Updated with Carthage Cinema Days cancellation… Tunisia’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs has cancelled the upcoming 34th Carthage Film Days (Carthage Film Festival), which was due to run from October 28 to November 4.
It is the fourth Middle East and North African film festival to be cancelled in the last 48 hours, after Cairo, El Gouna and Qatar’s Ajyal.
The cancellations come amid growing turmoil in the region sparked by deadly Hamas terror attacks on Israel on October 7, which in turn unleashed a retaliatory Israeli blockade and bombing campaign on Gaza. Tunisia said the decision to shelve Carthage had been made out of solidarity for the Palestinian people.
Related Stories
The fall is traditionally a busy period for film festivals across MENA. These events may not enjoy the same fame as Cannes or Venice, but they are the life blood of the region’s indie film industry, showcasing its latest work as well as also fostering emerging talents through project development workshops and industry talks.
There is some industry chatter around whether Marrakech (Nov 24-Dec 3), which Martin Scorsese and Jessica Chastain are due to attend, and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea (Nov 30-Dec 9) will put upcoming editions on ice. For now, both festivals appear to be pushing full steam ahead with preparations.
There is likely to be very little appetite to cancel Marrakech which has determinedly carried on with its 20th edition in the wake of the devastating earthquake in the nearby Atlas Mountains in September, which killed more than 2,000 people. Many guests are attending as act of solidarity for the stricken region which needs visitors outside of the damaged areas for the sake of its economy.
PREVIOUSLY, 8.33 a.m. PT: Qatar’s Doha Film Institute (DFI) has cancelled the 11th edition of its Ajyal Film Festival, which was due to take place from November 8 to 16, due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
It is the third film festival in the Arab world – alongside Egypt’s Cairo and El Gouna events – to be called off in the last 48 hours as anger grows in the Middle East over the rising death toll in Gaza due to Israel’s blockade and bombing of the Palestinian territory.
Israel has taken this action in response to horrific Hamas terror attacks on Southern Israel, in which more than 1,400 people were killed and another 199 taken hostage. Leaders worldwide have acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself.
More than 3,000 Gaza residents have died in the retaliatory bombing campaign while the territory’s 2.1 million residents are without fresh food, water and power supplies.
The DFI said it was cancelling the Ajyal out of “solidarity” with its “Palestinian brothers and sisters”. The institute has strong ties with the Palestinian filmmaking community and its artistic advisor is the Palestinian director Elia Suleiman.
“As those of you familiar with the festival have come to know, Ajyal as an event is much more than an annual celebration of the art of storytelling. At its heart, Ajyal is a grassroots event that is created and delivered by the community, for the community,” said the institute.
“At this time, we are grieving alongside the community within our region and are devastated by the staggering daily loss of innocent lives. It is simply not a time for celebration, it is a time for focused and intentional action.”
There is industry chatter around whether other film festivals in the region – such as Marrakech (Nov 24 to Dec 3) and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea (Nov 30-Dec 9) – will take a similar course of action but for now both events are pushing on with preparations for their upcoming editions.
Noting that its core remits is to champion voices from underrepresented communities, the DFI said “amplifying Palestinian stories” had been a “crucial” part of its work as a cultural organisation.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to empowering their authentic representation and stand firmly for the accurate portrayal of their experiences and humanity.”
“In this spirit, in lieu of delivering this year’s edition of the Ajyal Film Festival, the Institute will be exploring new avenues to use our platform to expand the reach and volume of Palestinian voices worldwide. The time for meaningful action is now, and it is more important than ever for us to continue to serve as a conduit for their unfiltered narratives to be heard, recognised, and respected.”
The Ajyal Film Festival was launched in 2013 as a youth-focused event and is characterized by young public juries, who watch and debate the films.
It has often celebrated Palestinian culture, most recently with the ‘We Will Not Leave’ art exhibition inspired by the residents of East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood as they fight to stay in their homes in the face of efforts by Israeli settler organisations to evict them.
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.