The Malmo Arab Film Festival in Sweden launched its 14th session the day before yesterday, with the participation of 26 films, including the Sudanese film “Goodbye Julia” by director Mohamed Kordofani, which was selected for the opening screening.
The festival’s special film competition includes 12 films, including the Tunisian film “Daughters of Olfa”, the Yemeni film “The Weary”, the Palestinian film “The Professor”, and the Egyptian film “A Nose and Three Eyes”.
As for the short film competition, there are 14 films, including the Saudi film “Antidote,” the Jordanian film “The Red Sea is Crying,” the Iraqi film “Transit,” and the Syrian film “I Belong to You”. The festival will also present four Saudi films, in collaboration with the Saudi Film Authority, in the “Arabian Nights” category, as well as two films from Egypt and Iraq. At the opening, held at the Royal Cinema, the festival honored the Egyptian director Khairy Bishara for all his work, as well as the Palestinian writer Muhammad Habbash and the Syrian designer Maher Mozouq, for their contributions to the development of the festival’s music and logo. In parallel with the exhibitions that extend until the 28th of this month, the “Malmo Film Industry Days” will be held, which will award cash and other prizes to film projects in the production and development stages. The festival, which was launched for the first time in 2011, is one of the most prominent art events that connects the Arab region and the Nordic countries in Northern Europe.
The festival’s administrative and artistic advisor, Mohamed Qiblawi, said at the opening: “Today, the Malmö Arab Film Festival has become an annual center in the south of Sweden for a meeting of those interested in cinema, Arabs and Europeans, to discuss and exchange knowledge, and establish important and fruitful cinematic partnerships.”
He said: “The festival and its business arm (Malmo Film Industry Days) work as a platform to strengthen joint productions and get to know each other, where filmmakers and audiences explore and discusses everything from art to everyday problems, through film experiences and stories. .”
Muhammad Qiblawi:
• Filmmakers and audiences explore and discuss everything from art to everyday problems through the festival’s films.
• 4 Saudi films are shown in the “Arabian Nights” section, as well as two works from Egypt and Iraq.
