In October 2024, the NAAS network came together in Cairo for the Annual Assembly. It was designed as a platform to redefine the network’s focus and foster collaboration amidst the escalating crisis in the region.

Held over three days at Cimatheque - Alternative Film Centre (Egypt) in Cairo, the assembly focused on NAAS's infrastructure, membership, and programming.

The objective was to envision the future direction of NAAS’s programs. Participants worked toward developing a preliminary framework for program focus areas, ensuring the network remains dynamic and responsive to member needs. Guided discussions were held in four groups, such as:

• Arthouse Cinemas / Independent Film Theater

• Film Exhibition, Circulation, Screening, and Accessibility

• Archive and Counter Archive

• Knowledge Production and Research

On the last day, a short-film screening was curated and screened at Zawya Cinema. It included Tigers Are Better Looking by Hussein Sharif (Sudan), Blown By Wind by Jacques Madvo (Lebanon) and Egypt City of the Dead by Jocelyn Saab (Lebanon).

The selected films highlight ongoing projects from across the NAAS network, featuring upcoming projects by Palestine Film Platform (Palestine), Sudan Film Factory (Sudan), Cimatheque - Alternative Film Center (Egypt) and Wekalet Behna (Egypt).

This curated program is part of NAAS’s year-long dossier on Localities and Dislocalities, exploring the interplay between rootedness and displacement. The dossier examines how cinema as a practice actively contributes to the ongoing reimagining of spaces and identities shaped by the complex experiences of dislocality.

We are profoundly grateful to everyone who made this event possible. Our heartfelt thanks go to the Cimatheque team for their warm hospitality and to Zawya for generously providing their space for the film screening.

Discover the short-film screening.