MENA CineFinance, SPC has launched it's Emerging Voices From the Arab World Short Screenplay Contest, 2013.

The winner gets a $10,000 prize and will have their script produced.

Our judge is Syrian writer, director, producer, Nabil Maleh.

Please visit and "Like" our Facebook page for information on the contest.

https://www.facebook.com/shortscreenplaycontest

For a Syrian Woman and her Child

By Regis Cabral

A woman with her child

Takes to the streets

Against the tyrant

With devil in his eyes

A despot hidden behind

False promises and lies

While the blood flows

Out of the good peoples' hearts

To the protest march

The voice of liberty is high

In the sacrifice

Of this woman and her child

As bleeding friends find strength

As she struggles against the dark

For her child she rises

Inspired by the immortal messages

Seen by poets

In the eternal and true light

That will sweep away

The dictatorship of night

And she fights

With her smile

For her child

Still alive in her arms

To stop the pain in Syria

And the tears in the sky

For Freedom

For Life

(c) Regis Cabral, Piteå, Sweden, 21 June 2012

Thank you Regis for sending this poem to me.

nahla

Swivel Theatre Company are looking for some extraordinary writing for our next production:

BREAKING THE MOULD

Arabic Women and the Arab Spring

We want one-act plays that delve into Arabic women’s stories amid revolution across the Arab world. The woman protester, screaming in the streets for freedom. The woman at home, frightened of what revolution might bring. The mother, sister, daughter, friend, in Tunisia, Palestine, Morocco, Egypt, Syria and beyond.

Candidates can visit http://swivel-live.co.uk/call-for-writers/ for more information and full details of entry and guidelines.

I would be most grateful if you could circulate this information and attached flyer amongst your networks and post on facebook or twitter if you have. We welcome submissions from overseas, as well as emerging writers with little experience.

Kind regards

Christina Turner

Producer

PALFEST 2012

The Palestine Festival of Literature is pleased to announce it has been granted permission to travel to Gaza by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Palfest will depart for Rafah on Saturday morning. In Gaza the Festival will run a series of free public events and workshops.

PalFest will hold its closing event in Cairo at the Rawabet Space for Performing Arts. The event will take the form of a report back from the participants on what they saw and heard and discussed in Gaza. The PalFest Team says: “We believe in the fundamental unity between Egypt and Palestine and hope that these events will forge new connections between the people of Gaza and Cairo”.

The Rawabet event will be at 8pm on Friday May 11, and all are welcome.

PALFEST Founder: Ahdaf Soueif

PALFEST 2012 Participants: