Algerian Film Directors Sound Alarm Over Canceled Film Fund
variety.comNick Vivarelli International CorrespondentA group of prominent Algerian film directors is launching an alarm over the de-facto cancellation of the country’s national film fund which they say puts Algerian cinema “at risk of death.”In an open letter to Algerian culture minister Malika Bendouda, the North African country’s filmmakers are lamenting that they “see no future for our films” after the government support scheme called the National Fund for the Development of the Arts and Techniques of Cinema (Fdatic) was scrapped by last year by the government.The culture ministry has given Algeria’s film community vague assurances that this fund would be replaced by another support scheme which however has not materialized.
Nor has the minister replied to several previous, less clamorous, requests for clarification about the future of what is considered a crucial driver for local filmmaking.
The open letter’s 18 signatories include Amin Sidi-Boumédiène whose civil war drama “Abou Leila” was in Cannes in 2021; Kamir Aïnouz whose “Honey Cigar” went to Venice in 2021; Hassen Ferhani whose 2019 observational doc “143 Sahara Street” went to Locarno and Toronto; Yasmine Chouikh (“Until The End Of Time”); Sofia Djama (“The Blessed”); and newcomer Damien Ounouri whose debut feature, costume drama “The Last Queen,” was approved for financing that is now being held back.Between January 2015 and June 2020 the Algerian national film fund supported a total of 139 films, including shorts and docs, providing up to €300,000 ($321,000) of the budget in some cases.“We ask you today, and with no more delay, to officially and clearly make a statement.
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