The third edition of the Jerusalem Arab Film Festival kicked off yesterday, Tuesday, at the Palestinian National Theater (Al-Hakawati) with the participation of 32 films from about ten countries, attended by a number of filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts. The festival program, which extends until July 16, includes discussions, open meetings with filmmakers, and training workshops for scriptwriting, editing, and documentary filmmaking.
Festival director Nivin Shaheen stated at the opening, "This year's program is rich with films addressing various issues. Over the course of six days, we will screen 32 films that touch on the pains, hopes, dreams, aspirations, memories, and history of our brotherly Arab peoples."
The festival opened with the screening of the Egyptian film "19 B," directed by Ahmad Abdullah Al-Sayed and starring Sayed Ragab, Nahed Nasrallah, and Ahmed Khaled Saleh. The rest of the program includes films from Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Sudan, Jordan, and Palestine.
Notable feature films in the program include "Island of Forgiveness" by Tunisian director Redha Behi, "Mediterranean Fever" by Palestinian director Maha Haj, and "The Bride's Blessing" by Lebanese director Bassam Al-Bari. The program also features documentaries, including "Take Me to the Cinema" by Iraqi director Baqir Jafar, "Heroic Bodies" by Sudanese director Sara Suleiman, and "Little Palestine" by Palestinian director Abdullah Al-Khatib.
