ARAB CINEMA CENTER ORCHESTRATES FIVE HIGH-PROFILE EVENTS AT THE UPCOMING CANNES FILM FESTIVAL & MARché du film, in collaboration with MAD CELEBRITY

The Arab Cinema Center (ACC) is proud to announce its continued collaboration with the Marché du Film, alongside MAD Celebrity, for a series of captivating panel discussions and events, set to take place during this year’s market edition at the 77th Festival de Cannes, scheduled from 14 to 25 May.

With a particular focus on Arab creative talent, this year’s ACC activities are designed to draw international attention to the wealth of storytelling expertise and artistry on both sides of the camera, which have helped usher in a new Golden Age of Arab Cinema across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

This year's ACC program will comprise a total of four separate panel sessions, in addition to the ACC’s highly anticipated annual beach-side ceremony for the Critics Awards for Arab Films. All events will take place at the prestigious Plage des Palmes — the official beachside venue shared by the Festival de Cannes and Marché du Film.

“These panels always attract a huge crowd in Cannes, which speaks volumes about the international demand to both see more Arab films in the global arena and to collaborate with talents and changemakers in the region to make sure more exciting, entertaining and relevant stories see the light of day,” commented ACC Co-Founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab. “We are forever thankful to the Cannes Film Festival, their incredible team at the Marché du Film, and all our partners and collaborators for giving us the space to keep elevating the pan-Arab film industry in the eyes of the global community.”

The festivities will commence with the star-studded, three-hour event collectively bannered as “Talent Hotbed: How Arab Artists & Artisans are Conquering the Entertainment World” (15:00-17:00, 17 May) which will be presented by ACC, And MAD Celebrity and consist of two celebrity-filled panels, followed by an hour-long invite-only reception.

The first panel, “The Arab New Wave: The Actors,” moderated by Melanie Goodfellow of Deadline, will spotlight Arab cinema’s rising stars in a joint discussion about the opportunities and challenges they face in breaking into the international marketplace. Following this, “The Arab New Wave: The Artists and Artisans,” moderated by Michael Rosser of Screen International, will celebrate the work of the newest generation of talents working behind the camera. This session will dive into their international career paths, shedding light on the necessary steps for more of these exceptional artists to garner recognition beyond the MENA region.

On the following day, 18 May, ACC, MAD Solutions, IEFTA (International Emerging Film Talent Association) and NEFT Emerging Film Talent International Competition will host the annual ceremony for the Critics Awards for Arab Films (17:00-19:00). Launched in 2017 by the ACC at the Festival de Cannes, this special awards ceremony provides a platform for a glittering jury of more than 200 prominent international film critics to select and honor the best of recent Arab cinema across numerous awards categories.

Finally, on 20 May, ACC — in collaboration with IEFTA and UNHCR — will be presenting a pressingly t

• All I’ve Got and Then Some (USA) – Rasheed, a homeless stand-up comedian living out of his car in Los Angeles, does everything he can to make each day the best day of his life, one day closer to accomplishing his dream. Directed and written by Tehben Dean and Rasheed Stephens.
• Atikamekw Suns (Canada) – A documentary/fiction hybrid about the coverup of a crime against a Native American family, freely inspired by the dreams, impressions, and memories of the victims’ loved ones. Directed and written by Chloé Leriche.
• Psykhodrame (USA) – A group of out-of-work actor friends take a trip to revitalize their friendships and work on Chekhov scenes, but the scenes take on a life and power

Celebrating the Vibrancy of Independent Documentaries from China and Hong Kong

2024 TIDF Presents “Salute! Chinese Independent Documentaries” Section with three world premieres

The Taiwan International Documentary Festival (TIDF) organized by the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI) , scheduled for May 10th to 19th, 2024, reaffirms its role as a premier platform for showcasing the richness and diversity of Chinese independent documentaries. In its esteemed “Salute! Chinese Independent Documentaries” section, 9 films, including 3 world premieres, take center stage. The selected works span various genres and artistic forms, responding to current events, societal issues, and personal narratives. Utilizing fieldwork footage, inventive rearrangements of existing footage, and innovative blends of reality and fiction, expanding the realm of Chinese independent documentary filmmaking.

Five works from Hong Kong: Post-change state of society and personal memories 

The TIDF selection showcases five films by directors from Hong Kong, including three short films screened together, capturing the post-change state of society, personal memories and experiences. The screening includes Lost a Part of (2022), Let’s Talk (2023), and the world premiere In Your Shoes (2024) by CHAN Tze Woon and Florence LAM. CHAN, recipient of the Grand Prize of the 2022 TIDF Visionary Award for Blue Island, in this new work he and his partner LAM explore themes ranging from bodily experiences to past events.

An Asian Ghost Story (2023) by WANG Bo, starting with a ghost story narrated from the perspective of a female worker in a 1960s Hong Kong wig factory. The film blends archival footage, interviews, and dramatic narrative tension, shedding light on the little-known "Communist Hair Ban Policy" enforced by Americans at the time. Obedience (2024) by WONG Siu-pong, filmed over five years, is an observational documentary on the lives of scavengers in Hong Kong's Hung Hom area. As impending urban development threatens their way of life, WONG questions what is truly considered waste in this city.

Portraits of Resilience: Insights into China's Pandemic Realities and Beyond

With Self-Portrait: 47 KM 2020 (2023), TIDF audiences will once again have the opportunity to experience a film by ZHANG Mengqi. This installment marks the tenth in her “47 KM” series, which is part of WU Wenguang’s “Folk Memory Project” launched in 2010. ZHANG has been involved in this project since its inception, documenting stories from her village located 47 kilometers from Yindian Town in Suizhou, Hubei. In her latest work, ZHANG chronicles an entire year in the village, slowly following the rhythm of the countryside and painting an intimate portrait of the villagers during the 2020 pandemic outbreak.

Another film addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in China, but set in the metropolis of Shanghai, is The Memo (2023) by the BADLANDS Film Group, winner of the 2023 Golden Horse Award for

With ITFS 2024, a week full of animation comes to an end on Sunday 

Packed cinemas, enthusiastic audiences, and a positive summary

The 31st Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) came to a successful close in the evening with the grand awards ceremony. For six days, the animation industry gathered in Stuttgart, and the festival delighted filmmakers, industry visitors, and animation fans from around the world. This year's ITFS featured numerous innovations, including a new Festival Centre, and presented itself as a festival of hospitality.

The new festival management duo Annegret Richter and Heike Mozer had proclaimed a festival of short distances – and this was well received by the visitors: Stuttgart's city centre was transformed into a creative meeting place for the international animation scene from April 23 to 28, 2024, with the festival cinemas, the free open-air events, the GameZone and the new Festival Centre just within walking distance. Over 500 industry guests attended the festival, an increase of 25 percent compared to previous years, 40 percent of whom travelled from abroad alone.               

The Festival Centre was the central meeting point for the industry, attracting over 250 visitors each day to exchange ideas. "We wanted to create space for encounters at the festival, and we are delighted that our ideas met with such a positive response," said Heike Mozer, Managing Director of Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH.

The clarity and easy accessibility were a significant benefit for the numerous events: Cinema attendance increased significantly. The screenings of the International Competition in particular were filled to capacity. Other film programmes, like the world premiere of the series "Fritzi und Sophie – Grenzenlose Freundschaft" also saw excellent attendance.

"The festival had a very special atmosphere. Even the late-night film programmes were fully booked, and new offerings like a live-drawing challenge were a huge hit. We couldn't be happier," said Annegret Richter, Artistic Director of Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH.

Not only the industry guests made intensive use of the offerings, but the Stuttgart audience was also drawn to the cinemas much more frequently than in previous years. After a rainy start, the weekend brought gorgeous spring weather, drawing thousands to Schlossplatz to enjoy the free open-air cinema, have a picnic, or participate in a range of interactive activities.

A total of 138 short and feature-length films were screened in five competitions and discussed by the international juries. Cinema audiences could also vote and award prizes. The winning films were announced Gloria Cinema on Sunday night, and the winner of the Animated Games Award Germany was also crowned. The winning films of the Children's Competition, Tricks for Kids, were announced on Sunday afternoon on the open-air stage and then screened for free on the big screen. The German Animation Screenplay Awards, the Trickstar Business Award and the ASIFA Prize had already been presented on Thursday, April 25 as part of the AniX Awards. 

The awards ceremony on Sunday marked the end of Stuttgart’s Animated Week. For the first time, ITFS and its partner events, FMX – Film & Media Exchange (April 23 – 26) and Animation Production Days (April 23 –25), jointly celebrated a week of animation that radiated far beyond the region.

Award Winners

The juries' detailed statements can be found soon

The 43rd Istanbul Film Festival, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and sponsored by N Kolay, was concluded with an award ceremony held on 28 April at Atlas 1948. A total of 51 films competed in the international and national competitions of the festival.

At the award ceremony, the winners of the International and National Competitions, the National Short Film and National Documentary Competitions, the Young Master Award, Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize were revealed. The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) also presented three awards at the ceremony.

The 43rd Istanbul Film Festival, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and sponsored by N Kolay, was concluded with an award ceremony held on 28 April at Atlas 1948. A total of 51 films competed in the international and national competitions of the festival.

At the award ceremony, the winners of the International and National Competitions, the National Short Film and National Documentary Competitions, the Young Master Award, Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize were revealed. The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) also presented three awards at the ceremony.

 43rd ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

17-28 April 2024

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Golden Tulip Best Film (in memory of Şakir Eczacıbaşı)

Forever-Forever / Nazavzhdy-Nazavzhdy / Anna Buryachkova (Ukraine, The Netherlands)

Special Jury Prize

Sweet Dreams / Ena Sendijarević (The Netherlands, France, Indonesia, Sweden)

YOUNG MASTER AWARD given by the Nespresso Youth Jury

Hoard / Luna Carmoon (United Kingdom)

“This debut film, in which the themes of abuse, trauma and grief are treated from a common but unique and personal point of view, disturbed us at times and moved us at times with its consistent and striking vision. The stylistic preferences adopted to describe the shocking world established in the film had an energy and dynamism that reflected the director's youth. For all these reasons and more, we, the members of the Nespresso Young Jury, decided to give the Young Master Award to this film”.

NATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION

Best Short Film

Eksi Bir / Minus One / Ömer Ferhat Özmen

“For its skilful management of the viewpoint and handling of each character within the world it has constructed, and for conveying the delusions in the panorama of Turkey to the audience in a strong and simple language”.

Special Mention

Zarafet ve Şiddet Arasında / Between Delicate and Violent / Şirin Bahar Demirel

“For its strong and original visual language based on a personal story, its layered structure that interacts between the reality of the past and the imagination of the present, and its striking story”.

SEYFİ TEOMAN BEST DEBUT FILM PRIZE

Best Debut Film

Büyük Kuşatma / The Grand Siege / Sinan Kesova

“In addition to its bold visual choices, The Grand Siege by Sinan Kesova, whose second film we will eagerly await with great curiosity, presents us with an original story that has not been told much, with a dose of clever irony and a sense of humour that surrounds the film from beginning to end”.

Special Mention

Başlangıçlar / In