The Palestinian anthology film “Gaza, From Ground Zero” won three major awards at the 45th Cairo Film Festival, which concluded on Friday. The project, curated by renowned Palestinian director Rashid Mashawari, captures life in Gaza under Israeli bombardment through 22 short films spanning genres such as animation, documentaries, and fiction.
The films “Soft Skin” by Khamis Masharawi, “Out of Coverage” by Mohamed El-Sherif, and “A School Day” by Ahmed al-Danaf jointly received the Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film under the Misr International Film category. These works portray the struggles of displacement, loss, and survival amid the devastation caused by Israel’s military onslaught, which has resulted in over 44,235 Palestinian deaths since October 2023.
The project, co-produced by Metafora Production, debuted at the Amman Film Festival and was recently showcased at the Ajyal Film Festival in Doha. It will also represent Palestine in the Best International Feature Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards.
Other Palestinian-centered films recognized at the festival included “State of Passion”, a documentary by Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, which highlights the work of British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sittah during the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
