20/02/2013

Third Arab Screen Independent Film Festival kicks off in Lybia

New Lybian films to shine in Bengazhi from February 19 to 23

Events and Festivals, Libya

Benghazi is hosting the third edition of the Arab Screen Independent Film Festival for feature and short films this year, writes Khulud Alfallah on Al Arab Online. The festival runs from February 19 to 23 at the Elephant cinema.

"[The festival] offers the town's youth and young Libyans the opportunity to screen their films and dreams and to express themselves about their obsessions, frustrations, and preoccupations," said the festival's founder and director Mohamed Makhlouf.

It is open to both amateurs and professionals, and films that do not make it to the competition will not be excluded from the festival, he added.

A high proportion of Libyan films will participate, including great surprises from very new directors.

Issam Tarkhan, head of the cinema and theatre department at Benghazi University, will preside over the jury, whose members will all be of Arab origin.

The festival focuses on "independent films made by spirits detached from governmental authority and commercial producers". Selected films must show uncensored ideas and opinions.

"These young people from the Arab world, especially Libya, stood up for political change, historical change, and deep change in the lives of the region's peoples," said the festival's founder. "Their counterparts who died as martyrs allowed for this freedom that today gives room for discussion. Festivals are the indispensable core for the construction of a richer artistic movement and cultural activities, which are demanded by these peoples to record their history, as well as their society's details and events."

Beyond film screenings, the festival will feature a free filmmaking workshop to cover directing, shooting, editing, scriptwriting, and producing, as well as animation.

To read the original article in Arabic, please click here.

Source: Al Arab Online

Photo:  Al Arab Online