Press

BAFTA Goes to the Arab World on Tour at LIVERPOOL ARABIC ARTS FESTIVAL 14 - 27 July 2008

Building on its regular and popular programme of films from and about the Arab world the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival this year delivers a specially scheduled series of events in association with BAFTA.

The BAFTA Goes to the Arab World... on Tour at LIVERPOOL ARABIC ARTS FESTIVAL features an impressive selection of films from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and Algeria, researched by Mona Deeley of Zenith Foundation.

The programme begins with Out of Coverage (Mon 14 July, 6.15pm, FACT), a Syrian drama directed by Abdullatif Abdulhamid who will be attending the screening to give a Q&A session. The programme continues with Under the Bombs (Wed 16 July, 6.15pm, FACT) a visceral expression of anger and pain from the Lebanese director Phillipe Aractingi.

The festival continues with A screening of 3 shorts from and on Iraq and Lebanon (Thur 17 July, 6.30pm, FACT) which includes a Q&A session with featured directors from the Independent Film and Television College in Baghdad. Each of the shorts - A stranger in his Own Country, by Hassanain Al Hani; Candle for the Shabandar Café, by Emad Ali; The Singing Barber of Mosul, directed by Katia Saleh - represent conflicts as experienced by ordinary people or represented by filmmakers living through them.

Set in Ein Shams, one of Cairo's poorest neighborhoods, Eye of the Sun (Mon 21 July, 6.15pm, FACT) is directed by Ibrahim El Batout in a story seen through the eyes of an eleven-year-old girl.

Paloma Delight (Weds 23 July, 6.15pm, FACT) by Algeria's Nadir Mokneshe centers on the charms of Madame Aldjeria (played by Biyouna) as one of the most successful fixers in the country who may have taken on one scam too many.

The latest and possibly last film from leading Egyptian auteur Youssef Chanine is Chaos (Sun 27 July, 3.00pm, FACT) in which a corrupt police officer becomes infatuated by the only woman who refuses his demands.

In the middle of the two week Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival comes the Yemen Film Weekend (Saturday 19 - Sunday 20 July, World Museum Liverpool). Curated by Leila Ingrams this series of five, free documentary and fiction works from the Yemen explore poetry, grief, romance, justice and bravery. These include The Last of the Dictionary Men a documentary by Tina Gharavi detailing the history of Yemeni settlers to the UK and Al-Ritaj Al-Mabhoor directed by Hamid Al-Oqabi which is based on a Kuwaiti poem and atmospherically shot in several cities in Yemen including historical Zubaid, ancient Sana'a and Dar Al-Hajer in Thaher valley.

In addition, and to celebrate the centenary of director David Lean's birth, there will be a Gala Screening of Lawrence of Arabia in partnership with Northwest Vision and Media, hosted at the Philharmonic Hall (Tues 22 July, 6.30pm).

The Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival film programme at FACT and Liverpool Philharmonic Hall is produced in partnership with the Bluecoat, FACT, Picturehouse at FACT, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Mona Deeley of Zenith Foundation and in association with BAFTA. Funding has been provided by Northwest Vision and Media.

BAFTA Goes to the Arab World....on Tour follows a weekend of screenings and events at BAFTA's London headquarters in Piccadilly. BAFTA Goes to the Arab World in London runs from 11 - 14 July, for more information please go to www.bafta.org

This event is part of The British Academy of Film and Television Arts' Learning & Events' programme which offers events year-round in the nations and regions and London. BAFTA Goes to the Arab World...on Tour is our third global weekend on tour event following the success of BAFTA Goes to Mexico...on Tour in Manchester in 2007 and BAFTA Goes to Bollywood...on Tour in Birmingham in November 2006.

Festival Manager Ngozi Ikoku said: "We are delighted to be able to showcase the varied work of these contemporary filmmakers from the Arab world and proud to do so with the support of BAFTA. We invite you to come along, enjoy and take part in these and a whole host of music, dance and artistic festivities from across the Arab World and its diaspora."

Booking: A limited number of free tickets are available to Academy members for specified events and screenings. For full programme details and information on which events and screenings are open to BAFTA members please go to www.bafta.org. To request tickets, please email regions@bafta.org and include your membership number.

To book tickets for films at FACT call 08717 042063 or visit www.fact.co.uk, www.picturehouses.co.uk

To book tickets for Lawrence of Arabia call Liverpool Philharmonic Box Office on 0151 709 3789 or visit www.liverpoolphil.com

For full Festival programme and ticket information: call 0151 702 5324.

Notes to editors
The Bluecoat and Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival is now in its seventh successive year. The event started as a partnership between Liverpool Arabic Centre and the Bluecoat and over the years has grown to involve more partners from the city's arts and Arabic communities. The Bluecoat reopened earlier this year following a £12.5m redevelopment, and the LAAF remains a key part of the organisation's activities and reflects the diverse nature of the Bluecoat's programme. LAAF is at the heart of the Bluecoat's artistic programme presenting the best of new, innovative local and international visual art and live art along with contemporary dance, music and literature events.
www.thebluecoat.org.uk

The Liverpool Arabic Centre LAC is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee based in the Toxteth area of Liverpool. The LAC works alongside the Yemeni and Arabic speaking communities and those interested in Arabic culture and language in the Liverpool area. Through the facilitation and provision of community development and activity their mission is to contribute to the relief of poverty and improve health and education within the Yemeni/Arabic community. They also aim to strengthen the awareness of Yemeni Arabic Culture and celebrate and promote all aspects of Arabic history, language cultural heritage and identity.
www.liverpoolarabiccentre.org.uk

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
Alongside the award ceremonies, The British Academy of Film and Television Arts' Learning & Events' programme offers events year-round in the nations and regions and London. This events' programme gives members and the public alike the opportunity to experience the best work from practitioners in film, television and video games. To find out more about BAFTA, visit www.bafta.org

Northwest Vision and Media
Northwest Vision and Media works on behalf of the TV, film, radio, digital and games industries in the Northwest to grow a world-class media economy within the region. It wants to create something extraordinary, taking advantage of all the opportunities that exist to play its part in creating an industry that is a magnet for talent, is truly diverse and offers opportunities for all.

For press information, photographs or interviews with the directors please contact Adrian Pennington on 07737 970 930 or email penningtonadrian@hotmail.com