The management of the Gaza International Festival for Women’s Cinema, headed by the festival’s founder and president, Dr. Ezzaldeen Shalh, has announced the selection of five films by female filmmakers from Gaza to be screened at the opening of the festival’s second edition on Monday, 26 October 2026, at 3:30 p.m. at the destroyed Al-Nakheel Hall in Al-Bureij. The festival will continue until 31 October 2026.
Dr. Ezzaldeen Shalh stated that the official launch of the Gaza Cinema Academy would coincide with the screening of the first outcomes of its training programme at the festival’s opening. He expressed his pride in the filmmakers’ ability to transform stories from life in Gaza into films despite the extremely difficult circumstances. He described this achievement as a milestone for the first cohort and a step towards continuing to train and support new cinematic talents.
Director and producer Mai Masri said that, during her supervision of the films, she had witnessed the filmmakers’ commitment to learning and their desire to express their stories with honesty. She explained that the work focused on developing their filmmaking skills and shaping their experiences through sound and image. She also expressed her happiness at seeing their films presented to an audience in Gaza at the festival’s opening.
The opening ceremony will coincide with the official launch of the Gaza Cinema Academy. The opening films, along with several other films to be screened during the festival and at its closing ceremony, are the outcome of the Academy’s first training programme, completed under the supervision of director and producer Mai Masri, General Supervisor of the Academy, and Dr. Ezzaldeen Shalh, Supervisor of the Academy.
The opening programme features the following films:
Soso: The Lifeline, directed by Kawthar Muneer, tells the story of an orphaned child and his donkey, Soso, who become a means of survival for people in devastated Gaza.
A Sack of Flour, directed by Mona Abu Qass, follows a filmmaker confronting memories of hunger and their lasting impact on her life and family, even after flour becomes available again.
Remnants of Light, directed by Hanadi Abu Salah, portrays her attachment to the memories of her family, whom she lost in the war, and her attempt to turn the ashes of her home into hope for others.
Beyond Silence, directed by Raghda Al-Buhaisi, tells the story of a deaf artist who lost his parents in the war and finds in drawing a way to express his pain and reclaim his life.
Dandana, directed by Israa Abu Jiyab, tells the story of a mother who lost eight of her children and confronts the war through singing with a group comprising her children and grandchildren, performing Palestinian folklore across displacement camps.
The festival will conclude on Saturday, 31 October 2026, at the destroyed Al-Nakheel Hall in Al-Bureij, behind Abu Asi Station and opposite A’ideen Camp. The closing ceremony will include the presentation of awards to the winning films, as well as special screenplay awards.
