We aim to connect our Palestinian partners with counterparts in the UK through festivals, conferences and capacity building programmes and to facilitate film co-productions.
We have worked closely with Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society (YPFS) to equip participants with skills in short film production, aiding their script writing, lighting, shooting and directing skills.
The annual British-Palestinian Youth Film Week tour screens films made by young filmmakers from the UK and Palestine, with expert-led debate and discussion sessions. We reach audiences in schools, libraries, and cultural and community centres in city centres, remote villages and refugee camps.
The YPFS and Scottish Documentary Institute trainers developed together the Palestinian version of the British Council's regional programme "Cities Stories". “Ramallah Stories” is a collection of these films made by teams of young Palestinian filmmakers, and produced as an outcome of attending the 2013 intensive workshop.
The filmmakers were thrilled to see their films screened at film festivals around the world: EcransMed 2014 (Canada), ReFrame Peterborough International Film Festival 2014 (USA), Nour Festival London 2013 (UK), Eclectik Montreal 2013 (Canada), Encounters Festival 2013 (UK), Transeuropa Festival 2013 (Poland) among others.
We are working to develop the second phase of this programme, producing more films from different Palestinian cities, and welcome new partners to join us.