BIFF 2nd  International Forum on Iraqi Cinema

Iraqi cinema has undoubtedly achieved a great deal since its birth at the turn of the 20th century. A number of generations bore the mission of making Iraqi films with the given facilities amidst difficulties and hardships known to all.

Despite the development of Iraqi economy and the presence of abundant budgets especially during the second half of last century, support for Iraqi cinema and cinematographers and turning individual efforts and initiatives into organized institutional work and converting cinema into a nationalist industry haven't been achieved up until now.

It is for these reasons that we find it important to take a new look at the progress of Iraqi cinema and the means by which it can be supported, which would allow Iraqi cinematographers to present their practical opinions and views as regards improving the condition of Iraqi cinema and effectively turning it into an industry that attracts hundreds of cinematographers that have graduated and are still graduating from institutes and colleges of fine arts without finding an opportunity to receive practical training, professional careers or one-year of five-year plans for cinematic production. Thus, Baghdad International Film Festival is honoured to announce the BIFF International Forum on Iraqi Cinema, the first specialized international forum of its kind in it’s annually 2^nd session . The forum will include Iraqi cinematographers and a number of Arab and foreign experts to benefit from their experience. It will elaborately and methodologically discuss all that is related to the means by which Iraqi cinema could develop. It will also be a venue for Iraqi cinematographers to express themselves and come up with practical recommendations and a working paper to be presented to the concerned authorities.

This forum is held in response to the noticeable backwardness and paralysis that have affected cinematic productions, with the exception of some productions which are not in keeping with the huge budgets owned by this country and which could be used to support Iraqi cinema.

This has gone alongside the closing down of most cinema theatres or turning them into commercial outlets, which has dealt another blow to the industry. This forum will be held annually to discuss the current situation of Iraqi cinema and a permanent secretary will be assigned to follow its outcomes.

Vision

Budding cinematic experiments need trained and professional members and money, both of which are present in case of Iraqi cinema. No practical steps, however, have been taken in that direction, and no annual funds given through contests between the cinematographers have been established. This is an important step so that the cinematic talents are not wasted and constantly replenished. Iraqi cinema needs to train, develop and financially support its efficient members, on an organized and practical basis.

Mission

One of the urgent missions to develop Iraqi cinema is to provide a comprehensive and detailed revision of its progress and diagnose the problems that have hindered its progress and to look into the means and methods that were used in the past to reactivate the industry and find a clear strategy for audio-visual productions. Its support should become an essential target by all means. A five-year plan should be implemented to support and develop Iraqi cinema on all levels. The annual BIFF International forum on Iraqi cinema organized by the BIFF should be the place to annually revise the condition of Iraqi cinema as one of the missions of the festival is to shed light on Iraqi cinema and embrace all Iraqi cinematographers from different generations, giving them a venue to make their voices heard and introduce their initiatives and ideas, visions and legitimate right to have a part of the national budget assigned to them.

BIFF asks for assigning an annual sum of the government's budget to found a fund for supporting Iraqi cinema, run by an independent association of the cinematographers themselves, to be elected on merit, and creating a committee of experts to lay out the work plan for this fund so that Iraqi cinematographers could start receiving those funds starting from 2013.

Main topics

 First, the means of supporting cinematic productions in Iraq and the feasible views regarding founding a fund that supports Iraqi cinema are to be discussed. The nature of this fund and its mission, structure, aims, plans and annual awards to the submitted projects will also be discussed.

Second, the restructuring of governmental cinematic production and providing a visualization of its role and a means by which its failure or success are measured out. Whether cinema needs a governmental institution or a general directorate for the cinema, as is the case in many Arab and neighboring countries, is another topic to be discussed.

Third, the means by which independent experiments, which depend on low budgets, could be supported, as is the case in many countries.

Taher ALWAN

BIFF forum Director