
Feature Documentary
"Batata" by Noura Kevorkian (Lebanon, Qatar)
While war rages back home, a family of Syrian potato farmers works the fields in neighboring Lebanon.
"Ghosts Hunting" by Raed Andoni (Palestine, France, Qatar)
Director Raed Andoni assembles an eclectic group of Palestinian ex-prisoners to rebuild the Israeli investigation centre in which they were imprisoned – a place they never in fact saw, because they were always blindfolded.
Short Experimental or Essay
"The Most Pretty Dudes" by Mohammad Dibo (Syria, Qatar)
In Homs, a city destroyed by war, two embattled groups negotiate to ensure their safe escape from the building they are both trapped in.
Post-production
Feature Narrative
"3000 Nights" by Mai Masri (Palestine, France, Jordan, Lebanon, UAE, Qatar)
A recently wed Palestinian schoolteacher gives birth in an Israeli prison, where she fights to protect her son, survive and maintain hope.
"Apprentice" by Junfeng Boo (Singapore, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Qatar)
Aiman, a corrections officer, is transferred to a high-security prison. There, he befriends Rahim, who, it turns out, is chief executioner. Can Aiman overcome his conscience and become Rahim's apprentice?
"Film Kteer Kbeer" by Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya (Lebanon, Qatar)
Intending to smuggle the amphetamine Captagon to Iraq in film canisters, a small-time Lebanese drug-dealer transforms himself into a film producer and, with the help of an underrated filmmaker, slyly manipulates public opinion.
"Houston, We Have a Problem!" by Ziga Virc (Slovenia, Germany, Croatia, Qatar)
In March, 1961, Yugoslavia sold its secret space programme to the USA. Two months later, President Kennedy announced that Americans would travel to the Moon.
"Madame Courage" by Merzak Allouache (Algeria, France, Qatar)
Omar, an unstable and lonely teenager, lives in a slum in the suburbs of Mostaganem.
"Road to La Paz" by Francisco Varone (Argentina, The Netherlands, Germany, Qatar)
Sebastián is hired to take Jahlil, a Muslim retiree, on the most important mission of his life. What begins as an inconvenient trip turns out to be a life-changing adventure.
Feature Documentary
"Beirut Rooster" by Ziad Kalthoum (Syria, Lebanon, Qatar)
While Syrian workers rebuild Lebanon, a country ruined by a lengthy civil war, their hometowns in Syria are destroyed during the brutal conflict there. Who will rebuild their houses?
"Between Sisters" by Manu Gerosa (Italy, Qatar)
Before life runs out, Ornella decides to confront her aging sister Teresa with a painful untold story – one that might change their close bond forever.
"Liyana" by Aaron and Amanda Kopp (USA, Swaziland, Qatar)
In Swaziland, some talented orphaned children create a fictional heroine and send her on a dangerous quest.
Feature Experimental or Essay
"In My Head, A Roundabout" by Lahcene Ferhani (Algeria, France, Qatar)
In the Ruisseau District of Algiers, workers and animals come together for a last dance of death: the city’s main slaughterhouse is about to close forever.
- 5/16/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The Palestinian film-maker is set to direct a new feature later this year or in the first half of 2016, marking his first film since 2009’s The Time That Remains.
“I’ve just finished the script,” Suleiman said of the as-yet-untitled work. He did not unveil the plot but noted “all of my films are to do with something personal.”
“It’s a voyage that will be crossing countries. It’s the first film I will do that doesn’t take Palestine as a microcosm of the world.”
Suleiman added the project could shoot in Europe, the Us or Palestine. Like all his work it will have “a brushstroke of the political time we live in.”
He will produce the film alongside his regular collaborator Vincent Maraval at Wild Bunch as well as Edouard Weil at Rectangle Productions.
In an interview with Screen at the Doha Film Institute’s inaugural Qumra event where he serves as artistic advisor...
“I’ve just finished the script,” Suleiman said of the as-yet-untitled work. He did not unveil the plot but noted “all of my films are to do with something personal.”
“It’s a voyage that will be crossing countries. It’s the first film I will do that doesn’t take Palestine as a microcosm of the world.”
Suleiman added the project could shoot in Europe, the Us or Palestine. Like all his work it will have “a brushstroke of the political time we live in.”
He will produce the film alongside his regular collaborator Vincent Maraval at Wild Bunch as well as Edouard Weil at Rectangle Productions.
In an interview with Screen at the Doha Film Institute’s inaugural Qumra event where he serves as artistic advisor...
- 3/8/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Simultaneously autobiographical and fantastical, the films of Elia Suleiman mine the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis for humor, pathos, and eerie poetry. The Time That Remains completes Suleiman’s trilogy that began with 1996’s Chronicle Of A Disappearance and continued with 2002’s Divine Intervention, and it’s the most ambitious, wide-ranging film of the trio, spanning 60 years of life in Nazareth via four vignettes drawn from Suleiman’s family history. Throughout, Suleiman contemplates how much has changed in his homeland since the Israeli declaration of independence in 1948, and how the natives have tried to ...
- 1/13/2011
- avclub.com
Award-winning Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman (Divine Intervention) makes idiosyncratic films about the endless conflict between Arabs and Israelis, stitching together wryly humorous tableaux that speak to the absurdity of life under occupation. Suleiman himself is often a character in these tragicomic dramas, a mute witness quietly observing the agitations of the Middle East at ground level, with lidded eyes and a mournful face that commentators have repeatedly likened to Buster Keaton’s. As a youth infatuated with socialism, Suleiman (now 50) fled a pending arrest warrant in Nazareth (the authorities were under the impression he was a gang member) and moved to London, where he met author John Berger, an important mentor and lifelong friend whose Ways of Seeing literally opened his eyes to the world. Later, in New York City, he befriended the late critic Edward Said (Orientalism) and producer James Schamus, both of whom exerted an equally powerful influence...
- 1/9/2011
- by Damon Smith
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
We'll get to what all else is online from the new issue of Film Comment in a moment, but first, here's Joumane Chahine on a film playing at the IFC Center in New York through Tuesday: "Although it actually stands as the final act in Elia Suleiman's loosely linked trilogy of semi-autobiographical 'chronicles' of Palestinian life (Chronicle of a Disappearance, 96; Divine Intervention, 02) The Time That Remains suffered in some ways — and rather unfairly — from the 'curse of the sophomore effort' when it premiered at Cannes in 2009… Subtitled 'Chronicle of a Present Absentee,' The Time That Remains may very well be a much deeper and more mature piece than Divine Intervention — and a much more ambitious one too. Inspired by Suleiman's father's diaries as a resistance fighter during the events that surrounded the creation of Israel, as well as by his mother's letters to exiled family members over the decades that followed,...
- 1/8/2011
- MUBI
Don't call Elia Suleiman a Palestinian filmmaker. "It's a kind of ghettoization, frankly," says the 50-year-old Nazareth-born director, and he has a point. True, his name often heads lists of filmmakers working in the Middle East -- Suleiman's last two features have both premiered at Cannes to wide acclaim -- but his work also displays a universality and accessibility that reaches beyond politics or questions of identity. His films manage an irresistible -- and somewhat paradoxical -- blend of Jarmuschian irony, Tatiesque slapstick, and occasional bits of documentary, while also working with deeply emotional, almost romantic undercurrents.
The films have never been particularly political, even though they often tackle potentially explosive topics: 2002's much-admired "Divine Intervention" climaxed with an Israeli checkpoint being blown to bits, "Matrix"-style. (It was a comedy, believe it or not.) Suleiman's third feature, "The Time That Remains," is certainly his most ambitious yet, examining the...
The films have never been particularly political, even though they often tackle potentially explosive topics: 2002's much-admired "Divine Intervention" climaxed with an Israeli checkpoint being blown to bits, "Matrix"-style. (It was a comedy, believe it or not.) Suleiman's third feature, "The Time That Remains," is certainly his most ambitious yet, examining the...
- 1/7/2011
- by Bilge Ebiri
- ifc.com
The Chaplin Festival at the Belcourt in Nashville opens today and runs through December 5. Poster by Sam Smith.
This evening at 7, Not Coming to a Theater Near You is presenting Freddie Francis's Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) at the 92YTribeca. Also in New York: UnionDocs presents A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory along with three of Williams's works. And Mapping Subjectivity: Experimentation in Arab Cinema from the 1960s to Now, Part I carries on at MoMA. Related reading: Vadim Rizov for the L on Elia Suleiman's Chronicle of a Disappearance (1996), Divine Intervention (2002) and The Time That Remains (2009), a "loose trilogy of occupation comedies [that] politicize the international language of deadpan."
Tonight in San Francisco, at Other Cinema, Patrick Macias, editor of Otaku USA, and August Ragone, author of Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, pay tribute to Ishiro Honda, director of the original Godzilla,...
This evening at 7, Not Coming to a Theater Near You is presenting Freddie Francis's Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) at the 92YTribeca. Also in New York: UnionDocs presents A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory along with three of Williams's works. And Mapping Subjectivity: Experimentation in Arab Cinema from the 1960s to Now, Part I carries on at MoMA. Related reading: Vadim Rizov for the L on Elia Suleiman's Chronicle of a Disappearance (1996), Divine Intervention (2002) and The Time That Remains (2009), a "loose trilogy of occupation comedies [that] politicize the international language of deadpan."
Tonight in San Francisco, at Other Cinema, Patrick Macias, editor of Otaku USA, and August Ragone, author of Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, pay tribute to Ishiro Honda, director of the original Godzilla,...
- 10/30/2010
- MUBI
By Ali Naderzad - October 24, 2010
Subtitled “Chronicle of a Present Absentee” and the final installment in a trilogy that previously gave us "Chronicle of a disappearance” and “Divine intervention,” “The time that remains” is a new film by Elia Suleiman set among the Israelo-Arab community and shot largely in homes and places in which Suleiman’s family once lived. Inspired by his father’s diaries, letters his mother sent to family members who had fled the Israeli occupation and the director’s own memories, the film spans from 1948 until the present and tells of the saga of Suleiman’s family. Inserting himself as a silent observer Suleiman trains a keen eye on the absurdities of life in Nazareth.
Born in Nazareth in 1960 to Arab parents, Elia Suleiman studied cinema at New York University and made his first short films there before moving to Jerusalem in 1994 and creating a film department at Birzeit University,...
Subtitled “Chronicle of a Present Absentee” and the final installment in a trilogy that previously gave us "Chronicle of a disappearance” and “Divine intervention,” “The time that remains” is a new film by Elia Suleiman set among the Israelo-Arab community and shot largely in homes and places in which Suleiman’s family once lived. Inspired by his father’s diaries, letters his mother sent to family members who had fled the Israeli occupation and the director’s own memories, the film spans from 1948 until the present and tells of the saga of Suleiman’s family. Inserting himself as a silent observer Suleiman trains a keen eye on the absurdities of life in Nazareth.
Born in Nazareth in 1960 to Arab parents, Elia Suleiman studied cinema at New York University and made his first short films there before moving to Jerusalem in 1994 and creating a film department at Birzeit University,...
- 10/23/2010
- by Screen Comment
- Screen Comment
MacGruber; Villa Amalia; The Time That Remains; London River; StreetDance 3D
What is it about Saturday Night Live spin-off movies that induces such soul-crushing torpor? For every rare success (Wayne's World, The Blues Brothers) there are umpteen duffers (Coneheads, It's Pat, The Ladies Man, Blues Brothers 2000) which demonstrate just how poorly TV skits translate to the big screen.
Few SNL stinkers could be worse, however, than MacGruber, an execrable dirge which suffers not only from stretching a single joke over an excruciating hour and a half, but also from spoofing an 80s TV show (MacGyver) which few in the UK either saw or care to remember. "I'm proud of how bad this film is," announced Val Kilmer whose character name, Dieter von Cunth, is about as close as the script gets to humour. "In fact, I can't believe I just called it a film. It's a two-hour skit."
Just...
What is it about Saturday Night Live spin-off movies that induces such soul-crushing torpor? For every rare success (Wayne's World, The Blues Brothers) there are umpteen duffers (Coneheads, It's Pat, The Ladies Man, Blues Brothers 2000) which demonstrate just how poorly TV skits translate to the big screen.
Few SNL stinkers could be worse, however, than MacGruber, an execrable dirge which suffers not only from stretching a single joke over an excruciating hour and a half, but also from spoofing an 80s TV show (MacGyver) which few in the UK either saw or care to remember. "I'm proud of how bad this film is," announced Val Kilmer whose character name, Dieter von Cunth, is about as close as the script gets to humour. "In fact, I can't believe I just called it a film. It's a two-hour skit."
Just...
- 10/9/2010
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Elia Suleiman's movie about life and death in the heat of the Middle East conflict is a cool, controlled minor masterpiece
Born in Nazareth in 1960 to Arab parents, Elia Suleiman studied cinema in New York and made his first short films there in the 1980s, before settling in Jerusalem in 1994 and creating a department of film and media studies under the aegis of the European Commission at Birzeit University, the first college of higher education in the Palestinian territories. He emerged on the international scene at Venice in 1994 with Chronicle of a Disappearance. In 2002, he wrote, directed and starred in Divine Intervention, a series of interlinked sketches set in a middle-class area of Nazareth and at an Israeli checkpoint on the road between Jerusalem and Ramallah, which won the jury prize at Cannes.
A sophisticated film exhibiting a dark, dry, deadpan sense of humour, Divine Intervention was widely compared with work by Jacques Tati,...
Born in Nazareth in 1960 to Arab parents, Elia Suleiman studied cinema in New York and made his first short films there in the 1980s, before settling in Jerusalem in 1994 and creating a department of film and media studies under the aegis of the European Commission at Birzeit University, the first college of higher education in the Palestinian territories. He emerged on the international scene at Venice in 1994 with Chronicle of a Disappearance. In 2002, he wrote, directed and starred in Divine Intervention, a series of interlinked sketches set in a middle-class area of Nazareth and at an Israeli checkpoint on the road between Jerusalem and Ramallah, which won the jury prize at Cannes.
A sophisticated film exhibiting a dark, dry, deadpan sense of humour, Divine Intervention was widely compared with work by Jacques Tati,...
- 5/29/2010
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Elia Suleiman's conclusion to his trilogy about Israel and Palestine is frustrating yet breathtaking.
Elia Suleiman's The Time That Remains is the third in a loose trilogy of movies about the Israeli state and the Palestinian people, to go with his Chronicle of a Disappearance (1996) and Divine Intervention (2002). The movie tells the story of Suleiman's own family in Nazareth, and his father, Fuad Suleiman, played here by Saleh Bakri as a sensitive, dreamily handsome man, with a look of the young Alain Delon.
In the late 40s, as Arab resistance to the Israeli army peters out, Fuad is a metalworker, whose lathe has been used for making guns for the rebels. Fuad is brutally arrested, bound and blindfolded with other prisoners on a hillside, subjected to mock execution, but finally freed and in later years, as father to the teenage Elia, he is a sadly withdrawn grey-haired figure,...
Elia Suleiman's The Time That Remains is the third in a loose trilogy of movies about the Israeli state and the Palestinian people, to go with his Chronicle of a Disappearance (1996) and Divine Intervention (2002). The movie tells the story of Suleiman's own family in Nazareth, and his father, Fuad Suleiman, played here by Saleh Bakri as a sensitive, dreamily handsome man, with a look of the young Alain Delon.
In the late 40s, as Arab resistance to the Israeli army peters out, Fuad is a metalworker, whose lathe has been used for making guns for the rebels. Fuad is brutally arrested, bound and blindfolded with other prisoners on a hillside, subjected to mock execution, but finally freed and in later years, as father to the teenage Elia, he is a sadly withdrawn grey-haired figure,...
- 5/27/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Istanbul is enjoying its year as the European Capital of Culture, with cultural and arts events taking place in the city from one end to the other, inaugurated with a series of ceremonies held in January. The 29th International Istanbul Film Festival took place in the city’s vibrant cultural atmosphere this year from the 3rd of April through the 18th.
Having been conceived as the Istanbul Cinema Days in 1982, the festival eventually became one of Europe’s most important film festivals thanks to the extraordinary work of the organizer, Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (Iksv), led by its charismatic chairman Şakir Eczacıbaşı. This year’s festival was marked by the absence of this important figure, as he passed away in January 24, 2010. Another absent friend of the festival was the Emek Movie Theatre, an beautiful old movie theatre which has been the host venue of the festival from the beginning,...
Having been conceived as the Istanbul Cinema Days in 1982, the festival eventually became one of Europe’s most important film festivals thanks to the extraordinary work of the organizer, Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (Iksv), led by its charismatic chairman Şakir Eczacıbaşı. This year’s festival was marked by the absence of this important figure, as he passed away in January 24, 2010. Another absent friend of the festival was the Emek Movie Theatre, an beautiful old movie theatre which has been the host venue of the festival from the beginning,...
- 4/28/2010
- by N. Buket Cengiz
- The Moving Arts Journal
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