2018

For the first time since its launch, Palestine Cinema Days hosts the French Corner Ramallah – Filmlab Palestine, which organises the largest international cinematic event in Palestine, Palestine Cinema Days (previously known as Days of Cinema), is preparing for its fifth edition taking place next month, and is planned to experience a paradigm shift this year. Filmlab: Palestine has announced many developments and updates that the festival’s upcoming edition will include, hosting the French Corner being the most important. For the first time, the French Institute will collaborate with Filmlab in an aim to merge its Franco-Arab Film Festival with the locally organised Palestine Cinema Days. In addition to the French Institute sponsoring the second edition of Palestine Film Meetings (PFM) which bring together Palestinian filmmakers and guests from around the world, French filmmakers will be invited to attend PFM and contribute participating in panel discussions, lectures, and an exchange of expertise with Palestinian professionals and audience. Jean-Luc Lavaud, Head of cooperation and Director of the French Institute, says: “We are very pleased to present this first French Corner selection within the festival. The strength of French cinema is also in the diversity and the exchanges that it has been able to initiate with other countries, and the cooperation with the Filmlab: Palestine is a good example that I wish to see flourish”. Hanna Atallah, Artistic Director of the festival, states that “since the beginning, we have made sure to bring local and international films to Palestine. Such a step comes to serve our objective of reviving cinema culture in Palestine by creating partnerships and expanding the range of cooperation with international cultural centres and festivals. This stresses the considerable development of Palestine Cinema Days over the past five years”. The French Institute began holding the Franco-Arab Film Festival in Palestine in 2009. Throughout the festival, a selection of critically acclaimed French films was screened, including feature, documentary, and animated films, in addition to many French films alongside those coproduced with countries from the region, such as Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Iran, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine. Moreover, during last year’s edition, the Franco-Arab Film Festival organised more than 50 screenings in 16 different locations Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Gaza. That is in addition to organising numerous seminars and panel discussions with French directors and filmmakers. The fifth edition of Palestine Cinema Days will launch on October 17 th , and will last until the 23 rd of October all throughout Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus, and Gaza. This year, the festival will focus on presenting various independent and strong cinematic voices from Palestine and around the world. Filmlab: Palestine encourages the public to follow the Palestine Cinema Days program and events by checking our website and the festival’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.