Masahat AFLAMUNA: Open call for Community Cinemas

Through mapping, training, and funding, the initiative empowers cultural organizers to bring independent cinema and culture to their communities. The project also provides independent filmmakers with an infrastructure to self-distribute their films and reach new audiences as easily as possible.

Simply, they want to encourage and support film clubs in the Arab region, help them become more organized and equipped, and connect them to independent Arab filmmakers.

What they offers?

• A training program for 40 emerging Community Cinema Makers, 20 from Lebanon and 20 from Palestine, that will cover curation, marketing, community engagement, and technical, operational skills, and other knowledge and tools they need to create and sustain community cinemas.
• Selected participants will be granted 1500 EUR in unrestricted funds that can be used to equip and habilitate spaces and/or cover running costs of hosting screenings.
• A library of independent Arab films with rights cleared to be screened free of charge for their communities.

What is required from participants?

• Selected participants (spaces & individuals) must be committed to attending all of the training sessions. The sessions will be conducted at least once per week over the course of 3 months, from September to November 2024.
• Selected participants in Lebanon (spaces & individuals) should also be ready and able to travel within the country for pre-planned in-person meetings. Other travel opportunities might also arise during the course of the program.
• As a large portion of the program will take place online, participants need to ensure – within the realm of their control – that they have the necessary equipment and broadband. AFLAMUNA will assist, to the best of its abilities, selected participants who face difficulties in this area.
• Selected participants (spaces & individuals) are required to conduct 5 film screenings, between September 2024 and April 2025, using the MASAHAT library of independent Arab films.
• Selected individuals must have a written agreement with at least one space that is ready to host the film screenings planned during this program.
• Selected participants are expected and required to adhere to AFLAMUNA’s non-discrimination policy, and to actively contribute to making the program a safe space for other participants. During the program and all activities that result from it, no discrimination will be tolerated.

Who is eligible?

• Individuals, spaces, and collectives from all backgrounds and walks of life who are interested in bringing independent Arab cinema to their communities are eligible to apply.
• Individuals and collectives who do not represent a space must have a written agreement with a space willing to host the screenings they will organize.
• This is an open call for emerging Community Cinema Makers from Lebanon and Palestine to receive training, funding, and access to films, and become the first cohort of the Masahat network.
• Spaces and collectives must appoint an individual who will receive the training and be the main point of contact to host the screenings.
• Participants of the training program must be Arab nationals residing in Lebanon or Palestine.
• Participants of the training program must be Arabic speakers.
• Participants of the training program must be over 18 years old.

Selection Criteria                         

• Individuals
  • Engagement in the local community.
  • Relevance of professional background.
  • Relevance of personal projects and motivation.
  • Diversity of geographical locations (with a priority for underserved geographies, especially rural areas and refugee camps).
  • Diversity of professional backgrounds.
  • Gender parity.
• spaces & collectives
  • Engagement in the local community.
  • Legal status (priority will be given to nonprofits). Relevance and feasibility of community screenings plan.
  • Relevance of the space/collective’s general strategy (with a special focus on community-driven activities).
  • Diversity of geographical locations with a priority for underserved geographies.

For more information, visit AFLAMUNA.