Homs Short Film Festival Concludes Its First Edition Tomorrow
The inaugural Homs Short Film Festival will reach its conclusion tomorrow, Sunday, at the Homs Cinema hall. The venue has served as the heart of the event, hosting screenings despite the damage it has sustained.
Organized by the General Organization for Cinema, the festival aims to revitalize the local cinematic movement and restore the presence of the arts in the city. A total of 30 short films are competing for seven awards in this edition, which is named in honor of the late Syrian director and photographer Bassel Shehadeh. The festival pays tribute to Shehadeh’s legacy, particularly his work documenting popular movements, following his death in Homs in 2012.
The festival opened last Thursday with a special screening of short films dedicated to Shehadeh’s memory, alongside the documentary “Happened in Homs” by director Yazan Al-Nakdali, which explores the early days of the events in the city.
Jihad Abdo, Director of the General Organization for Cinema, emphasized that selecting Homs as the first destination for a series of planned provincial festivals is part of a broader strategy to breathe life back into local theaters. He noted that hosting the festival in a damaged hall serves as a message of resilience, reflecting the determination of the city’s residents. Abdo called on both Syrian and international investors to contribute to the rehabilitation of cinema halls, describing them as essential pillars for both creative expression and economic growth.
Festival Director Yazan Al-Nakdali explained that the choice of the current site was necessitated by the lack of operational cinema halls in the city. He expressed that there are plans to fully restore the facility in the near future, aiming to return cinema to the center of the cultural landscape in Homs. Rami Qassab, the General Organization’s Director of Public Relations, stated that the four-day event featured screenings divided into six groups. The festival encouraged active audience participation, with viewers invited to join a “public committee” to evaluate the films and select the best work.
During the opening ceremony, the festival honored director Haitham Hakki and artist Samer Al-Masry for their long-standing creative careers and their support for the Syrian people. The event also included panel discussions between filmmakers and the audience. The festival is set to conclude tomorrow with an official ceremony to announce the competition results and distribute awards to the winning films.
Source: Syria Focus Arabic
