Swiss Platform Works to Boost the Arab Film Industry
Arab cinema is gaining popularity across the
Arab world, as many young documentary and short film producers are
making names for themselves. Despite the wealth of talent in the
region, however, few are breaking out of the
Middle East region to compete on a global
stage.
CinemaCarnivals.com hopes
to change that. The Swiss platform, which boasts the
motto “Your window to the world of film
festivals,” launched early last
month to grant the Arab filmmaking industry a stronger
international presence. By offering information in Arabic
about 100 international film festivals, it's designed
to encourage Arab filmmakers to apply
to international film festivals.
Users can browse the guide or filter festivals by film
category, country, participation deadline, or start day. The
website also offers a guide listing the most important cinema
markets for distributors and producers, while
also publishing a selection of film-production and
film-festival articles in Arabic and English.
“CinemaCarnivals is a non-profit project and is the first
Arabic website of its kind to dedicate this many windows to cover
film festivals and their news in a real-time and interactive way,”
says founder Mohammad Reda Fartousi.
Fartousi is an Iranian director and screenwriter who has
participated in more than 50 international festivals and won
several prizes, including the Roshd International Film Festival
award. From the project's base in Geneva, he manages a team of four
editors who travel to different Arab or European capitals to cover
film festivals.
Currently, the website is building up its database with the goal of
reaching 1,000 film festivals in the coming few months. It will
also launch in English in hopes of luring foreign filmmakers to
film festivals in the Middle
East.
While other websites such as
Egypt's Filfan.com cover Arab
cinema and art festival news, CinemaCarnivals sets itself apart
with its specific focus on festivals, professional filmmakers, and
short film producers, unlike other portals which mostly cater to
film viewers.
“Visitors will find a festival
guide listing the most important Arab and international festivals
and offering professionals opportunities to present their work and
participate in festivals, based on their expertise,” says
Fartousi.