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Ben Schwag to run workshop at Jerissa festival

As part of the upcoming Jerissa festival (full name Festival International du film des mines à Djerissa) in Tunisia on 22-24 December 2022, our partner Ben Schwag will be running a workshop for film professionals. Invited by No Boundz, CFT, and IBDAA, his goal is to encourage greater professionalism among young sound engineers and filmmakers entering the profession

Young sound and filmmaking talent in Tunisia is emerging. The “Festival independant du premier film des 2 rives” in Tunis is already in its fourth year. The upcoming Festival international de cinema des mines de Djerissa festival is hosting a special event around the subject of sound in film to be run by Ben (who just happens to have a PhD in Cinematography and Sound Engineering). Ben is a regular visitor to Tunisia, where he has lectured among other places at the CFT academy and overseen a number of productions. He is also a veteran music producer, with credits going back to the eighties, including names such as Curtis Mayfield and Johnny Guitar Watson.

“One of the tragedies of Tunisia is the lack of prospects for its creative youth,” he says. “Rather than creating their own music, cinema and TV shows, they are the passive spectators of other peoples’ dreams. I’d like to help people think again about that.”

A spirit of enterprise

“What I see is that many young people remain unemployed, accept jobs below their skills or emigrate,” says Schwag. Yet other countries have managed to create more positive outcomes for young people in the face of difficult circumstances.

Poster of the Jerissa festival du film des mines

In Europe, despite its lack of natural resources, Ireland has successfully developed knowledge-based sectors – notably music and to a lesser degree cinema. Romania has established itself as production hub and is renowned for its film orchestras. In the middle east, Jordan is now a respected supplier for various productions.

More professional results from a more professional attitude

“Getting young people to achieve more professional results starts with them acquiring a more professional attitude,” he says. This creates ambition and employment, cuts emigration and also helps the existing theatre, cinema and music productions become more competitive on an international level. “We are working with local bodies and professionals to improve the professionalism of music and audio-visual production in Tunisia,” he adds. “The combination of training, contacts with existing professionals, new technology and the support of the festivals and other bodies can lead to a new generation of storytelling in Tunisia.”

Details (in French): Jerissa festival

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Results of the 2 Rives festival 2022

In September 2022, we were honoured to be part of the international jury for the Festival 2 Rives for first films and short movies. Ben Schwag also held a workshop dedicated to writing and sound in short movies.

Ben Schwag at the 4th Festival 2 Rives, Tunis.

The jury of the festival of first films was composed of:
Imad Oueslati: President
Moncef Baldi: Member
Adel Eyet Ammar: Member
Nasser Berkhissa: Member
Adel Khammssi: Member
Ikbal Sfar : Member

International jury:

Ben Schwagrowki (president)

Guus Fluit

Michael Leahy

Thierry Tirabasso

On September 22, 2022, after having viewed all the 20 works nominated by the selection and viewing committee from a total of seven countries (Tunisia – Morocco – Iraq – Libya – Mauritania – Egypt – Palestine) they announced the winners. Given that the level of the works and their sources were different, they were classified into two categories.

The institutional films open to students only, had more than ten works nominated for this category.

The first prizes for the two films “Pars” and “Sin” were shared equally between the two students: Dkekra Al-Askari – Nour Al-Huda Nasri
Malek Sokouhi from Tunisia 2nd prize* ABDOU MOSLEM
ABDOU MOSLEM 3rd prize for precision*.

The second category was for first films and professional productions, and 12 works competed for prizes:

  • Earth Brick: Egypt/1
  • Shash: Iraq/2
  • Stop: Morocco/3
  • Jury Prize: Une Minute de Silence: Mauritania *
  • Creativity Award: Left Foot: Iraq*
  • Environment Award: Malgin: Tunisia *
  • Challenge Award: Asmaa Jabali / Emna Al-Jami: Zaman / In the Blink of an Eye: Tunisia

The committee also noted the Palestinian documentary “Sanabel sans têtes/Sanabel without heads”.

Read more about the Festival winners

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