The first London Palestine Film Festival was organised by SOAS Palestine Society in 2000. In 2004, the Society established the Palestine Film Foundation (PFF) as a special body dedicated to the exhibition and archiving of films and video art concerning Palestine. The PFF is a nonprofit
voluntary body which relies upon the generous support of institutional partners, private donations, and the goodwill of filmmakers and distributors in producing the annual Festival. The 2009 Festival runs from April 24th to May 8th, featuring over 30 works by artists from Tokyo to Beirut. In the first week, screenings take place at the Barbican Cinema; in the second, the Festival shifts to SOAS, University of London.
In addition to the Festival screenings, the PFF is delighted to be organising two further exciting events. A photographic exhibition showcasing the work of multi-award-winning photojournalist Ryuichi Hirokawa runs alongside the Festival in the Barbican Centre. And following the Festival an evening of readings by Palestinian poets from Gaza will be held at the Brunei Gallery, Russell Square.
FULL FESTIVAL CALENDAR:
For more information about each film, click here to link to the official site of the Palestine Film Foundation
Friday, 24th April 2009
OPENING GALA: Barbican Cinema 1, 19:30
Laila's Birthday by Rashid Masharawi
+Q&A with lead actor Mohammed Bakri
Saturday, 25th April 2009
SCREENING 1: Barbican Cinema 3, 16:00
Divine Intervention by Elia Suleiman
SCREENING 2: Barbican Cinema 3, 18:15
Laila's Birthday by Rashid Masharawi
+Q&A with lead actor Mohammed Bakri
SCREENING 3: Barbican Cinema 3, 20:30
To My Father by Abdelsalam Shehadeh
UK PREMIER
+John Berger Reads Ghassan Kanafani’s "Letter From Gaza"
Sunday, 26th April 2009
SCREENING 1: Barbican Cinema 1, 17:00
NAKBA: Palestine 1948 by Ryuichi Hirokawa
+Panel with director Hirokawa and scholars Ilan Pappe, Karma Nabulsi
UK PREMIER
SCREENING 2: Barbican Cinema 3, 20:15
Introduction to the End of an Argument... by Jayce Salloum & Elia Suleiman
+Palestine Remembered by Dominique Dubosc
+Sedition by Min Sook Lee
UK PREMIER
Monday, 27th April 2009
SCREENING 1: SPECIAL SESSION ON LEBANON, Barbican Cinema 3, 18:30
Smile! You Are in South Lebanon by Dalia Al Kury
UK PREMIER
+R:Existence by Marco Pasquini
UK PREMIER
+Welcome to Shatila by Raad Raad
UK PREMIER
SCREENING 2: Barbican Cinema 3, 20:45
Shadow of Absence by Nasri Hajjaj
UK PREMIER
ADDITION: At short notice and to our great pleasure, director Nasri Hajjaj will be in attendance for this premier screening
+Q&A With director Nasri Hajjaj, Chaired Dr. Laleh Khalili
Tuesday, 28th April 2009
Barbican Cinema 3, 18:15
State of Siege by Constantin Costas-Gavras
Wednesday, 29th April 2009
SCREENING 1: Barbican Cinema 3, 18:30
This Way Up by Georgi Lazarevski
+Open Heart by Claire Fowler
SCREENING 2: Barbican Cinema 3, 20:30
Friendship's Death by Peter Wollen
+A Space Exodus by Larissa Sansour
Thursday, 30th April 2009
SCREENING 1: Barbican Cinema 3, 18:30
“House Salad” (Salata Baladi) by Nadia Kamel
UK PREMIER
SCREENING 2: Barbican Cinema 3, 20:30
Salt of This Sea by Annemarie Jacir
+Q&A With co-producer Sawsan Asfari, Chaired by novelist Nicholas Blincoe
CLOSING NIGHT - WEEK 1 of LPFF 2009
+60 Units of Time by Raad Raad
UK PREMIER
Friday, 1st May 2009
SOAS, KLT, 18:30
FREE
Recognized by Ori Kleiner
+My Land by Tone Andersen
Saturday, 2nd May 2009
SPECIAL ALL DAY SESSION: EDWARD SAID ON SCREEN
SCREENING 1: SOAS, KLT, 16:00
FREE
Edward Said in Conversation with Salman Rushdie - 1986 ICA Archive
SCREENING 2: SOAS, KLT, 18:00
FREE
Edward Said: The Last Interview by Mike Dibb
Sunday, 3rd May 2009
SOAS, KLT, 16:00
FREE
Take Me Home by Mais Darwazah
UK PREMIER
+We Like Life Tomorrow by Ismail Habbash
UK PREMIER
Tuesday, 5th May 2009
SOAS, KLT, 18:45
FREE
La Terre Parle Arabe by Maryse Gargour
+Q&A with historian Nur Masalha
+Arthur Balfour and Me by Charlotte Cornic
Wednesday, 6th May 2009
SOAS, KLT, 18:30
FREE
Memory of the Cactus by Hana Musleh
UK PREMIER
+Stranger in My Home by Sahera Dirbas
Thursday, 7th May 2009
SOAS, KLT, 18:30
FREE
A Summer Not to Forget by Carole Mansour
+Presentations by Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah and Nick Denes on civilian casualties in the 2008/9 Gaza offensive. NB: The film and presentations contain extremely graphic and disturbing imagery of human suffering, the session will be preceded by a statement from the PFF on the decision to exhibit this material.
Friday, 8th May 2009
SOAS, KLT, 18:30
FREE
5 Minutes From Home by Nahed Awwad
UK PREMIER
+Easy, Easy by Riyad Deis
UK PREMIER
