Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival Explained

Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival
Native Name:مهرجان موجودين للأفلام الكويرية
Native Name Lang:ar
Location:Tunis, Tunisia
Country:Tunisia
Founded:2018
Founders:Mawjoudin
First:2018

The Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival (Arabic: مهرجان موجودين للأفلام الكويرية|mahrajān Mawjūdīn li-l-aflām al-kwīriyya) is an annual film festival in Tunisia celebrating the LGBT community. It began in 2018, as the first queer film festival in the country and all of North Africa.[1] [2] [3] It is organized by Mawjoudin, a Tunisian NGO whose name translates to "[we] exist". The focus is on queer identities, especially in people from the Global South.[4]

Motivation

The festival aims to create a space for queer people that is neither heteronormative nor homophobic. Because of security reasons, the location of the festival is not disclosed; people interested in participating in the festival first need to get in contact with the organizers.

The organizers see the festival as a form of activism: "We are trying to fight not only in the courts but through art."

History

First edition

The first festival took place from January 15–18, 2018. It received funding support from the Hirschfeld Eddy Foundation.[5] Major themes were gender and non-heteronormative sexuality. In addition to showing 12 short- and medium-length films,[6] the festival included concerts, debates, and the panel discussions "Queer as Art" and "Queer as Resistance".[7]

Second edition

The second edition of the festival was March 22–25, 2019, in downtown Tunis.[8] [9] The 2019 festival aimed to cover the full LGBTQI spectrum, and have a strong focus on feminism. A total of 31 films were shown, including Argentinian, Chinese, Indian, Kenyan, Pakistani, Portuguese, and Tunisian films.[10] In addition to films, there were performances, debates, and a theater workshop entitled "Towards a Queer Theater".

Third edition

The third edition of the festival planned between the 20th and 23 March 2020[11] was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Films

At the 2018 festival, "Upon The Shadow" was screened on the opening day. The film is a Tunisian docudrama by Nada Mezni Hafaiedh, which received recognition at the Carthage Film Festival.

Films screened during the festival in 2019 include:[12]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Tunisia 'queer film festival' seeks to make a difference . January 17, 2018 . . March 22, 2019 . March 27, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190327085958/https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/tunisia-queer-film-festival-seeks-to-make-a-difference-20180116 . live .
  2. Web site: L'association tunisienne "Mawjoudin" lance le premier festival traitant des genres et de la sexualité non normative de la région MENA . The Tunisian association "Mawjoudin" launches the first festival dealing with gender and non-normative sexuality in the MENA region . fr . Anissa Mahdaoui . HuffPost Tunisie . January 11, 2018 . March 22, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190327085941/https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/2018/01/11/mawjoudin-queer-film-fest_n_18979584.html . March 27, 2019 . dead .
  3. Web site: Reportage Afrique - Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival: le premier festival de cinéma LGBT en Tunisie. February 20, 2018. RFI. fr. March 22, 2019. March 27, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327092934/http://www.rfi.fr/emission/20180220-mawjoudin-queer-film-festival-le-premier-festival-cinema-lgbt-tunisie. live.
  4. Web site: Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival . Radical Film Network . March 22, 2019 . March 22, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190322123747/https://radicalfilmnetwork.com/tunisia/mawjoudin-queer-film-festival/ . live .
  5. Web site: L'association Mawjoudin lance le premier festival Queer en Tunisie . fr . The Mawjoudin association launches the first Queer festival in Tunisia . January 11, 2018 . Kapitalis . March 22, 2019 . March 27, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190327093327/http://kapitalis.com/tunisie/2018/01/11/lassociation-mawjoudin-lance-premier-festival-queer-tunisie/ . live .
  6. Web site: Tunisia gets its first queer film festival . Colin Steward . January 23, 2018 . 76crimes.com . March 22, 2019 . November 27, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201127232429/https://76crimes.com/2018/01/23/tunisia-gets-its-first-queer-film-festival/ . live .
  7. Web site: L'association Mawjoudin lance son 1er Queer Film Festival du 15 au 18 janvier . fr . The Mawjoudin association launches its 1st Queer Film Festival from January 15 to 18 . January 12, 2018 . tekiano . March 22, 2019 . March 27, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190327090151/https://www.tekiano.com/2018/01/12/lassociation-mawjoudin-lance-son-1er-queer-film-festival-du-15-au-18-janvier/ . live .
  8. Web site: Majowdin Queer Film Festival . March 22, 2019 . May 16, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190516141306/http://queerfilmfestival.mawjoudin.org/en/home/ . live .
  9. Web site: Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival: Tunis célèbre la culture inclusive . March 21, 2019 . fr . Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival: Tunis Celebrates Inclusive Culture . HuffPost Maghreb . March 22, 2019 . March 22, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190322084816/https://tn24.ween.tn/fr/article/mawjoudin-queer-film-festival-tunis-celebre-la-culture-inclusive-114090 . live .
  10. Web site: Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival : Le cinéma comme arme de résistance . fr . Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival: Cinema as a Weapon of Resistance . March 16, 2019 . Kapitalis . March 22, 2019 . January 16, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210116085655/http://kapitalis.com/tunisie/2019/03/16/mawjoudin-queer-film-festival-le-cinema-comme-arme-de-resistance/ . live .
  11. Web site: Mawjoudin Queer film festival. en-GB. 2020-04-13. April 6, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200406163258/https://queerfilmfestival.mawjoudin.org/en/homepage-en/. live.
  12. Web site: 2e édition de Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival, du 22 au 25 mars à Tunis . fr . 2nd edition of Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival, March 22–25 in Tunis . March 21, 2019 . femmesdetunisie.com . March 22, 2019 . March 22, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190322125727/https://femmesdetunisie.com/2e-edition-de-mawjoudin-queer-film-festival-du-22-au-25-mars-a-tunis/ . dead .