For the last six years, the Silk Road Film Festival has steadily grown its reputation, showcasing international cinema and identifying diverse emerging talent from a variety of regions. The festival presents an exclusive selection of Asian, Arab, Persian, Middle Eastern, African, Mediterranean and European cinema from along the ‘Silk Road’, and returns this March for its latest edition.
The Silk Road Film Festival is a film festival of considerable ambition, aiming to provide a framework on how intercultural understanding and collaboration can be forged both inside and outside the realm of cinema. SRIFF look to close the gap between different cultures, promoting cross-cultural collaboration. From the 7th-11th of March, a variety of screenings and shorts will take place across Dublin, from Trinity College to the New Theatre, with over 90 films on display. With a diverse group of filmmakers and subject matter, films by a number of Irish directors will be included in the festival’s selection and in the interest of promoting these works to a wide audience, many screenings during the festival are free of charge.
Festival highlights include This is Palestine, which follows the journey of Riverdance founder John McColgan through the West Bank and Gaza as he explores the impact of ongoing conflict and military occupation on those living there. The Dutch film Silk Road is appropriate subject matter for the festival, a Dutch film about a 20-year old girl who hooks up with the charismatic Raymond who helps her to become a successful drug dealer on Silk Road, drawing her into a game of cat and mouse between criminals and police. Moez Kamoun’s The Crow Siesta, tells the story of Fatma, who, after her husband is sent to jail for gambling debts, promises to run the restaurant of their debter. In the middle of the Sahara Desert, life is hard in this distant land, far from city pleasures.
Check out the full programme of the Silk Road Film Festival here. And do let Film In Dublin know if you’re planning to attend or if you’re screening during the festival, there’s always another film festival around the corner in the fair city of film, and we love to hear from our readers about the various films they’re watching, sharing and creating.