The management of the Gaza International Women’s Film Festival, represented by its founder and president, Dr. Ezzedeen Shallah, in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, has launched a training program aimed at empowering Palestinian women in Gaza to become filmmakers and tell their stories through cinema. The program seeks to enable women to address their own issues through film and present the realities of Palestinian women’s lives to international audiences and film festivals.
Dr. Shallah stated that the application deadline for the program is December 30, 2025, through the registration link provided below.
He explained that the program will be supervised by Palestinian, Arab, and international trainers specializing in screenwriting, directing, cinematography, editing, and production management. The six-month training program will be offered free of charge and conducted in person in one of the governorates of the Gaza Strip by Palestinian trainers, while Arab and international experts will participate online via Zoom.
The program will feature trainers from several countries, including Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Cuba, Sweden, and a number of Arab countries, as part of efforts to promote cultural exchange and provide participants with exposure to diverse cinematic experiences and artistic approaches.
Dr. Shallah noted that the program aims to equip young Palestinian women with the skills required to create short films, develop their artistic and technical capabilities, and engage with international cinematic experiences. The initiative will facilitate knowledge exchange and foster professional cooperation between participants and trainers.
The training program will culminate in the production of a number of short films created by the participants. These films will be screened during the second edition of the Gaza International Women’s Film Festival and submitted to various international film festivals, providing participants with opportunities to reach both local and global audiences.
Dr. Shallah emphasized that this initiative is part of the festival’s vision to support Palestinian women in the field of cinema and amplify their voices and stories through visual storytelling despite the challenges and difficult circumstances they face. He stressed that cinema serves as a tool of cultural resistance and human expression.
He further explained that the program goes beyond theoretical instruction and focuses primarily on practical application. Throughout the training period, participants will work on developing their own film projects under the direct supervision of both local and international trainers.
Application Link:
https://forms.gle/k5am1qnEhMnuR7ku7
