The online Arab Cinema Directory has been launched by the Med-Screen project, featuring extensive information about Mediterranean Arab film producers in all genres and formats. It aims to enhance the visibility of films from the eight Arab Mediterranean Partner countries, and is certain to be of interest to professionals and to film buffs researching Arab films produced since the 1920.
The Directory, www.acdir.net, in Arabic and English, devotes a page to each of the films, which include dramas, documentaries, experimental, short and feature length films.
It includes descriptive and technical information, photographs, posters, quotes, and links to press articles, as well as bespoke products such as “making of” specials and trailers.
Some 500 titles are already online, and the website features an “Add a film” section in which filmmakers, producers and distributors are invited to register their films, along with information about their recent productions.
The Arabic Cinema Directory is the latest activity of the EU-funded Med-Screen project which is part of the Euromed Audiovisual II regional programme. It provides a short bibliographical summary of many books, including older and more recent titles, dealing with Arab cinema and has been constructed with the help of researchers, located in the eight Arab MEDA countries and new information is constantly being added.
It is the latest offering of the Med-Screen project, aimed at promoting Arabic cinema, which is funded by the European Union within the framework of the Euromed Audiovisual II programme.
The Euromed Audiovisual II programme aims at promoting dialogue and exchange between peoples from both shore of the Mediterranean through the medium of cinema and encourages cooperation among audiovisual operators from both shores of the Mediterranean. It also stimulates the transfer of technology and expertise through professional training, fosters the broadcasting of cinematographic works from the Mediterranean partners and the European Union, promotes the enhancement of the Euro-Mediterranean region’s audiovisual heritage and facilities investment, and job and wealth creation in the audiovisual sector.
