 The release of a promotional trailer is always an exciting time for any festival. It is with great pride then that we share with you the new trailer for the 2023 Palestinian Film Festival Australia! Please share this video far and wide across your networks and help increase awareness of our festival and of Palestinian life, art and culture. PFF23 Festival Itinerary We’re buzzing with excitement and can’t wait to reunite with friends across Australia and together, celebrate Palestinian cinema and the growing Palestinian film industry. Sydney (Dendy Newtown), Friday 13 October – Sunday 15 October Brisbane (Dendy Coorparoo), Friday 20 October – Sunday 22 October Melbourne (Cinema Nova, Carlton), Thursday 26 October – Sunday 29 October Canberra (Dendy Canberra), Friday 27 October – Sunday 29 October Perth (Palace Luna – Windsor Cinema & Luna SX), Friday 27 October – Sunday 29 October Full Program  Learn more Film Focus #1: Alam by Firas Khoury Opening Night Film! Alam follows the story of a Palestinian teenager named Tamer, who – along with his friends – leads a typical teenage life until one day, he is swept off his feet by the arrival of the beautiful Maysaa. As he grows closer to her, Tamer agrees to take part in a mysterious and life-changing operation dubbed ‘Alam’ (Flag). “Appealing, naturalistic drama… intelligent, sensitive treatment of the rarely seen, everyday lives of young Palestinian citizens of Israel” Alissa Simon, Variety Film Focus #2: Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soualem Just announced: Palestine submits Bye Bye Tiberias for Oscars 2024! A not-to-be missed documentary about one of the most recognisable (and much loved!) faces of Palestinian cinema. Leaving her village to follow her dream of becoming an actress, Hiam Abbass also left behind her mother, grandmother and seven sisters. Thirty years later, her filmmaker daughter Lina returns with her to journey through the vanished places among the scattered memories of four generations of daring Palestinian women. “Suffused with the scents of Palestine, the film is an instructive and touching mosaic where past and present overlap, and a keen sense of heritage and transmission shines through.” Fabien Lemercier, Cineuropa Learn more  Learn moreFilm Focus #3: A House in Jerusalem by Muayad Alayan A House in Jerusalem follows a Jewish-British girl who moves from England to Jerusalem for a new start after her mother’s death but on the way, meets the ghost of a Palestinian girl. From Director Muayad Alayan: “As a child, I used to feel overwhelmed by the thought of how my parents and my grandmother could survive living each day with the weight of the memories of the life that they lost during the 1948 war. Life as they knew it abruptly ended and they were suddenly forced to flee with no ability to return. The life they lived after the war seemed incomplete to them and a part of them was inexplicably left behind in the past in their old homes.” Alayan’s Supernatural Drama ‘A House in Jerusalem’ Debuts Chilling Trailer Ahead of Rotterdam Premiere by Christopher Vourlias, Variety  Learn more Film Focus #4: A Gaza Weekend by Basil Khalil Gaza suddenly becomes the safest – and funniest – place on Earth during a pandemic in this uproarious comedy from Palestinian-British filmmaker Basil Khalil. “Director Basil Khalil and co-writer Daniel Ka-Chun Chan waste no time setting the tone for their Middle Eastern comedy A Gaza Weekend. Conceived over a decade ago (and thus not a COVID film, despite adding a couple COVID “jokes” into the script), its purpose is to satirize the very real conflict between Palestinians and Israelis to its most absurd extremes while also finding the common ground of humanity hiding beneath.” Jared Mobarak, The Film Stage Tickets About us The Palestinian Film Festival Australia is a social impact initiative promoting Palestinian life, art and culture. Showcasing a diverse and innovative selection of Palestinian films from around the world, the festival is a cinematic journey of creative, thought-provoking storytelling. 2023 marks the 12th edition of the festival in Australia, and is proudly produced by Cultural Media.   Acknowledgement of Country Cultural Media acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Festival takes place. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and recognise the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities.  Copyright (C) 2023 Cultural Media. All rights reserved. |
