Loading ...Expelled from San Francisco offices, Arab Film Festival launches fund-raising campaign
The location that served as an office area for the two-decades-old Arab Film Festival was recently purchased by the Prado Group, a privately held real estate development and investment management company, the city’s media KQED reported.
According to same source, while the festival’s executive director Serge Bakalian expected to be informed about possibility of the rental fees increase, he received the 60-day contract termination notice from Prado Group.
The 19th annual Arab Film Festival was scheduled to take place between 16 and 25 October across several venues in the San Francisco Bay Area, with some films being screened at Angeles and San Diego in November.
The festival’s organisers launched a fund raising campaign which aims at generating funds for the new office, to which they are obliged to move by the end of August.
“Money raised will go towards paying for rent for the new office space. The more raised, the higher our chances of being able to fit the whole staff in one place,” the campaign’s info reveals.
Over the past few days the organisers managed to raise over $1300.
Founded in 1996, the Arab Film Festival is considered one of the most important showcases of Arab cinema outside the Arab world, the festival presents itself on their Facebook page.
“It strives to present the best contemporary films that provide insight into the beauty, complexity and diversity of the Arab world alongside realistic perspectives on Arab people, culture, art, history and politics.”
Source: english.ahram.org.eg