Arab Women's Film Festival 2013 presents: Wadjda, the first Saudi feature film by a female filmmaker, de world premiere of the Syrian film Mariam, and the presence of BAFTA-winner Jeremy Brock, screenwriter of The Last King of Scotland
From 8 till 10 March 2013, the third edition of the Arab Women's Film Festival in The Hague will take place. The Arab House of Arts organizes in cooperation with Filmhuis Den Haag and The American Book Center this unique film festival. Next to the main program that consists of twelve films, Q&As, music, workshops, debate and a photography exhibition will be part of the program as well. Furthermore, twelve prominent guests from the Netherlands and abroad will be present during the festival..
The festival starts on Friday 8 March at Filmhuis Den Haag with two workshops (screenwriting/directing) that will be given by film professionals and are accessible to young people between 18 and 24 years old. Afterwards the film I Am Slave will be screened for the first time in the Netherlands, preceded by the two short films Habibtien Mariam’s Chance. A Q&A will take place thereafter with the film director of Mariam’s Chance Hanadi Elayan and BAFTA-winner Jeremy Brock. He wrote the script of the Oscar-Winning The Last King of Scotland. The festival’s opening on Friday evening will be introduced by a performance of the world-famous musician and ud player Haytham Safia. This will follow by the European premiere of the When Mona Liza Smiled in combination with the two short films Fighting for Air and Abu Rami. The evening will be closed with a Q&A, this time with Fadi G. Haddad, film director and editor of When Monaliza Smiled, and the Lebanese filmmaker of Abu Rami, Sabah Haider.
The second day, 9 March, will begin at 13:30 hrs with a debate on the ‘Arab woman and freedom’. Journalist Radha Ramdhan (VPRO-Gids) will lead the debate and a variety of professionals will participate: the internationally renowned journalist and Al Arabiya-presenter Mohammad Abou Obeid; teacher at University of Amsterdam Anik Fournier;Trouw-columnist Nuweira Youskine; screenwriter Jeremy Brock; and filmmaker Fadi G. Haddad. Subsequently, the screening of Wadjda will take place, the first feature film from Saudi Arabia that is directed by a female filmmaker. The short film I Wish We Were Dancers will be screened in advance. In the evening, the Syrian film Mariam will make its world premiere. The feature will be introduced by the short film Private Sun.Mariam’s director Basil Alkhatib and the main leads Mayssoun Abou Assad and Assaad Feddah will participate during the Q&A afterwards.
On 10 March, the festival will be closed at The American Book Center with the opening of the photography exhibition Yemen Through A Woman’s Eye, with photos by the award-winning Yemeni photojournalist Amira Al-Sharif. Finally, the Jordanian feature A 7 Hour Difference will be screened together with the preceding short film Cold January.
Tickets: http://www.filmhuisdenhaag.nl/special/1414/arab-womens-film-festival.aspx
Website: http://www.arabwomensfilmfestival.nl/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ArabWomensFilmFestival