Taghit d’Or Short Film Festival

In recent years the film industry in Algeria has been the focus of great concern. Even though the public is still hungry for great films and to lose themselves in a magical story, it seems that the film industry in Algeria has been in swift decline. Cinemas have been closing rapidly all over the country, and those that have remained have been marred by deterioration and the lack of preservation. But, authorities have been trying to restore the industry and rebuild interest, and one of their latest projects is the Taghid d’or Short Film Festival.

Bechar, a town in the southern region of Algeria, has been bustling with activity as the town prepares itself to host the very first Taghit d’Or Short Film Festival. The festival will take place between the 11th of November 2007 and the 17th of November 2007, and the media world of the country has been taking notice of all the preparations. The aim of the festival is to inspire the young and undeveloped talent of the country to explore the film industry and hopefully begin a career in film; and to expose new films and their creative teams to the public and to the international arena.

In November, the country sees the start of its busiest time for tourists and guests, and with the film festival being hosted during the tourism season, it is hoped that the film festival will generate interest locally and abroad. Some of the local short films that visitors can look forward to include Massinissa Hocine’s ‘Nautil Us’, ‘Je Voudrais Chahira’ by Allel Ishak and ‘Parcours d’un enfant’ by Boubakeur Sliman. To widen the film spectrum and to add a touch of international flavor to the festival, films from other countries have been included to take part in the festival and the competition. Films from Canada, Lebanon, France, Mexico, Morocco and other countries, have been selected for screening at the Taghit d’Or Short Film Festival.

Members from various sectors of the film industry have been requested to take a seat on the judging panel to decide the winning film for the festival. The judges include Djamel Hazourli (Journalist), Fettouma Ousliha (Actress), Rachid Souffi (Writer and Director), Mina Kessar (Director) and Mustapha Bendhina (Journalist).

The Taghit d’Or Short Film Festival is a cultural event in Algeria that will not only bring attention to short films, but to the film industry in general. It will also provide the perfect opportunity for members of different genres and sectors of the industry to meet and discuss upcoming projects and to form new relationships. With every detail of the festival being checked many times over and all the tireless work by organizers, a huge success is expected at the annual celebration of the new Taghit d’Or Short Film Festival.