Chouf Film Festival

For the first time in chouf!
     ”تراريح TARAREEH Chouf Film Festival”

1^st Edition

A sum of 27 films over the course of 3 consecutive days, a brilliant experience that have happened for the first time in Chouf, in the stone vault of Beit Sarmada Batloun!

Tarareeh with Home of Cine Jam and The Beirut 48Hr. Film Project caught fire to grant a link between pioneer filmmakers and amateurs, an extra free space away from the big city to screen films, introduced the attendees to a variety of film genres and encouragement of talents to take part in the filmmaking industry, under the main slogan of “from Mouneh we Create art!

Sarmada collaborated “Home of Cine Jam” on the widely recognized and award winning web-documentary series “Zyara” and had given the attendees the chance to have a discussion with the creators, Muriel Abou lrouss and Denise Jabbour after enjoying the screening.

Sarmada had to guide our guests to doors and projects that support short filmmaking with another collaboration with “The Beirut 48Hr. film Project” with the producers, Nour Akiki and Bachir Abou Zeid.

On day one, Tarareeh featured 9 short films selected by Sarmada, some were graduation films others were independent short films, “Mish Aaib” by Rabih Zeitouny; “Life to Tape” by Nour Akiki; “Relentless” by Tony Issa; “and then there was,” by Yasmine Bitar; “Shou Fi” by Zaher Kais; “On My Way” by Nancy Abou Diab; and “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” by Jana Obeidyine. The attendees enjoyed the films and had the chance to meet with 4 of the directors. By the end of the screening and Q&A Zaher Kais introduced the attendees to the Festival, the next two days, the future picture of the festival for the next edition the rules to participate and the initiative!

On day two, Tarareeh featured The Beirut 48 Hr. Film Project; the guests enjoyed 7 selected films from the project, a project that takes local filmmaking international! Beirut city is one of the 130 cities that take part in this project around the globe, Beirut’s’ producers were with us to discuss the project and open the door to teaming up and taking part! The films screened were: “kana ala Bali” by Ta2ash Fa2ash; “Fur Sarah” by Team M23; “The Last Trade” by Roar Park; “Eja El Wa2et” by Shou Kamen; “Faux Pas” by 24 pps; “By ID” by Gilgamesh; “The Last Picture” by Deer B-Lack.

On day three, Tarareeh Featured Home of Cine Jam on their ongoing artistic and humanitarian project “Zyara” that aims to wander around the world giving voice to all everyday heroes beyond boarders promoting oneness and archiving human emotions experiences for generations to come, with the believe that we are all here on a visit and we need to learn from each other, respect one another and focus on what brings us together! Tarareeh screened the authentic and poetic web docu-series “Zyara” season 7, 12 episodes with: Mariam Baher; Michel Abboud; Therese Hawat; Yorgui Teyrouz; Ray Basil; Ramzi Haydar; Arpi Mangassarian; Ziad Abi Chaker; Fadia Tannir; Sami Hawat; Nahla Ghandour; Tony Bsaibes. By the end of the screening the attendees had the chance to speak to the creators Muriel Aboulrous and Denise Jabbour communicating how touched they were watching the stories and their gratitude to the existence to such projects!

The ticket to have access to the three festival days was as usual a jar of Mouneh from Mounet Beit Sarmada! Sarmada’s guests enjoyed the films, the interactive contact with professionals in the field and took home a jar of organic preserved food! 

THE CREW ON THIS PROJECT:

• Project manager: Zaher Kais
• Communication manager and organizer: Yasmine Bitar
• Digital marketing specialist
• Bothaina Hassan
• Graphic designer: Nassim Hani
• Photographer Bassem Bitar
• Sound designer and video editor: Raghid Nasr
• Production team: Rima Kais Wissam Kais and Abdallah Bitar