02 April 2019
H.E Shaikha Hala Attends « Les Rencontres d’Aflam » Festival Opening Ceremony, Bahraini young cinema directors participation in Marseille workshops lauded
Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities is taking part in the 6th edition of the Rencontres d’Aflam, held in Marseille, France from 1-7 April 2019. H.E Shaikha Hala Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, Director General of the Culture and Arts Directorate, Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities attended the festival opening ceremony on 1 April 2019, as well as many highly ranked directors of culture and arts, cinema lovers from Marseille city and beyond.
In her inaugural address, H.E Shaikha Hala expressed her thanks to “ Aflam” festival’s organizing committee, lauding the Marseille-based non-governmental in enhancing the cinema effective role in the art scene in general, through this periodical event that sheds light on the latest developments in film industry and movie-screenings. H.E also praised “ Aflam’s” efforts aimed at building capacities and gathering efforts to develop the skills of the cinema operating work force, lauding the constructive cooperation between Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities and “ Aflam”, yielding in an extensive condensed training program for Bahraini young cinema directors.
H.E Shaikha Hala had earlier before met with the Festival President, Mrs. Souad El-Tayyeb and vice-president, Mr. Bernard Morel, before meeting Mr. Jean-François Charnier,l Director of Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations (MuCEM), when they discussed ways and means of boosting common cooperation between BACA and (MuCEM), especially in arts and music.
Indeed, many Bahraini young cinema directors, namely, Mohammad Ibrahim, Noof al Mirbati, Khalifa Al-Rowaie and Mohammad al-Abbasi, are taking part in different multiple workshops according to a cooperation program between between Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities and “ Aflam”. Bahraini participation reflects BACA’s keenness to build bridges of cultural cooperation, in the cinema field between both parties, given BACA’s strategic planning schemes to be implemented in order to enhance the young creative talents in culture in general, and in the cinema industry, particularly. The cooperation program will also provide unique and exceptional opportunities to share and exchange experience and expertise with specialists in cinema pioneering industry and its crucial role in spreading social awareness.
The participants will also have the opportunity to go through personal training program, in addition to two workshops, supervised by very experienced movie directors. They will also take part in “Meditalents” program, which is developing its action to support feature film projects by Mediterranean filmmakers, launches its Mediterranean Co-production Workshop, with the partnerships of the Institut français and the South Region of France.
The festival « Les Rencontres Internationales de Cinéma » « Aflam », is an important annual meeting, an amazing blend of projections, video installations, professional interventions, master classes and thematic workshops that provides a platform for debate and networking between professionals and mixed audiences. It’s the closest to a film festival but where participating films are not in competition.
