Call for 4th International Womens Film Festival

The Secretariat of the 4th edition of the International Womens

Film Festival Afghanistan requests filmmakers to send in short or
long feature and documentary films the main theme of which
should be concerned with women-related issues for the one-week
Festival to be held as of 21 September 2016 in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The 4th Festival is a competition event and the winners will receive
the Festivals Statue. A jury comprising domestic and international
filmmakers and critics shall judge the films in two national and
international sections.
Last 3 Editions of the Festival
The last 3 editions of the Festival were held in the ancient Citadel of Herat and attracted one
thousand films from the region and from
across the world. A number of renowned
national and international filmmakers
attended the three previous editions of the
festival, hundreds of the media covered
them worldwide and thousands of people
watched a selection of the films. The
International Womens Film FestivalAfghanistan is perhaps the most
important cultural event of its kind in the
Heart of Asia.
Scenes from 3 last editions of the Womens Film Festival
International Womens Film Festival
Armanshahr/OPENASIA and Roya Film House are the founders of this IWFF, who have
managed to organise the only womens film Festival with great efforts at the heart of Asia in
recent years, despite great security risks. This takes a courage that may not be feasible in other
neighbouring countries. Women of Asia did not have a festival of their own and this festival has
opened the way for them to send their works to Armanshahr and Roya Film House for joint
screening.
The co-organisers of this Festival, Armanshahr/OPEN ASIA and Roya Film House, are certain
that, if the behind-the-scene political games allow it, people offer a different political and social
narrative of the situation in Afghanistan; a narrative different from that offered up to now by the
fanatics and their international partners who dominate the big media.
International Womens Film Festival Afghanistan was founded by Armanshahr/OPEN ASIA
and Roya Film House in March 2013. Report: Herat has no cinema but an International
Womens Film Festival

3rd International Womens Film Festival 2015 Awardees

International films (Out of 21):
1. Best documentary: My name is Salt,
Director: Farida Pacha, India/France
2. Best long fiction: Oblivion Season,
Director: Abbas Rafei, Iran
3. Best short fiction: I say Dust,
Director: Darine Hotait, Lebanon/America
4. Best animation: The Fried Fish,
Director: Laila Khalilzadeh, Iran
5. Award of the Jury: Ants Apartment,
Director: Tofigh Amani, Iran
Afghanistan films (Out of 13):
1. Best short documentary: Loneliness, Director: Sabera Rezaei
2. Best short fiction film: In circle, Director: Masooma Ibrahimi
3. Best animation: Schizophrenia, Director: Lajeward Haghighi
4. Best director: Khadim Hussain Behnam, for the film: Conflict
5. Best leading actress: Lina Alam, for the film: Qamar
6. Best leading actress: Marina Gulbahari, for the film: Lost bag
7. Award of the Jury for the film: Qamar, Directed by Nima Latifi
8. Best film script: Masoud Islami and Jalal Hosseini for the film Maze
The Jury praised Flight Mandatory, directed by Azizullah Haidari, for its innovative notion.
You can Read More about these Films and Directors: HERE
Sponsors, Supporters:
Tawanmandi, Un Women, Goethe Institut, Heinrich Boll, Fidh, Iawrt, tolo Tv, 8Sobh

Founders
Armanshahr/ Open Asia
Armanshahr Foundation /OPEN ASIA is an Independent citizens bringing together progressive

minds and action benefiting a culture of human rights, democratic values,

womens empowerment and justice.
Armanshahr is a
member of the International Federation for Human Rights-FIDH.
Guissou Jahangiri - Director of Armanshahr Foundation, and cofounder & director of the Festival
This experience is per se very valuable, because it is a venue
for the reunion of the like-minded people in the region. In a
geographical expanse, where the statesmen talk the language
of war, our initiative illustrates that women use the language of
culture to talk to each other. This endeavour of aware women, in
a region where everybody is suspicious of one another, will lead
to creation of trust and culture building. The extensive
participation of the people during three editions of the Festival in
three years proves the need for it. We must underline the
womens issue by every means in our capacity. Endeavours of
this type can incite everybody and bring self-confidence to
women.
Roya Film House
is an independent Afghan film company that was founded in 2003 and
Founded by Ms. Roya Sadat, Roya Film House (RFH) is among the first
companies that was founded right after the fall of the Taliban regime. Most
the production focus of this company has been on Human Rights films,
and the situation of women and children in Afghanistan.

of

Roya Sadat - Director of Roya Film House and co-founder & director
of the Festival

Our goal in organising this Festival is to introduce works of women and

bring together women and filmmakers who pay special attention to women
and their rights. The first and foremost goal is to show the works to the
audience concerned with cinema. The Festival is a channel to inform the
women of Afghanistan and participants from other countries about the
experience of women in different countries and offer them a model to use
to improve their situation and to combat social discrimination.