The Aswan International Women’s Film Festival (AIWFF) has provided a platform for organizers and guests to pay homage and show solidarity with Palestine and its people, particularly those living in the besieged Gaza Strip. The festival’s eighth edition commenced on Saturday evening in Aswan, Egypt, and was organized in collaboration with the European Union.
Mervat Al-Talawi, Chair of the Festival’s Board of Trustees, opened the ceremony by highlighting that the organizers had contemplated canceling the event out of respect for the Palestinian people. However, she stated that they ultimately decided to use the platform to promote the importance of peace both within the region and worldwide. Maya Morsi, the President of the National Council for Women, emphasized that the festival highlights women’s most significant issues and challenges. Morsi also expressed that “art is the soft force that calls for stopping the [Israeli] aggression and preventing the forced displacement of the people of Gaza.”
Morsi further articulated her hope that Palestine would achieve self-determination and establish its state. Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity, Nevine El-Kabbaj, paid tribute to the steadfastness of Palestinian women. The festival will celebrate Palestinian cinema by showcasing six films that depict the reality of Palestinian women, including ‘I Am from Palestine,’ ‘If They Take Him,’ ‘A Cut-off Future,’ ‘Narrative,’ ‘Silk Threads,’ and ‘An Attempt to Survive.’ This year’s festival features seventy-six films competing for awards.
