Ramy Youssef and Hiam Abbass back new Gaza Cinema Academy

Ramy Youssef and Hiam Abbass are among the prominent actors and directors endorsing the Gaza Cinema Academy, a new initiative unveiled at the Venice Film Festival. The academy, co-founded by Palestinian directors Ezzaldeen Shalh and Mai Masri, seeks to offer film education and support for aspiring filmmakers in the Palestinian territory.

Other notable supporters include Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir, actor Saleh Bakri, Italian producer Graziella Bildesheim, and Mad Solutions co-founder Alaa Karkouti.

The Gaza Filmmaking Diploma, a nine-month program combining theoretical and practical training, commenced in March with its inaugural cohort of 25 young Palestinian women. Shalh, who also established the Gaza International Women’s Film Festival, detailed the academy's objectives in a statement during the launch announcement. He emphasized that cinema in Gaza serves multiple purposes, such as preserving memory, reclaiming their right to shape their own image, and equipping a new generation with the skills to tell their own stories.

Shalh expressed the academy's aspiration to serve as a window for young individuals and women in Gaza, providing them opportunities to learn, create, and produce their own films, with their voices and images reaching a global audience. They extend an invitation to partners from institutions, universities, and the international film community to collaborate in establishing this space.

The academy is also in the process of developing a filmmaking degree that will be accredited by Al Quds Open University. In addition to their teaching programs, they aim to forge partnerships that assist filmmakers in Gaza in presenting their work at international festivals and reaching audiences worldwide. Masri, whose film catalog includes the 2015 prison drama 3000 Nights, highlighted their belief that creativity and cinema can empower, safeguard human memory, and forge bridges that defuse borders.

An upcoming presentation will take place at Venice's Sale Docks space on Wednesday, alongside a celebration event for the second Gaza International Festival for Women's Cinema, scheduled for October.

Among the movies premiering at this year’s Venice Film Festival, two are Palestinian productions: Ahmed Hassouna’s Citizen Osama and Muayad Alayan’s Conversation With the Sea.