Cinema culture: Stories in motion
Focus: Media literacy and narrative empowerment
Who: 500+ direct participants, 10,000 indirect
Where: Palestine and beyond
When: January 2024 — ongoing
Partner: Filmlab Palestine
Cinema is a powerful tool for preserving stories, challenging narratives, and nurturing the next generation of storytellers. Working alongside Filmlab Palestine, we support comprehensive programs that develop film literacy among Palestinian children and youth while amplifying Palestinian voices on global screens through innovative production and distribution initiatives.
Since 2014, Filmlab Palestine has been cultivating cinema culture across Palestine, creating spaces where young people can learn to tell their own stories and developing the infrastructure needed for Palestinian film to thrive. Their work spans from intimate filmmaking workshops with children to international festivals that connect Palestinian cinema with audiences worldwide.
At a time when Palestinian narratives face systematic distortion and censorship, this partnership strengthens local capacity for storytelling while creating global platforms for Palestinian voices. Through film literacy programs, production support, and strategic distribution, we help ensure that Palestinian stories are told by Palestinians themselves, reaching audiences who might never otherwise encounter authentic Palestinian perspectives.
What we do together
Working with Filmlab’s experienced team of filmmakers and educators, we support multi-faceted programming that spans education, production, and distribution. The partnership includes developing film literacy among Palestinian children and youth through regular screenings, dialogue sessions, and hands-on filmmaking workshops where young people learn to express their views, feelings, and experiences through cinema.
We support the annual Sunbird Stories Award program, which guides emerging Palestinian filmmakers through script development and project pitching, providing funding and production support for films specifically created for young audiences. The program culminates in professional development opportunities and awards that help Palestinian filmmakers build sustainable careers.
The project includes establishing children’s cinema clubs in community centers across Palestine, equipped with projection equipment and iPads for local film production, creating lasting infrastructure for ongoing cultural programming led by Palestinian communities themselves.
Project activities
- Film screenings and dialogue sessions for children and youth across Palestine
- Filmmaking workshops where young people create and share their own stories
- Sunbird Stories Award program providing funding and mentorship for emerging filmmakers
- Development of Waqtona digital platform featuring a selection of Palestinian films and curated international films dubbed and subtitled in Arabic for young Palestinian audiences
- Global Palestine Cinema Days with international screenings challenging narrative distortion
- Community cinema clubs establishment with equipment and ongoing programming support
Community-driven storytelling
Our partnership prioritizes Palestinian voices and leadership in developing their own cinema culture. Filmlab Palestine leads all programming, applying their deep understanding of Palestinian experiences and their vision for nurturing local talent while connecting with global cinema networks.
The young filmmakers supported through these programs become cultural ambassadors, creating content that reflects their own communities’ experiences while building technical skills that sustain Palestinian cinema long-term. Community centers equipped through this project become lasting hubs for cultural activity, ensuring that film literacy and production capabilities remain embedded in Palestinian communities.
At its core, our collaboration with Filmlab Palestine is about providing Palestinian filmmakers with the resources, skills, and platforms they need to tell their own stories, reach global audiences, and inspire the next generation of Palestinian storytellers.
Amplifying Palestinian voices
Help us continue supporting Palestinian filmmakers in telling their own stories and reaching global audiences. Join the 1000 for Palestine and invest in programs that develop local cinema culture while challenging the systematic silencing of Palestinian voices through the power of authentic storytelling.