The 6th International Friendship Short Film Festival, held from October 3 to 6, kicked off on October 3 with the participation of Michel Khleifi, the founder of Palestinian cinema.

Organized by the Istanbul Art Sharing Association and Balkon Sanat, the 6th edition of the International Friendship Short Film Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s General Directorate of Cinema, with significant contributions from organizations like TİKA, YTB, Zeytinburnu Municipality, and Fono Film. Media support is provided by Kitapyurdu, Medipol University, Interpress, Haberler.com, Sondakika.com, and Cinemascot.

This year’s festival, held in memory of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, marks a first in both Turkey and the world, as 13 directors, who portray the suffering of the Palestinian people on screen, will meet film enthusiasts in Istanbul throughout the festival week. Directors such as Michel Khleifi, Darin J.H Salam, Ameen Nayfeh, Mohammed Almughanni, Ahmad Saleh, Ala’ Yousef Hasan, Hayat Labban, Ward Kayyal, Rami Abbas, Luay Awwad, Saeed Moltaji, and Tariq Rimawi will participate in events, interacting with Turkish filmmakers and cinema lovers.

The festival began on October 3 with the screening of Palestinian director Michel Khleifi’s film The Tale of the Three Jewels. Before the screening at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) Yeşilçam Cinema, Khleifi gave a brief talk, mentioning that after studying theater in Belgium, he developed an interest in cinema. He said, “I always wanted to express my love and commitment to Palestine. I thought the best way to do this was through cinema. I am very happy to have dedicated my directing career to telling the story of Palestine.”

Khleifi shared that he filmed The Tale of the Three Jewels in Gaza in 1995, saying, “When I went to Gaza for this film, the first thing I thought of was that the children there also have the right to play freely and plan for their future. During filming, I tried to create an imaginative atmosphere and worked to build stories from our own culture.”

Highlighting Israel’s desire to erase everything related to Gaza and Palestine, Khleifi added, “As you will see in the film, Gaza was a beautiful place when I shot the film. But now, nothing remains of that beauty.”

PALESTINIAN DIRECTORS PANEL AND MASTER CLASS BY MICHEL

On the evening of October 4, a panel featuring renowned Palestinian directors will be held at the Grand Pera Emek Stage, where they will discuss the past and present of Palestinian cinema, as well as the ongoing events in Gaza. On October 5, the first Cannes award-winning Palestinian director, Michel Khleifi, will hold a Master Class moderated by Festival President Faysal Soysal at the same venue at 2:00 PM.

The festival will screen a total of 56 films, including productions with Gaza and Palestinian themes from the past year, at venues such as AKM Yeşilçam Cinema, Grand Pera Emek Stage, Rami Library, and Zeytinburnu Cultural and Arts Center. The panel, master class events, special film screenings, and competition screenings will take place in the Taksim area.

TURKISH PREMIERES OF MANY FILMS

The special screenings will feature films from master filmmakers such as Michel Khleifi, Farah Nabulsi, Darin J. Sallam, Nawras Abu Saleh, Annemarie Jacir, Mohammad Almoghanni, Ahmad Salah, and Ameen Nayfeh. Rashid Masharawi’s project From Ground Zero, which includes 22 short films shot in Gaza over the past year and was screened at Cannes this year as a form of protest, will also have its Turkish premiere at the Friendship Film Festival. The documentary Holy Redemption, created by Aslıhan Eker, Jose Carlos Sauers, and Tanju Şahin from the TRT World team, which reveals the atrocities committed by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank over the past year through covert footage, will also make its Turkish premiere at the festival. Farah Nabulsi’s films Gaza Nightmare and The Present will also premiere in Turkey at the festival. Over 10 short films produced by young Palestinian filmmakers in the past year, highlighting the events in Gaza, will both premiere and compete at the International Friendship Short Film Festival.

The festival’s daily program can be followed on the website dostlukfilmfestivali.com and through its social media accounts.

COMPETITION FILMS TO BE JUDGED BY TWO SEPARATE JURIES

The films competing in the festival’s “Main Competition,” which is themed around friendship, and the “Humanitarian Gaze-Palestine” section, which focuses on the drama in Gaza, will be evaluated by an eight-member jury. The films will be judged by a panel chaired by Tarık Tufan, including Amin Nayfeh, Alma Terziç Saraçoğlu, Ali Aydın, Tuba Özden Deniz, Ahmad Saleh, Darin J. Sallam, and Emre Pekçakır.

AWARDS TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE GALA CEREMONY

In the festival’s “Main Competition” section, the “Best Film Award” will receive 40,000 TL, the “Jury Special Award” will receive 20,000 TL, and a third film will be given a 10,000 TL “Honorable Mention” award. Additionally, one film will win the “Fono Film Post-Production Award” worth 50,000 TL. In the “Humanitarian Gaze-Palestine” section, which highlights the ongoing drama in Gaza, one film will be awarded the “Mahmud Darwish Friendship Award” worth 30,000 TL. Winners will also receive the festival’s award statue, with the announcements being made during the gala ceremony on October 6 at the AKM Theater Hall.