Gaza Cinema Academy launches with five new films

The Gaza Cinema Academy officially opened on Monday in the Gaza Strip. The launch coincided with the second annual Gaza International Women’s Film Festival. Both events took place at the site of the destroyed al-Nakheel Hall in al-Bureij. The venue sits in central Gaza under the slogan “Women Creating Life from Death.”

Five documentaries made by Palestinian women screened at the opening. These films were produced through a diploma program that began in March. The program trained 25 young women in filmmaking. The academy operates in cooperation with al-Quds Open University. The Palestinian Ministry of Education accredits the curriculum.

Mona Abu Qass directed one of the featured films, titled A Sack of Flour. The 11-minute documentary examines Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon during the three-year war in Gaza. The film documents the struggle to find food and the dangers at aid distribution points. It follows Abu Qass’s personal experiences with hunger. The trauma of food shortages continues to affect families even after supplies return.

“The idea for the film stems from a personal experience and a true story,” Abu Qass said. “It documents daily life in Gaza, weighed down by bombardment, destruction, siege, hunger, and loss.” She stated that she wants to capture details that reveal suffering and determination. Her goal is to show reality as people experience it and help viewers understand the impact on relationships and hopes.

Raghda al-Buhaisi directed another film, Beyond Silence. This documentary explores the wartime struggles of people with disabilities in Gaza. It follows a deaf artist who never learned to read, write, or use sign language. His art studio in Rafah was destroyed, and several family members were killed. He was displaced to Deir el-Balah, where a local family took him in. He now paints in a modest roadside studio. His work uses color and line to express loss and displacement.

“I want to highlight the additional challenges people with disabilities face during war, including displacement, family loss, and the destruction of livelihoods,” al-Buhaisi said. She noted that art can cross barriers of language and silence. The visual message aims to convey Gaza’s suffering to the world.

Three other films completed the opening lineup. Soso: The Lifeline follows an orphaned child and his donkey who help people survive. Remnants of Light documents a filmmaker coping with the loss of her family and home. Dandana tells the story of a mother whose eight children were killed. She turns to Palestinian songs with her surviving family to cope with grief.

Festival director Ezzedine Shallah said the films provide visual testimony to daily life. They give women space to tell their stories in their own voices. “Though their subjects differ, the films turn individual pain into broader human stories, revealing war’s psychological and social scars,” Shallah said. He added that the films preserve stories that might otherwise never reach the screen. They bring Gaza’s stories to audiences beyond its borders.

The festival runs until October 31. It features 73 films from 24 countries. Filmmaking in Gaza faces severe challenges, including scarce equipment, limited funding, and power outages. Rima Mahmoud, a co-founder, said the war and siege have hindered young women’s efforts. She stated that the films deserve international exposure and need technical support and partnerships.

Mai Masri, another co-founder based in Lebanon, said the academy helps directors resist erasure. The organization is seeking agreements with distributors to screen the films internationally. Masri said the goal is to bring the voices of Palestinian women to a global audience. This would strengthen the presence of Palestinian cinema and open new horizons for young female directors.