The Gaza Cinema Academy officially launched on Monday during the Venice Film Festival, uniting a coalition of Palestinian, Arab, and international cinematic professionals. The organization seeks to create a durable framework for film education, training, and production within the Gaza Strip while bridging emerging Palestinian talent with the global film community.
Backed by 2025 Venice Silver Lion winner Kaouther Ben Hania, who also served on the festival jury, the academy features co-founder Mai Masri, known for “3000 Nights,” alongside directors Annemarie Jacir and Ezzaldeen Shalah. The advisory board includes acclaimed actors Hiam Abbas, Ramy Youssef, and Saleh Bakri, as well as Italian producer Graziella Bildesheim and Cairo-based distributor Alaa Karkouti.
In a statement, the academy outlined its mission to support young talent and women, develop new Palestinian films, and strengthen ties with film festivals, cultural institutions, and production funds. The goal is to build an international network that facilitates learning, production opportunities, and global distribution for Gaza-based filmmakers.
Shalah, who founded the Gaza International Women’s Film Festival, emphasized the transformative power of cinema in the region. “In Gaza, cinema is not merely an art form; it is a means of preserving memory, reclaiming our right to shape our own image, and giving a new generation the tools to tell its own story,” Shalah said. “We want the academy to open a window for young people and women in Gaza to learn, create and make their own films, and for their voices and images to reach the world.”
The launch follows the inaugural Gaza International Women’s Film Festival, held from October 26-31, 2025, amidst the ruins of Gaza and opening with Ben Hania’s “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” This year’s Venice selection highlights the region’s cinematic presence, featuring two Palestinian films: Ahmed Hassouna’s “Citizen Osama,” which explores a journalist and father navigating war-torn Gaza, and Muayad Alayan’s “Conversation With the Sea,” a drama about an elderly man confronting Israeli bureaucracy.
Mai Masri’s involvement is huge. Hopefully this creates lasting infrastructure beyond just the current crisis.
Will this actually reach the people on the ground, or is it just another prestigious festival project for international audiences?
I had no idea there was already an active women’s film festival up and running in Gaza. Incredible resilience shown here.
This is a powerful step forward. Giving young Gazan filmmakers the tools to tell their own stories is exactly what the industry needs.