Méditalents, Beirut Cinema Platform and Ayyam Beirut Al-Cinema’iya
In 2015, Fondation Liban Cinema (FLC) has signed a partnership agreement with both Meditalents and Beirut Cinema Platform that promote and strengthen the local film production.
This partnership aims to unite our efforts to promote the local cinema and create opportunities to develop the marketing industry and the distribution of Lebanese films.
Meditalents is a Mediterranean film writing workshop that aims at developing first feature narrative scenarios.
By its association with Ayyam Beirut el Cinema’iya Festival, that takes place in parallel with Meditalents, and by its participation in the professional meetings organized during the Beirut Cinema Platform, FLC gives the young filmmakers and the cinema students the opportunity to develop their projects with the help of Lebanese and international professionals. This exchange and collaboration between filmmakers and screenwriters coming from all over the Mediterranean, enhances the creativity and helps the participants learn how to work within a community by exchanging ideas and enriching their background.
The simultaneous happening of this regional event – Meditalents, Ayyam Beirut el Cinema’iya Festival and Beirut Cinema Platform – contributes in developing a cinema week in Beirut with all its aspects and brings together all cinematographic manifestations in Beirut, as well as it creates a professional exchange between the artists coming from the Mediterranean and the Arab countries.
This partnership also aims to develop a creative network that will help us open up to different visions of the world.
Program:
• Organizing public conferences about production and film directing.
• Organizing individual interviews as well as meetings between participants and international experts.
• Organizing conferences to present to the participants the international funds that support the Cinema industry
Following an application call to participate to the Meditalents writing workshop, 11 scenarios were chosen by a professional committee:
– « Le sacrifice », Amine Sidi Boumediene (Algeria)
– « La vie des morts », Karim Bensalah (Algeria)
– « La Bicyclette rouge », Mohammed Bouhari (Morocco)
– « Noria », Omar Mouldouira (Morocco)
– « Qays et Layla », Yassine Morroccu (Morocco)
– « Little Me Little you », Mehdi Bersaoui (Tunisia)
– « The Cankayas », Alkim Özmen (Turkey)
– « Les diablotins dans la ville», Montasser Hegazy and Marianne Khoury (Egypt)
– « Broderies », Anna Belguermi (France)
– « Tide », Hussen Ibrahim (Lebanon)
– « Mon royaume pour un passeport », Myriam Sassine and Badih Massaad (Lebanon)
The 6 scenario experts who were chosen for their expertise and professionalism to conduct the workshop were:
Marcel Beaulieu (Canada), Romain Compingt (France), Marinella Banfi (Italy) and Malika Laichour-Romane (Algeria), Antoine Waked (Lebanon) and Elie Chalhoub (Lebanon).
On the other hand, the FLC coupled with Beirut Cinema Platform who is specialized in helping the holders of Lebanese film projects to benefit from the experts experience in the cinema industry
5 Lebanese projects were selected to participate in Beirut Cinema Platform:
– « Ibrahim », Lina Alabed, produced by Rami Nihawi (Lebanese production), documentary in development.
– « To All Naked Men », Bassam Chekhess, produced by Rami Nihawi (Lebanese production), feature film in development.
– « 24 Hours in the Life of Raya Malek », Gilles Tarazi, feature film in development.
– « One Day and 124 Nights », Sabine El Chamaa, feature film in development.
– « Eccomi… Eccoti », Raed Rafei, documentary in post-production.
The selection committee was composed by experts in the cinematographic industry:
– Tahani Rached, Filmmaker, Egypt
– Carole Abboud, Actress and Producer, Lebanon
– Jane Williams, Head of Studies Biennale College – Cinema, UK
Two prizes were awarded by the FLC:
– IDAL’s price for the best project in development: 24 Hours in the Life of Raya Malek
– OIF’s price for the best project in production: : Ibrahim