Buenos Aires hosts Latin-Arab film festival


Organized for the fifth time in Argentina's capital city Buenos Aires, "Festival Internacional de Cine Latino Arabe" (International Latin-Arab Film Festival) brings Argentinian cinema buffs and Arab films together. The festival kicked off with an opening screening of Roger Allers's feature length film "Prophet." Adapted from Lebanese poet Halil Cibran's namesake book, the film displayed at Cine Gaumont, one of the most important cinema halls in the country. The festival features 36 films from 16 countries. Tunisian director Muhammed Damak's "Jeudi Apres-Midi," Egyptian director Ahmed Abdullah's "Décor" and Lebanese director Akram Zaatari's "28 Nights and A Poem" are among the list of films that will be screened as a part of the festival. Palestinian actor and director Hiam Abbas, who is known for her roles in "Lemon Tree," "Munich" and "Babel," another Palestinian director Kamal Aljafari and film producer and author Philip Rizk who is residing in Egypt, are among participating directors. Cine Fertil, the organizer of the International Latin Arab Film Festival, aims to create intercultural dialogue via exhibitions, cinema weeks and film festivals. Established in 2003, Cine Fertil wants to create a space for the people of Latin America to get in contact with the Arab World socially, culturally and artistically. Moreover, the company works on the development of the strategies for audial and visual productions undertaken jointly by Arabs and the people of Latin America. The festival reached out to more than 13,000 people on its third year and became one of the top 10 most popular festivals of Argentina. Sponsored by Argentina's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Argentinian government and National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Art (INCAA), the festival is considered as the most significant organization that allows culture interactions between Latin America and the Arab world. When: Until Nov. 16Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina