Organized by Beirut Film Society, Cinema for Peace is a summer camp & film festival in a form of an academy; it promotes cinema as a vital tool for peace building & conflicts resolution, by providing youth with the needed skills to be purveyors of a new cinema of intercultural dialogue.
Lebanon is the land of dialogue and convergence. The philosophy of the Lebanese entity is based on dialogue, reconciliation and coexistence. From here, it is our responsibility to be the disciples of this message and we should call by our actions for the designation of Lebanon as “space of dialogue among civilizations based on peace and diversity”.
CFP is open for all filmmakers from the entire world who believe in the power of cinema in promoting for peace and tolerance between people from different cultures. Filmmakers are invited to submit their films and to apply to participate in the summer camp professional training. CFP accepts films that evolve around the following topics: Human Reconciliation, Dialogue, Environment, Human Rights, Peace, Acceptance... etc...
Hosted by the Saint Georges old monastery of Kleiat, and CIRDiC Lebanon, Cinema for Peace merges between a Summer Camp film training of 10 days for selected participants, that results the production of short films and public service announcements that meet the objectives of the camp; and a film festival program that screens films around the mentioned topics in the middle of nature, under a splendid forest of pine and oak; bring your own tent and come camp with us.
The Objectives behind the CFP Summer Camp Film Festival are:
1- Raising awareness and pushing youth to play a beneficiary role in the society through being open to arts, culture and cinema.
2- Training young filmmakers to become ambassadors for Cinema for Peace in their communities.
3- Producing a series of short films and public service announcements that highlight the different discussed topics.
4- Opening up to different cultures and promoting for intercultural encounter and dialogue and for tolerance and acceptance.
5- Unifying youth around those topics, to contribute in building a better future.
6- Creating networks between the participants from different regions, artistic backgrounds and social groups.
7- Encouraging youth to improve their skills pertaining to the issues that interest them.
8- Assist civil society bodies in promoting their causes through awareness campaigns, publications and artistic projects.
Cinema for Peace offers awards by a jury of young filmmakers in all mentioned categories; in addition to the Audience Choice awards that are voted by the campers and the camp visitors.