25. Augsburger Kinderfilmfest
17. März - 25. März 2007

19. Tage des unabhängigen Films
20. März - 25. März 2007

14. Augsburger Kurzfilmwochenende
21. März - 25. März 2007

15. Cinema of Tomorrow Internationales Symposium
junger Filmemacher und Filmstudenten
19. März - 25. März 2007

Gefördert von:

The city council of Augsburg now secured the premises of the Filmfestival Augsburg. After a long period of an insecure future and uncertain financial conditions the city now not only raised the budget but also gave us planing reliability by offering a five year contract. The film festival consists of four columns – the days of independent film – the short film week-end – the international symposium for young film-makers „Cinema of Tomorrow“ as well as the 25 th edition of the Children's Film Festival.

In the next edition (March 17 th till 25 th, 2007) Filmfestival Augsburg focuses on Arab film-making. In 20 programmes with fictional-, documentary-, and short films of the last three years the festival shows the variety of Arab film-making, most of the films will be presented by the directors in person.

In addition there will be a TV-Conference during the festival, at which editors, producers, and directors working for the large satellite-stations al-Jazeera and al-Arabyyia will introduce their work on the basis of selected series. Media experts will give background information on changes of the Arab TV-landscape since the founding of al-Jazeera ten years ago.

Programme-excerpts of the film festival

Bassem Fayad presents his unique documentary „Road beyond Sunset“, a lyrical and beautiful cinematic personal journey told through the eyes of an Arab filmmaker as he and his crew travel through Iraq. The film is a road trip searching for the New Iraq in the faces, towns and hearts of the people.

Hiba Bassem comes with her film-diary „Baghdad Days“, in which she reflects her day-to-day life in Baghdad during the year she graduates from film school. In the „Cinema of Tomorrow“ section more works by students from the „Independent Film and Television School Baghdad“ (IFTS) will be shown, Hiba Bassem and Kasim Abid, co-director of the school, will present the IFTS Baghdad.

Raed Andoni shows his film „Improvisation“, a portrait of famous Joubran Trio from Palestine. Through the encounter with the charming Joubran brothers Andoni opens an unusual view on crisis-ridden Palestinian society.

In „Je voudrais vous rencontre“, Dalilia Ennadre asks if the reform of the family code in Morocco, which strengthens the position of women, really improves the day-to-day situation of the majority of women in Morocco.

In their acclaimed fiction „A Perfect Day“ Joanna Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige tell the story of Claudia and Malek, mother and son, e ach of them trying to live with the void of lost love. But today me be the „perfect day“ to lay their ghosts to rest.

In „On Monday“ Tamer el-Said is almost flirting with the audiences during these eight minutes they spend with an ordinary couple on an unusual day.

With these an numerous other films, the festival invites you to discover the variety of Arab film-making and live.

The programme will also look at Arab TV. Technical innovation, digital and video formats as well as a growing number of TV-stations changed especially the documentary film-making all over the world. The political and social issues this genre usually deals with are increasingly broadcast as reportage on TV. What are the stories Arab documentary film-makers today tell? Which influence do Arab TV stations have on the production of documentaries? What kind of reportages does Arab TV produce? Who is watching them?

For more information you can contact the curator of the programme, Irit Neidhardt at info@mecfilm.de

Irit Neidhardt mec film - Hafenweg 26a - 48155 Münster
Tel: 49-251-663346 - Fax: 49-251-6744596