Gaza Cinema Academy Makes Venice Film Festival Debut to Support Palestinian Filmmakers
The academy aims to train young Palestinian filmmakers and women while building international partnerships for production and festival access, organizers said.
- On Monday, filmmakers announced the official launch of the Gaza Cinema Academy at the Venice Film Festival, aiming to establish a sustainable space for film education, training, and production in Gaza.
- Co-Founders Ezzaldeen Shalhah and Mai Masri established the academy to provide a platform for young people to shape their own image amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. "In Gaza, cinema is a means of preserving memory," Shalhah said.
- Backing the project are prominent figures including actor Hiam Abbas, comedian Ramy Youssef, and filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. The Gaza Filmmaking Diploma welcomed its first intake of 25 young Palestinian women in March 2026.
- Organizers are developing a degree accredited by Al-Quds Open University, the main higher education institute for Palestinians, to establish a sustainable academic pathway within the Gaza Strip.
- The academy aspires to build an international network of partners including film festivals and production companies, helping emerging Palestinian filmmakers connect with wider audiences and strengthen their presence globally.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Gaza Cinema Academy launches at Venice Film Festival with celebrity backing
DUBAI: The Gaza Cinema Academy has been officially launched at the Venice Film Festival with the aim of creating a lasting platform for film education, training and production for Palestinians in Gaza. Film industry insiders from Ramy Youssef to Kaouther Ben Hania, whose films have earned Oscar nods, have lent their backing to the project. The initiative was unveiled on Monday by Palestinian filmmakers Ezzaldeen Shalh and Mai Masri, who co-found…
Gaza Cinema Academy Launches To Help Gazans Tell Their Own Stories
The official launch of the Gaza Cinema Academy was announced at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, as the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory continues to dominate global news. The initiative – co-founded by Palestinian filmmakers Ezzaldeen Shalh and Mai Masri – aims to establish a sustainable space for film education, training and production […]
Gaza Cinema Academy Launches at Venice Film Festival
A group of prominent Palestinian, Arab and international filmmakers and industry professionals on Monday launched the Gaza Cinema Academy at the Venice Film Festival. The new entity aims to establish a sustainable space for film education, training and production in Gaza, “while connecting emerging Palestinian filmmakers with the wider international film community,” as a statement […]
Beirut: In conjunction with the activities of the International Venice Film Festival at its current session, the Gaza Film Academy was officially launched as a Palestinian initiative that seeks to establish a sustainable space for education, training and film production in the Gaza Strip. It also provides an opportunity for a new generation of young people and women to learn the film industry, express their experiences, tell their stories with t…
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