A new film academy launched at the Venice Film Festival Monday, aiming to support Palestinian filmmakers and build a sustainable film industry in Gaza. The Gaza Cinema Academy will focus on film education, training, and production, connecting emerging filmmakers with the international film community.
The initiative is supported by filmmakers Kaouther Ben Hania (“The Voice of Hind Rajab”), Annemarie Jacir (“Palestine 36”), Mai Masri (“3000 Nights”), and Ezzaldeen Shalah, as well as actors Hiam Abbas, Ramy Youssef and Saleh Bakri. Italian producer Graziella Bildesheim and Alaa Karkouti, a Cairo-based distributor, are also involved.
The academy’s goals include supporting young talent and women, developing and producing Palestinian films, strengthening connections within the Palestinian, Arab, and international film communities, and establishing a sustainable film institution in the Gaza Strip. Organizers are seeking partnerships with film festivals, cultural institutions, film funds, and production companies to build an international network.
Ezzaldeen Shalah, founder of the Gaza International Women’s Film Festival and co-founder of the Gaza Cinema Academy, stated, “In Gaza, cinema is not merely an art form; it is a means of preserving memory, reclaiming our right to shape our own image, and giving a new generation the tools to tell its own story.” He added, “We want the academy to open a window for young people and women in Gaza to learn, create and make their own films, and for their voices and images to reach the world.”
The first edition of the Gaza International Women’s Film Festival was held October 26-31, 2025, in Gaza, opening with “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” Two Palestinian films, Ahmed Hassouna’s “Citizen Osama” and Muayad Alayan’s “Conversation With the Sea,” are featured in the official selection at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
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