Algerian Radio
50 short films from 26 countries are competing for the awards of the sixth edition of the Imedghassen International Film Festival, hosted by the wilaya of Batna.
This artistic event, organized from May 5 to 11, includes official competitions in short fiction films, short documentaries, and animated films from several countries—including Palestine, Turkey, Tunisia, Brazil, Germany, and South Africa, alongside Algeria. There is also a qualitative presence of films addressing humanitarian and social issues, according to the festival commissioner, Issam Taachit.
Italy is the guest of honor for this edition of the festival, which will feature the screening of several feature films at the "Aurès" cinema hall in the city center for lovers of the seventh art, who will also have a date with the screening of the film Ahmed Bey, according to the same speaker.
He mentioned that the Imedghassen International Film Festival has become a genuine space for creators in the field of cinema to exchange experiences and ideas. It is also an opportunity to showcase authentic Algerian heritage and cultural legacy through cinema as a universal human language.
Throughout the days of this cinematic event, a diverse training program has been scheduled for the youth in the fields of acting, directing, and documentary filmmaking, supervised by specialists in the field. This is in addition to workshops for discovering young talent, intellectual seminars on the theme of "Cinema and the Novel," and a symposium on "Imedghassen and History."
The festival, whose competing films will be screened at the "Aurès" cinema hall, will include exploratory trips to several archaeological sites that the region abounds in, such as the ancient city of Timgad, organized for the guests of the wilaya, including artists, directors, and media representatives.
It is noteworthy that the festival's atmosphere on its first day brought vitality to the city center of Batna and attracted attendees from among the lovers of the seventh art. This was especially evident at the workshops that kicked off at the "Mohamed Laïd Al-Khalifa" House of Culture, ahead of the commencement of the competing film screenings in the evening.
