Amidst intensive preparations and unprecedented arrangements, Ismailia hosts its 26th edition of the Documentary and Short Film Festival under the leadership of director Hala Galal, who assumed the presidency of the festival this year to write a new chapter in the history of this distinguished event.
With her insistence on presenting a different and innovative artistic vision, Hala Galal left her clear mark, relying on her cinematic experience and passion for supporting creativity. In this interview, she reveals to us the backstage of the preparations, the challenges she faced, and her ambitious plans to transform the festival into a permanent platform to support documentary and short films in Egypt and abroad. Regarding changing the festival date, which came early this year due to the month of Ramadan, she said: The festival date was set before I was assigned to head the festival. If I had the freedom of choice, I would not have chosen this date, as it coincides with the Clermont-Ferrand Festival, and immediately before the Berlin Festival, which certainly poses a difficulty in inviting some important cinematic figures associated with the two festivals. In Egypt, coordination is done taking into account the month of Ramadan, but one of the goals I aspire to achieve in the future is changing the date of the festival and fixing it, whether under my presidency of the festival or under the presidency of someone else. The timing of the festival is a sensitive element that must be carefully planned, because it expands the opportunity to host more important films and guests, and February is not a suitable time to hold the Ismailia Festival because it overlaps with the dates of other festivals. In this year’s session, we resorted to our personal relationships in the world of cinema to complete this and convince some guests of the necessity of their presence.
Regarding the changes she made to the festival’s technical office, she said: Instead of having an artistic director, there should be someone responsible for each program. My goal was to renew the Ismailia Festival after 25 years of success. I love this festival very much, and I have been following it since I was a student, director, jury member, and invited to honor friends. There is a great emotional relationship between the festival and Egyptian filmmakers, so my goal was to present something better than what was presented. It is difficult to continue with a successful festival and be in the shadow of the previous ones or less.
As for the team, I decided to divide each competition and program so that there would be a filmmaker responsible for it. Documentary, animation, short, and independent cinema are the areas of cinema that need new visions, so I decided as a director and filmmaker to change the angle and look at the story from a different point of view, with the help of filmmakers, who have experience in the field of programming or teaching, including producers and directors such as Maggie Morgan, Marwan Amara, Ahmed Nabil, Mustafa Youssef, Abdel Fattah Kamal, Hanan Rady, Taghreed Al-Asfoury, and Sherif Fathy.
Regarding honoring Ali Al-Ghazouli and naming it for the current session of the festival, she said: Ali Al-Ghazouli is the “poet of documentary cinema”, and he is a figure who left a deep mark in this field, and honoring him is not just an appreciation of his personality, but rather a celebration of his great impact in documentary cinema. A short film about him will be shown that reflects the value of what he has presented as a symbol of creativity and influence in this field.
As for honoring people who have been honored before, this honoring carries a special and different significance, as it sheds light on their contributions in a new way, through the “Eye on History” program, which is concerned with displaying rare cinematic gems that are considered an important part of the documentary cinematic heritage.
The program focuses on preserving cinematic memory, not only for nostalgia, but also for the future. For example, we will be showing Atiyat El-Abnoudi’s graduation project, and Nabiha Lotfy’s film “Hassan and the Sparrow,” which is being shown for the first time. This program is similar to “Cinematheque,” as it presents special screenings of films that have never been seen before. The goal is to look at these pioneers not only as material for nostalgia, but as a living legacy and a source of inspiration for future generations. The honoring also reflects our interest in preserving cinematic history, just as we preserve and restore historical places to benefit from them.
The program also addresses important issues such as oral history, heritage preservation, photographing places, and the relationship between documentary cinema and the study of history and social studies. All of this will be discussed in seminars moderated by experts, such as journalist Zain El-Abidin Khairy and journalist Mohamed Shaeer, to ensure a rich and different cultural experience for attendees.
Speaking about the most prominent discussion sessions that will be held during the Ismailia Festival this year, she said: This year, the Ismailia Festival will witness many rich discussion sessions that host prominent figures in the field of documentary cinema. Among the most prominent of these sessions is a master class by American director Ross Kaufman: He is a high-level documentary director who will be honored during the festival, and will present a distinguished workshop on the 8th, where Egyptian documentary filmmakers will have the opportunity to benefit from his expertise and unique experience. Also, a master class by Cameroonian director Jean-Marie Teno: A member of the festival’s jury, he is also a distinguished documentary director. He will present a special workshop and receive an honor for his contributions to documentary cinema. A session by Moroccan director Hisham Al-Fellah: He will discuss African experiences in documentary cinema, explaining how low-budget films were able to circumvent financial restrictions with innovative production solutions and reach international festivals. This session represents an important addition, especially in light of the economic conditions facing filmmakers in Egypt and Africa. These sessions reflect the festival’s diversity and interest in presenting inspiring experiences and discussing topics close to the reality of documentary filmmakers, with a focus on innovation and overcoming challenges. In recent years, the economic crisis has affected most cinematic events. To what extent has this crisis affected Ismailia? “We are indeed working within a very limited and unreasonable budget, but we have relied heavily on the spirit of volunteer work. We have a large number of volunteers who have contributed without compensation, from young people and mid-career professionals to senior filmmakers. For example, Professor Magdy Abdel Rahman does not receive a salary, nor do the young volunteers, and the poster designer, who is very talented, has presented a wonderful work without compensation. We have tried to overcome the lack of resources by using our personal relationships in the artistic community, and cooperating with state institutions. For example, the Cultural Development Fund has provided us with the Creativity Hall, and the Urban Coordination Authority is organizing a workshop on “Memory and Place,” and the Supreme Council of Culture is hosting a workshop in Cairo. In addition, we will screen films in places such as Fayed and the Cultural Palaces, and we have benefited from all forms of in-kind and financial support available. The Media Authority and the Media Production City will contribute to translating some films into Arabic. Our ambitions are very great and we are trying to overcome obstacles by building partnerships and mutual support to achieve our goals.” Despite limited capabilities.
