The Master International Film Festival (MIFF) is back for a second edition from May 6 to 13, 2023 at the Medina Yasmine Hammamet.
The press conference that was held recently made it possible to reveal the main lines of this new edition, which promises to be even more promising than the first. The founding president of the MIFF, the director Mokhtar Ladjimi, warmly thanked all those who supported this ambitious project, in particular the ministries of cultural affairs and that of tourism, as well as the partners and sponsors. He then listed the specifics of this edition, which promises to be particularly rich in events.
For Ali Miaoui, director general of the “Peace” group and co-organizer of the festival, this second edition is an opportunity to renew the commitment of its institution to support a major project which contributes to the animation of the cultural life of Medina Yasmine Hammamet and the development of local tourism. The MIFF is indeed an event that brings together different cultures and communities, to offer visitors a unique cinematographic experience.
The MIFF is above all an event which offers additional activity to foreign and Tunisian tourists who visit Hammamet Sud. The medina is an accessible place for free, where visitors come to walk and have a good time with friends or family. The MIFF therefore offers them a unique cultural experience, allowing them to discover films from around the world, but also to participate in debates and other activities. The objective is to make the medina a real crossroads of meetings, between guests from several countries and visitors from around the world.
This second edition of the MIFF therefore promises to be even richer in cinematographic events and discoveries. The organizers have set up a varied program, which will include projections of films, debates, workshops and meetings with cinema professionals. Visitors will be able to enjoy a unique and enriching experience, which will allow them to discover cinema in all its forms.
Mr. Ladjimi has announced that more than twenty nationalities would be present at the MIFF 2023, which will offer diversified programming. The festival will in particular honor the centenary of Tunisian cinema and will offer many events related to this anniversary.
Among the festival’s new features, there will be the “mobile film”, which will allow filmmakers to make sequences of a maximum minute via their mobile phone. These films will be screened before each feature film to the delight of spectators.
As part of the centenary of Tunisian cinema, a panel on the inventory and the digitization of cinematographic archives will be organized. Another panel will focus on the “shooting in Tunisia”, which will focus on the conditions and vagaries of filming in the country and will offer reflections on means of bringing foreign shooting in Tunisia.
The MIFF 2023 will also offer a panorama of documentary films, most of which will focus on the centenary of Tunisian cinema. Master Class will also be offered, as well as a focus on Latin America cinema. Another panel on the alternating funding of films will be led by two guests from Latin America to share their experience.
Finally, the main attraction of the festival will be the “Ciné Beach”, a screening of Tunisian or foreign films shot in Tunisia which will take place on the beach of Yasmine Hammamet, in front of the medina. A unique opportunity for moviegoers to enjoy the landscape and discover local cinematographic productions.
For the official selection and the international competition, there will be 12 feature films, 12 short films and 6 documentary films, in addition to other films to project in the 4 rooms available to the Medina Yasmine Hammamet and the Hammamet Fort, a way of promoting and the Festival and the Festival offshore.
A total of 60 films from around 24 different countries.
Here are some films that will be screened during this second edition:
- Close of Lukas Dhont (Belgium), a very beautiful film which won the Grand Prix at the 2022 Cannes Festival ;
- Burning Days from Emin Alper (Türkiye), who was in competition in Cannes in 2022 in the Un certain Regard section;
- Mediterranean Fever From Maha Haj (Palestine), a price for the best scenario a certain look to Cannes 2022;
- 19 B of Ahmad Abdalla (Egypt), which won the prize for the best Arab film, the best artistic contribution and the Fipresci Prize at the Cairo Festival in November 2022;
- Under the figuiers of Erige Sehiri (Tunisia), Silver Tanit at JCC 2022;
- The kings of the world from Laura Mora (Colombia);
- Chile 1976 De Manuela Martelli (Chile), selected at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes 2022;
- Nostalgia by Mario Martone, (Italy) in official competition in Cannes 2022;
- Sirawritten and directed by Apolline Traoré (Burkina Fasso) which had been selected at the 73rd edition of the Berlin Festival;
- Last Queen Directed by Adila Bendimerad and Damien Onouri (Algeria) selected in the Giornate Degli Authori section of the Venice Festival;
- The unionistby Jean-Paul Salomé (France), selected in the Horizons section at the Venice Festival;
- The blue of the caftan by Maryam Touzani (Morocco), Prix Fipresci Un Certain Regard à Cannes 2022 ;
- I would come back there From Yassine Redissi (Tunisia), special mention at the Cairo International Film Festival, Horizons section of Arabic cinema.
As for the juries, they will be made up of 7 members for that of the feature films whose president will be the famous Jorge Ariagada of Chile, 5 others for the CM jury, and the same for documentaries and the “mobile film”; The last jury being that designated by UNESCO, for the ICFT – Cict, which will reward the film which carries a discourse of tolerance, peaceful cohabitation and peace.
Tributes will obviously be paid to famous Tunisian and foreign cinema stars, such as Dorra Zarrouk, Fethi Heddaoui and the Egyptian actress Youssra. The guest of honor of this edition will be the director Salma Baccar.
Other brand guests will be the same present during this MIFF 2023 pending confirmation of their participation.
Mokhtar Ladjimi also unveiled the poster of the second edition featuring Boussaddia, which plays the main role. This image arouses interest and raises the question of what cinema and Boussaddia have in common. Like Boussaddia, cinema is an art that crosses geographic and cultural borders to reach the hearts of its audience around the world. This symbolism shows the importance of cinema in societies, because it is able to transcend differences and bring people together around a common passion.
It is interesting to note that Boussaddia is an important character in the Tunisian heritage and that he is perfectly integrated into the traditional framework of the Hammamet medina. The use of this local icon as the main character of the MIFF 2023 poster shows the importance that the event attaches to the promotion of Tunisian culture and heritage. This initiative could also draw attention to the wealth and cultural diversity of Tunisia, while creating a feeling of pride among Tunisians.
Neïla Driss
