Outdoor movie theaters are part of Spain’s summer landscape — this year, with a risque twist.

By Cristina Mateo-Yanguas – GlobalPost
Published: July 30, 2009 08:28 ET

MADRID — When the sun goes down and the heat lets up, Spaniards like to enjoy a film under the summer stars. This year, passions were burning high at one outdoor theater showing a series of films about love and sex.

Such a topic is not too surprising in progressive Spain, except that the venue was none other than Madrid’s Casa Arabe, or Arab House. The summer theater installed on its patio showed a five-movie series during July called “Labyrinth of Passions: Love and Desire in Arab Films.”

Organizers say they are trying to challenge cliches about Arab and Islamic societies and that they believe Spain is uniquely positioned to promote relations with the Arab and Islamic world.

The Moors’ almost 800-year presence in these lands, a time of alternating peace and war, left a rich legacy in Spanish language and architecture. Many Spaniards have last names of Arabic origin and Morocco is only nine miles from the Spanish coast.

“In Arab and Islamic imagery, Spain is the most credible and friendly country in all of Europe,” Casa Arabe’s website states. “Spain refrained from participating in the colonial adventure of the great empires.”

Casa Arabe’s director, Gema Martin Munoz, said they wanted to show how Arab societies treat love and desire. “It may surprise some because the stereotype that the Arab world is monolithically puritanical and ultraconservative is widespread, but that’s only one aspect, though the most publicized in our societies,” she wrote in an email. “Often the tendency is to think that what is not known does not exist.”

The showings are free of charge and were standing room only. The movies — “A Cup and a Cigarette” (“Sigara wa kaz”), “Insomnia” (“La anam”), “Dunia,” “Marock” and “Satin Rouge” come from Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco and France. They explore love, desire, jealousy and complex relations.

“Satin Rouge” played to an audience that waited up to an hour in line for a seat. Once the movie started at 10 p.m., some unlucky souls stayed on to watch through the wrought-iron fence surrounding the complex.

“Satin Rouge” is a 2002 Tunisian film directed by Raja Amari which tells the story of a widow and strict mother, Lilia (Hiam Abbas), who rediscovers her sensuality while belly dancing in a cabaret. She leaves her house silently at night to conceal her dancing from family and neighbors living in a conservative society.

In an early dressing room scene, a cabaret friend recalls how her custom-made bra burst in the middle of her dance. “It must have been horrible,” Lilia says. “No way, men loved it. A piece of tit, 147 dinars,” quips her friend, laughing.

Spanish women fanned themselves as hushed comments passed from ear to ear among the moviegoers. A soft breeze shook the trees in the patio. The hum of traffic outside the gates droned in the background, broken occasionally by a passing siren.

The plot soon thickened. Lilia winds up having sex with her daughter’s boyfriend. No explicit nudity is shown, but the gasping of the passion scene silenced spectators’ whispers. Desire pouring out of the outdoor sound system enveloped the whole patio.

“The sex scene totally took us by surprise,” said 30-year-old Laura Chapado, after the movie. She and her friend, Paloma Gonzalez, also 30, said they liked the initiative so much they were planning to attend other movies that week. “This is a delicious environment. It’s so nice to watch a movie outdoors, in this beautiful patio, while having a tea to connect with the culture of the film we’re watching,” Gonzalez said.

Others went for the cold beer, which can be purchased in the cafeteria housed within the Casa Arabe’s ornate, neo-Mudejar brick building dating from the 1880s.

“The Tunisian society in the film is no different from the one I lived in here, in Spain, when I was a kid,” reflected 57-year-old Juan Goberna. “Spain has changed a lot in two generations, but our traditional Mediterranean society was very similar to the one in the movie,” he said. “This goes to show how a person can see a very deep change in society within his lifetime.”

Robert Batal, a Lebanese man here with his 18- and 20-year-old daughters, said the movie was “excellent.” He and his daughters sometimes attend activities at the Casa Arabe.

The Casa Arabe and the International Institute of Studies of the Arab and Muslim World was inaugurated a year ago as a meeting point for Arab and Muslim countries and Western nations — “a space of mutual awareness and shared reflection,” reads its website, to contribute to countering “stereotypes, bigotry, fears and suspicions [that] have all made inroads in the last few years, aided by such theories as the clash of civilizations.”

The house features an Arabic-language center, a sociopolitical observatory and a socioeconomic forum. With one center in Madrid and another in the Andalusian town of Cordoba, Casa Arabe and the institute do research, hold economic and business forums, teach courses and house exhibits and seminaries.

The 13-part documentary series “Nexos,” about Muslims around the world and inspired by the United Nations’ Alliance of Civilizations, was presented here a couple of months ago. Spaniards as well as embassy officials from some of the Arab countries that will broadcast the series attended. After the presentation, hors d’oeuvres were served. No Spanish cured ham in the canapes, though no shortage of wine and beer in this meeting ground of cultures.

By Amanda Georges
AFF Staff

On Monday, Algerian Secretary of State for Communication Azzedine Mihoubi proposed the creation of a fund to support local Arab film production, the Algerian Press Service reported.

“Funding Arab films is difficult and restrictive because of the lack of film supporting funds in the Arab world, and due to this reason, the Arab producers tend to seek a foreign party to finance their works,” Mihoubi said.

Mihoubi also commented that it is important to ensure a real contribution of Arab filmmakers and to move beyond merely honorary participants on an international level.

The same issue of foreign financing dependency is true with Arab film distribution. At last year’s Dubai Film Market, an event where distributers bid on rights to Arab and other international films, the majority of films were picked up by non-Arab distribution companies, including American, Dutch, Finnish and Swedish companies.

The proposed fund would also finance Arab co-productions as well as artistic and technical training.

Mihoubi also appealed to filmmakers to draw influence from Arab literature to create scripts.

“Today’s cinema has moved away from its objectives and film producers have limited interests in producing their movies based on literary works”

After winning 27 international awards, including Sundance, Captain Abu Raed continues to prove that the power of word-of-mouth can carry a film to survive the brutal competitive field of theatrical distribution. American and Arab audiences alike love the film, and critics from around the country have rated it 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Please see the following link to read reviews: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_abu_raed/

Here’s the link to the fresh new trailer:
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by Peter Knegt

The Doha skyline.

Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) has announced some key members of the team that will head up the inaugural 2009 Festival. Amanda Palmer, head of entertainment for Al Jazeera English, has been named the festival’s Executive Director. Palmer will lead the Festival and work with a team from Tribeca that includes Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises, to shape the program. Locally the team will include Arab documentary and short films expert Mohamed Maklouf, serving as the festival’s Regional Programs Advisor, and Palestinian filmmaker Scandar Copti serving as Community Outreach Programmer.

“We are thrilled to have Amanda on board. Her relationships and her understanding of the region will be an enormous asset,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, in a statement. “Together, Amanda and Geoff’s experience will help us engage the film world and the Qatari community in an exchange of ideas through the universal language of film.”

Doha Tribeca Film Festival will run October 29 to November 1, 2009 and is being produced by Qatar Museums Authority in collaboration with the Tribeca Film Festival. The fest is intended to showcase the “best of the local Qatari community” as well as “the broader Arab culture.” It was formed through a cultural partnership by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and the Tribeca Film Festival Founders, Jane Rosenthal, Craig Hatkoff, and Robert De Niro. The Festival was announced in November of 2008 and the first edition will be hosted at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar.

“Our vision is to create a festival that genuinely engages the Qatari people and supports regional filmmakers,” said Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums Authority, in a statement. “This team is going to impact the way this region experiences film.”

“When Her Excellency and I started talking about this possibility it was always clear that the festival vision was to create an authentic film event that truly serves the community,” said Palmer in a statement. “Film is such an amazing equalizer and we felt Tribeca was unique in how it creates an event where filmmakers and film-goers can equally celebrate film.”

As part of the collaboration with Tribeca, a team of Qatari nationals traveled to New York to learn how the organization runs an international film festival. Palmer is leading that group in Doha, modeling DTFF programming on the success of Tribeca while also creating an “authentic, locally-driven, Middle Eastern film festival.”
“Doha Tribeca Film Festival seeks to initiate a dialogue about the power of film that resonates long after the Festival’s conclusion and creates a sustainable foundation for the growth of a film industry in Qatar,” said Geoff Gilmore in a statement. “We hope that the Festival will help nurture and support area filmmakers and be an important step toward creating the next generation of filmmakers in Qatar.”
Gilmore joined Tribeca Enterprises back in February, after leaving a 19 year position at the Sundance Film Festival. At the time, Gilmore told indieWIRE he was joining the organization to “be involved in setting up a new paradigm, exploring the ways that festivals become platforms for new enterprises.”

DTFF will include approximately 30 films, as well as special events. In its four days in Doha, DTFF will center its events around the city’s Museum of Islamic Art.

The Arab Fund Documentary Film Program

Call for Proposals

The Arab Fund Documentary Film Program is a partnership between the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture and Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program (DFP). This program is dedicated to supporting contemporary nonfiction films produced by filmmakers targeting the audience in the Arab World.

Individuals and organizations working in filmmaking are invited to send in their proposals for development, production and post-production nonfiction films. A committee of independent international and regional experts will assess the received proposals and will make recommendations from projects submitted by filmmakers.

About AFAC

The Arab Fund for Arts & Culture (AFAC) is a nonprofit organization providing direct financial assistance to independent artists and cultural institutions across the Arab World. AFAC aims at stimulating and supporting artistic creativity and freedom of cultural expression in the Arab World.

About DFP

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program provides year-round support to nonfiction contemporary-issue filmmakers internationally. The program encourages the exploration of innovative nonfiction storytelling, and promotes the exhibition of documentary films to a broader audience. It supports independent artists both domestically and internationally.

How to Apply: To apply, you are required to

1. Fill in the application form in English. Applications will be evaluated by an international jury including members who are non-Arabic speakers. Application form and guidelines are available of the “how to apply” page on our website www.arabculturefund.org

2. Email the filled in application to documentaryfilm@arabculturefund.org. In addition, you might send a hard copy of your proposal (optional) to: P.O. Box 1402 Amman 11118 – Jordan. Proposals and all supporting visual materials should be submitted before the deadline. Incomplete proposals will not be reviewed.

Program Schedule:

July 16, 2009: Call for proposal.

Sep 30, 2009: Proposals submission deadline.

Jan 31, 2010: Winners announcement.

برنامج الصندوق العربي لدعم الأفلام الوثائقية

دعوة لتقديم طلبات الدعم

برنامج الصندوق العربي لدعم الأفلام الوثائقية هو شراكة بين الصندوق العربي للثقافة والفنون وبرنامج معهد سندانس للأفلام الوثائقية، وهذا البرنامج مخصص لدعم الأفلام الوثائقية المعاصرة التي تستهدف الجمهور في العالم العربي.

يدعو الصندوق العربي الأفراد والمؤسسات العاملين في صناعة الأفلام والذين يتوجهون بأفلامهم إلى الجمهور في المنطقة العربية، لطلب الدعم لمشاريعهم الخاصة بإنتاج الأفلام الوثائقية في كافة مراحلها، من تطوير للنصوص إلى الانتاج وما بعد الإنتاج، وستقوم لجنة مؤلفة من خبراء مستقلين دوليين وعرب بتقييم العروض المُستلَمة وتقديم توصيات بشأن المشاريع التي سيدعمها الصندوق العربي.

الصندوق العربي للثقافة والفنون

الصندوق العربي مؤسسة عربية مستقلة غير ربحية ومهمته دعم الإبداع الفني وحرية التعبير الثقافي في العالم العربي عبر ترسيخ دعم استراتيجي للثقافة والسعي إلى توفير آلية تمويل مستدام للفنانين كما للمؤسسات الثقافية والفنية والمساهمة في تيسير التبادل الثقافي عبر المنطقة العربية وزيادة وتعزيز الإنتاج والبحث الثقافيين والتعرف على قنوات لتوزيع الفنون العربية والمساهمة في تطويرها.

برنامج معهد سندانس للأفلام الوثائقية

برنامج معهد سندانس للأفلام الوثائقية يقدِّم دعماً على مدار السنة لمخرجي الأفلام التي تدور حول قضايا وثائقية معاصرة في كافة أنحاء العالم ويشجع على استكشاف طرق مبتكرة لرواية ما هو وثائقي، ويعززعرض الأفلام الوثائقية على نطاق أوسع ويدعم الفنانين المستقلين على الصعيدين المحلي والدولي.

كيفية تقديم الطلبات: لتقديم طلبك يتعين عليك:

1. ملء نموذج الطلب باللغة الإنجليزية. لجنة المحكّمين تتألف من خبراء بعضهم غير ناطق باللغة العربية. نموذج الطلب ودليل المِنح موجودان بثلاث لغات في صفحة “كيف تقدم الطلبات” على موقعنا الإلكتروني www.arabculturefund.org.

2. إرسال النموذج المُستكمَل بالبريد الإلكتروني إلى documentaryfilm@arabculturefund.org كما يمكنك إرسال نسخة مطبوعة من عرضك (اختياري) إلى: ص.ب 1402 عمّان 11118 – الأردن. ينبغي تسليم الطلب وجميع المواد المرئية المدّعِمة له قبل انتهاء موعد تقديم الطلبات. ولن يتم النظر في العروض الناقصة.

الجدول الزمني للبرنامج:

· 16 تموز/يوليو، 2009: بدء استقبال طلبات الدعم

· 30 أيلول/سبتمبر، 2009: الموعد النهائي لتقديم طلبات الدعم.

· 31 كانون الثاني/يناير، 2010: إعلان النتائج.

الصندوق العربي للثقافة والفنون

هاتف:0096264655859

فاكس:0096264655860

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Matthai Kuruvila, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, July 25, 2009

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• State agencies close for third furlough day 07.26.09

//

Whether Corrie naively put herself in harm’s way in support of terrorists or was intentionally killed by the Israeli military is the nexus of the controversy.

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by Amanda Georges
AFF Staff

Two short films have been recently completed as part of the innovative Imagine: 2018 project by grassroots organization One Voice in an effort to share the messages of peace from Israeli and Palestinian youth.

Imagine: 2018 first asked youth last year from both sides of the border to write a story imagining life in the Middle East after 10 years of peace. Fifty of the best essays were published in two books, one in Arabic and one in Hebrew, and now One Voice plans to turn the top 10 essays into short films.

“The essay contest portion of the project was designed to inspire and empower Israeli and Palestinian youth to visualize the concrete benefits of peace – and by turning the short stories into films, One Voice hopes to inspire and empower people worldwide,” said Erin Pineda from One Voice.

The project marks a new endeavor for One Voice in using film as a medium to spread the group’s message of cooperation and peace from moderates who seek a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict.

Israeli directors Rani Blair and Eran Riklis directed the first two films and recruited the help of some top Israeli actors. Directors from Israel, Palestine and Hollywood will be participating in the project.

Blair directed Tel Aviv-Damascus Express about an Israeli boy and a Palestinian girl traveling together on a train from Tel Aviv to Damascus when romance ensues.

A Soldier and a Boy was directed by Riklis and tells the story of an Israeli soldier and Palestinian boy who are chasing one another and both holding guns. When each fires their weapon, water comes out of the guns and a picnic water fight begins.

When all the films are completed, One Voice will make them available on their official website (www.onevoicemovement.org) and on video-sharing website YouTube.

“Film is an incredibly powerful medium – especially for helping people to visualize things that seem unimaginable, and for disseminating the dream or vision of a single individual to millions of people around the globe,” said Pineda.

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The Women’s Affairs Center in Gaza is preparing to launch its first festival for women’s films before the end of 2009 under the title “Gaza in the eyes of women.” Its aim: to shed light on the cinema of women and highlight the incredible creativity existing in ranks of Arab and Palestinian women.

By NELLY AL-MASRI from www.menassat.com

Shirine Deibiss’ film “America.” © Al-Akhbar

GAZA, July 22, 2009 (MENASSAT) – The Gaza in the Eyes of Women Festival aims to create a cultural phenomenon through cinema. Festival organizers say they are looking to directly communicate with Palestinian and Arab women directors, and it’s no small deal trying to organize something that has no precedent in Gaza.

Itram Washah, coordinator of the video program at the host organization, the Women’s Affair Center, said Palestinian directors have a need to express their causes and ambitions, and spread their message to the Arab world.

“Palestinian woman can be creative even at the darkest times,” she said, adding that many talented women directors need support and exposure – something she says the Women’s Center has been working the past three years to achieve.

Training is a big component in this process.

Arab participation

The festival expects to screen around 50 films, which include local entries, as well as films from Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco, Sudan and Jordan.

Washah said that the 2-year Israel blockade on the Gaza Strip made communications with the Arab directors difficult – and shipping even more so. But, she says the blockade was unable to control the phone systems and Internet – which de facto were the primary means of “breaking” the blockade’s overwhelming effects on everyday life, Washah said.

The Center said it was able to arrange a central collection point in Egypt for the Arab movies. Some of the films collected there included those made by Arabic film heavyweights like director Sama al-Aryan, Jordanian director Tayssir Masharqa, and Moroccan director Omar al-Fatihi, in addition to nine Palestinian films from the West Bank and from the pre-Israel 1948 territories.

A pioneer experience

Palestinian director Saud Mehanna, a consultant in the supervisory committee, assured continuity with participating directors, calling them and making other key arrangements to assure their enthusiasm in the festival.

Although Mehanna expects this year’s festival will exceed their expectations in the way of participation and access to training, he says it is a blueprint that will only get better, especially given it’s the only festival of its kind.

Some critics have gone public in accusing the festival of launching past the original launch date earlier this year, a charge Mehanna refutes given the appalling social and political climate in Gaza, “Harsh circumstances that affect Palestinians in general and women in particular.”

Indeed, the participating local films focus on Palestinian women’s issues, especially the life of Palestinian women living in Gaza during the Israeli blockade, the December/January war on Gaza and overall themes such as violence, and divorce.

The festival, Mahanna says is a chance for Gaza’s women directors to rise up above the situation and overcome it, despite all the obstacles.

“There is an international and Arab tendency for women to make movies especially in Cairo, Morocco and Spain,” he said.

The festival is due to open in September 2009 at the Rashad al-Shawa cultural center in Gaza City.

The Festival Committee includes Amal Siyyam, the executive manager of the Center; Zeinab Ghanimi, manager of the Center for Research and Legal Consultations; May Naef, a scholar; Saud Mehanna, director; Majida Thabet, director; Khalil al-Zein, director; Hidaya Shamoun, writer and media worker; Itmad Washah, coordinator of the video programs; and Nour al-Halabi, assistant coordinator.

The September Women’s Festival will last for three consecutive days, and will include workshops to discuss the movie making process using films chosen by the committee during the festival. _uacct = “UA-3273187-1″; urchinTracker();

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19 July 2009

JEDDAH: The Jeddah Film Festival that was scheduled to open Saturday at King Abdul Aziz Cultural Center was canceled at the eleventh hour, literally.

Mamdouh Salem, director of the Jeddah Film Festival, confirmed the cancellation, saying that he received an official notice from the Jeddah governorate at 11 p.m. on Friday ordering the festival canceled and leaving many attendees who had already arrived at a loss of words.

Salem, who put the total cost of the festival at around SR200,000, said the cancellation came at the last moment just when everything was ready. The adjudicating panel, which consists of Omani director Khaled Al-Zajali, UAE writer Khaled Al-Bodour, Saudi producer Majdi Wadou and writer Halema Muzafar, had already started their work early Friday.

The official explanation from the Jeddah municipality was that the festival “lacked preparations,” according to municipality spokesman Ahmad Al-Ghamdi. He did not elaborate. Calls made to Rotana Studios, the official sponsor of the event, went unanswered.

More than 50 directors from Gulf countries and a number of other personalities invited by Rotana Studios had arrived for the inauguration of the festival.

“I’m sorry that they came all this way only for the event to be canceled,” said Salem, adding that he was trying to get a clear explanation for the cancellation from the concerned authorities.

Seventy-one films from GCC countries, including a maiden entry from Yemen and 15 short European films, were to be screened publicly, according to Salem. The festival was going to give a number of awards.

The festival’s director underscored the fact that the entire festival “was under supervision” in accordance with the country’s media regulations, “with the event only trying to present cinema in a positive way.” Salem said a possible reason for the cancellation could be this was the first year the festival emphasized that it was showing films. “When it first started in 2006, organizers consciously called it the ‘Visual Exhibition Festival’ in order to avoid a backlash from conservative groups,” he said. “If it had remained under the old name ‘Visual Festival Exhibition’ then maybe this would not have happened.”

Salem said he made an effort to feature films that portray a positive image of Islam and to include films produced by conservative-minded people.

“We see Al-Majd TV entered the festival with the movie ‘Eyes With No Sleep,’ which includes no music or actresses,” he said.

Fahd Al-Osta, Saudi movie director and critic, termed the cancellation a “disappointment.”

“The decision (to cancel the festival) came as a surprise to those who are familiar with Saudi society, which has already accepted the concept of cinema,” he said. “Canceling the festival on the day of its opening is shocking and it will affect future activities even if they are under government sponsorship.”

Al-Osta said the Saudi cinema movement had positively affected local movie production, both in quantity and quality. In April, Saudi director Waleed Othman won second place for “The Revenge” in the Second Gulf Film Festival in Dubai.

He said that the festival, despite disagreements between moviemakers about form and presentation, managed to create cinematic ambience while providing a gathering place for participants from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.

The film festival would have encouraged investors to invest in opening cinema theaters in the future, Al-Osta said, adding that the decision “would now push their efforts 10 steps backward.”

By Omaima Al-Fardan

© Arab News 2009

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by Amanda Georges
AFF Staff

The Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s ninth Emirates Film Competition will offer a film grant to a local artist. The grant with be awarded during this year’s competition, which takes place October 8th to 17th in Abu Dhabi as part of the Middle East International Film Festival.

The competition’s call for entries is open until August 1st and will be accepting short, feature, documentary and animated films from nationals and residents of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf Cooperation Council, though only UAE nationals can compete for the film grant.

The grant winner will receive 250,000 AED (about $68,062) to complete a film project by October 2010. Second and third prize winners will be awarded 150,000 AED and 100,000 AED respectively.

The commission will also continue the Shasha screenwriting grant, a $100,000 prize to be awarded to six screenwriters during the festival.

“Our main concern is to encourage and grow the local film making talent within the UAE and provide the opportunity to share experience and learn from other film makers from different countries. This year we opened the entries to all nationalities residing in the GCC to strengthen the competitive spirit between filmmakers and encourage more entries,” said Shepheard to Middle East Online.

Additional reporting from Ali Jafaar at Variety.com

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