Al Ard Film Festival
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| Location | Cagliari, Sardinia |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 |
| Most recent | 20th Edition, February 2024 |
| Awards | Best Feature Documentary Film; Best Short Documentary Film; Best Short Fiction Film; Audience Award |
| Website | https://alardfilmfestival.com/ |
Al Ard Film Festival is an international film festival aimed at popularising Palestinian and Arab culture and art. The festival takes place in Cagliari (Sardinia) once a year and has been organised since 2002 by the Associazione Amicizia Sardegna Palestina (Sardinia-Palestina Friendship Association), a volunteering organisation founded in 1997 in the Mediterranean island.[1]
One of the frequent guests of Al Ard Film Festival in Sardinia is Monica Maurer, who also directed films about the Palestinian revolution in the 1970s.[2]
History[edit]
The first edition of Al Ard (meaning "The Land" in Arabic) was held in Cagliari, and, since then, it has grown in popularity and international reach, attracting a diverse and engaged audience. The festival has become a beloved and eagerly anticipated annual event for the local community, and its success has helped to put Cagliari on the map as a destination for film enthusiasts even from outside the island.
Mission[edit]
Since its first edition, the mission of the event has been to promote fundamental rights, such as the right of self-determination,[3] with a particular focus on Palestine. Started as a small local event, over the years, Al Ard has become an international film festival,[4] and it is now among the most popular events about the Arab world in Southern Europe.[5][6][7]
Editions[edit]
The festival has been held annually since 2002 and has grown to become a major cultural event in the region. The 19th edition of Al Ard Film Festival took place in February 2023 at the Teatro Massimo in Cagliari. The festival attracts international guests, some of whom have been part of the Jury multiple times, such as Monica Maurer, Ibrahim Nasrallah, May Odeh, and many other were invited as filmmakers candidates for awards, such as Mai Masri, Sahera Dirbas, Mohammed Alatar, Kasim Abid, Elia Ghorbia, Linda Paganelli, Habib Ayeb, and many more.
Initially, until 2009, the festival was limited to showcasing Arab films, with a particular focus on Palestine, without awarding any prizes.[8] Since 2011, with the introduction of a jury, the festival concludes with an award ceremony, during which various accolades are presented. The jury is made up of film experts and Middle East specialists, who evaluate the competing films based on criteria that include cinematic quality and thematic depth related to the Middle East.
| Edition | Year | Date | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002 | ? | |
| 2 | 2003 | ? | |
| 3 | 2004 | ? | |
| 4 | 2005 | 24 - 26 November | |
| 5 | 2006 | 1 - 3 December | |
| 6 | 2008 | 7 - 9 February | |
| 7 | 2009 | 5 - 7 February | |
| 8 | 2010 | not held | |
| 9 | 2011 | 15 - 19 February |
|
| 10 | 2012 | 6 - 10 March |
|
| 11 | 2013 | November |
|
| 12 | 2015 | 18 - 21 March |
|
| 13 | 2016 | 9 - 12 March |
|
| 14 | 2017 | 7 - 11 March |
|
| 15 | 2018 | 17 - 24 March |
|
| 16 | 2019 | 11 - 16 March[9] |
|
| 17 | 2020 | 17 - 22 August |
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| 18 | 2022 | 9 - 13 March |
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| 19 | 2023 | 21-25 February |
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| 20 | 2024 | 20-24 February |
|
References[edit]
- ^ "Who we are". Associazione Amicizia Sardegna-Palestina. 13 March 2007.
- ^ Alarda, L. T. (2021). On cinema and revolutions: Tricontinental militancy and the cinema of the palestinian revolution. Queen's University, Canada (Thesis). p. 65. ProQuest 2572536389.
- ^ "Il mondo palestinese a Cagliari nei documentari "Al Ard DOC Film Festival"". L'Unione Sarda.it (in Italian). 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
- ^ "Cinema, storie dal Medio Oriente: per ragionare su diritti umani, la pace, oltre le bombe, i muri e l'odio". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2019-04-29. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
- ^ "Al Ard Film Festival". The Truth: LOST AT SEA. 2019-03-10. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
- ^ Breaking Latest News (14 March 2022). "Arab-Palestinian film festival: in Cagliari wins the 2022 "Eye of the Storm" award". Breaking Latest News. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
- ^ La Nuova Sardegna. "Festival del cinema arabo-palestinese: a Cagliari vince il premio 2022 "Eye of the Storm"". La Nuova Sardegna (in Italian). Retrieved 2022-08-12.
- ^ "VII Edition 2009 - When Al Ard was a Film Fair wihout Awards". Retrieved 2024-03-03.
- ^ "CINEMA. Dall'11 al 16 marzo la XVI edizione dell'Al Ard Doc Film Festival". NenaNews (in Italian). 2019-03-09. Retrieved 2022-09-22.