Gaza Cinema Academy Launched at Venice Film Festival
A new initiative, the Gaza Cinema Academy, has been announced at the 83rd Venice Film Festival. Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, a member of the festival's jury, revealed she is one of the founders, alongside a group of Palestinian, Arab, and international filmmakers. The academy aims to provide film education and training for young directors and other professionals from the Gaza Strip.
A nine-month course for 25 young Palestinian women, covering theoretical and practical filmmaking, began in March 2026 as the academy's first educational project. Future plans include developing a full cinematography program accredited by the Al-Quds Open University and establishing collaborations with film schools, universities, festivals, and production companies.
Notable figures involved in the initiative include directors Ezzadine Shalk, Mai Masri, and Annemarie Jacir, actors Hiam Abbass and Saleh Bakri, comedian and director Ramy Youssef, producer Graziella Bildesheim, and Alaa Karkouti, head of MAD Solutions. Ben Hania stated on Facebook that the academy's goal is to empower a new generation in Gaza to "learn, create, and tell their own stories in their own voices and through their own images."
The international launch of the Gaza Cinema Academy is taking place within the framework of events associated with the Venice Film Festival. Organizers are seeking resources, instructors, and partnership opportunities from film schools, universities, festivals, and industry representatives.
