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Sahara International Film Festival

Film festival held in the Sahrawi refugee camps, Algeria

Film festival held in the Sahrawi refugee camps, Algeria

FieldValue
nameSahara International Film Festival
Festival de Cine del Sáhara
الصحراء السينمائي الدولي
logoFISAHARA LOGO BO 250px.png
captionSpanish actress Verónica Forqué at FiSahara IV (2007)
imageVeronica Forque en el Sáhara libre.jpg
image_altActress Verónica Forqué on a camel in the middle of a crowd, waving a Sahrawi flag
locationSahrawi refugee camps, Tindouf, Algeria
founded
awardsWhite Camel
website
mainMost Recent: FiSahara XVIII (2024)

Festival de Cine del Sáhara الصحراء السينمائي الدولي

The Sahara International Film Festival, also known as FiSahara, is an annual event which takes place in the Sahrawi refugee camps, at the southwest corner of Algeria, near the border with Western Sahara. It is the only film festival in the world held in a refugee camp. The first festival was in large part organised by Peruvian film director Javier Corcuera.

For its first three years, FiSahara was held alternately in the Wilaya of Smara, the Wilaya of Ausserd, and the Wilaya of El Aaiún. Since 2007, the festival has been staged in the Wilaya of Dajla. The event is backed by the Polisario Front, but largely organised and funded by donors from Spain, the former colonial power in Western Sahara. The festival has attracted support from Spanish film celebrities, including Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and Pedro Almodóvar. Musicians like Fermín Muguruza, Manu Chao, Macaco, Iván Ferreiro, El Chojin and Tomasito have performed in concerts during the festival.

FiSahara is billed as an initiative to bring film as an entertainment and cultural form to the thousands of Sahrawis who live in the Algerian desert. It also aims to provide cultural entertainment and educational opportunities to the refugees.

In 2010, a twinning agreement was signed between the FiSahara and the San Sebastian Human Rights Film Festival.

White Camel winners

The White Camel () is the festival's top prize, awarded for the best film by election of the spectators. It consists of a white female camel, which is traditionally donated to the refugee family who hosted the actors or director of the winning film during the festival. The winners receive a trophy depicting a white camel and a desert rose.

EditionWinnerOriginal titleDirector(s)Production country(ies)Ref.1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
O bosque animadoand Manolo GómezSpain Spain
L'extraordinaire destin de Madame BrouetteMoussa Sene AbsaSenegal Senegal,
France France and
Canada Canada
Die Geschichte vom weinenden KamelByambasuren Davaa andMongolia Mongolia and
Germany Germany
Azur et AsmarMichel OcelotFrance France,
Belgium Belgium,
Italy Italy and
Spain Spain
Ken LoachUnited Kingdom United Kingdom,
Italy Italy,
Germany Germany,
Spain Spain,
Steven SoderberghSpain Spain,
El problema. Testimonio del pueblo saharauiJordi Ferrer and Pablo VidalSpain Spain
EntrelobosGerardo OlivaresSpain Spain and
Hijos de las nubes: la última coloniaÁlvaro LongoriaSpain Spain
Milly MoablSouth Africa South Africa
Legna: habla el verso saharauiJuan Ignacio Robles, Bahia Mahmud Awah and Juan Carlos GimenoSpain Spain and
Sahrawi Republic Western Sahara
Pamela YatesUSA United States
Leyuad, un viaje al pozo de los versos, Brahim Chagaf and Inés G. AparicioSahrawi Republic Western Sahara and
Spain Spain
Soukeina, 4400 días de nocheSpain Spain
CampeonesJavier FesserSpain Spain
توفةBrahim ChagafSahrawi Republic Western Sahara
وَانِي بِيكRabah SlimaniAlgeria Algeria
٢٠٠ مترAmeen NayfehPalestine Palestine

Guest country

In some years, the festival has chosen a country to be a guest in the event. In such cases, films from the guest country are screened, and related events take place along with the other acts in the festival.

YearGuest Country
2006
2009
2010url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708040048/http://www.fcat.es/wpFCAT/?p=445date=2012-07-08 }} African Film Festival of Tarifa
2011
2012
2013
2014
2023

References

References

  1. (July 2025). "FiSahara, International Film Festival, Festival international de Cine". }}{{Dead link.
  2. (18 April 2008). "Con la presencia di Javier Bardem. Comienza 'Fisahara 2008', el único festival de cine en un campo de refugiados". Mundinteractivos, S.A..
  3. Laverty, Paul. (March 2004). "First International Sahara Film Festival". Review of African Political Economy.
  4. [http://lacomunidad.elpais.com/festival-cine-sahara/2008/4/23/me-gusta-sahara-me-gustas-tu Me gusta el Sáhara, me gustas tú] {{webarchive. link. (2013-10-12 Cine entre las dunas – ''[[El País]]'', 23 April 2008 {{in lang). es
  5. [http://www.radiochango.com/castellano/fotos/Festival-Internacional-de-Cine-del-Sahara-FiSa.html Festival Internacional de Cine del Sahara (FiSahara) 2009] Radiochango.com {{in lang. es
  6. [http://macaco.es/2009/05/macaco-actuara-en-la-clausura-del-vi-festival-internacional-de-cine-del-sahara-fisahara/ Macaco actuará en la clausura del VI Festival Internacional de Cine Del Sahara (FiSAHARA)] {{webarchive. link. (2013-07-04 Macaco.es, 7 May 2009 {{in lang). es
  7. [http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/05/02/cultura/1272809387.html Ivan Ferreiro corona el desierto] El Mundo, 3 May 2010 {{in lang. es
  8. link. (2016-03-04 Elchojin.net, 12 April 2011 {{in lang). es
  9. [http://www.inzona.es/el-canijo-de-jerez-y-tomasito-en-el-festival-de-cine-del-sahara.html El Canijo de Jerez y Tomasito en el Festival de Cine del Sahara] Inzona.es, 1 May 2012 {{in lang. es
  10. link. (2013-10-11 Donostia.org)
  11. [http://www.festivalsahara.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=204%3Aactividades-paralelas-2&catid=53%3Aprogramacion-fisahara-2011&Itemid=60&lang=en Additional festival events] Festivalsahara.com
  12. (2004). "First International Sahara Film Festival. 20-23 November 2003". [[Review of African Political Economy]].
  13. (10 March 2005). "And the winner of the camel is...". [[The Times]].
  14. (25 April 2006). "El Círculo exhibe hoy las películas del Festival del Sáhara". [[El País]].
  15. (20 April 2007). "Cineastas de arena". [[El País]].
  16. (21 April 2008). "'En un mundo libre' gana el festival de cine Fisahara". [[El País]].
  17. (28 July 2009). "A Desert Film Festival Complete With Camels". [[The New York Times]].
  18. "Ivan Ferreiro corona el desierto". [[El Mundo (Spain).
  19. (8 May 2011). "La huella de los premios FiSahara". [[RTVE]].
  20. (16 May 2012). "El actor Javier Bardem hablará de su documental sobre el Sáhara este jueves en 'En días como hoy' de RNE". [[RTVE]].
  21. (14 October 2013). "El cineasta sudafricano Milly Moabl logra la Camella Blanca del Festival FiSahara con 'Mayibuye'". Noticias de Gipuzkoa.
  22. (4 May 2014). "El documental "Legna: habla el verso saharaui", primer premio del FiSahara". [[La Vanguardia]].
  23. (10 May 2015). "Screen of the desert". [[The Economist]].
  24. (30 November 2016). "Fisahara : le festival de Cannes du désert". [[Le Nouvel Obs]].
  25. (12 December 2018). "La población saharaui saca adelante su propio festival de cine tras la pérdida de fondos del FiSahara". [[ElDiario.es]].
  26. (30 June 2020). "Ante las adversidades, superación".
  27. (20 December 2021). "FiSahara Madrid baja el telón con un millar de asistentes rompiendo el silencio en el Sáhara Occidental".
  28. (11 September 2025). "The World’s Most Remote Film Festival". [[Foreign Policy]].
  29. (16 May 2024). "The art of resistance: desert film festival showcases stories of the Sahrawi people". [[The Guardian]].
  30. [http://www.somosjovenes.cu/arte/semana2/cinesaha.htm Cuba: país invitado en el III Festival Internacional de Cine del Sahara] Somosjovenes.cu {{in lang. es
  31. es
  32. [http://fisahara.blogspot.com.es/2009/06/arranca-fisahara-09.html Arranca FiSahara 09] FiSahara.blogspot.com.es, 23 March 2009 {{in lang. es
  33. [http://blog.hola.com/viviresunplacer/2009/04/fisahara-09.html FISAHARA 09] {{webarchive. link. (2014-03-27 Vivir bien es un placer!!! ([[¡Hola!]]), 21 April 2009 {{in lang). es
  34. link. (2012-07-08 [[African Film Festival of Cordoba). African Film Festival of Tarifa]] {{in lang. es
  35. [http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/675194/0/fisahara/festival/cine/ FiSahara, el festival de cine que se celebra en un campamento de refugiados] [[20 minutos]], 12 April 2010 {{in lang. es
  36. [http://archief.rnw.nl/espanol/article/concluye-el-fisahara-2011-entre-el-cine-y-la-reivindicaci%C3%B3n Concluye el FiSahara 2011: entre el cine y la reivindicación] {{webarchive. link. (2014-04-13 [[Radio Netherlands Worldwide]], 9 May 2011 {{in lang). es
  37. [http://www.abc.es/20110503/cultura/rc-fisahara-cine-bajo-estrellas-201105032037.html FiSahara: cine bajo las estrellas] [[ABC (newspaper). ABC]], 4 May 2011 {{in lang. es
  38. [http://www.publico.es/culturas/431732/no-conseguiran-atemorizar-al-fisahara "No conseguirán atemorizar al FiSahara"] [[Público (Spain). Público]] (EFE), 2 May 2012 {{in lang. es
  39. [http://www.spsrasd.info/es/content/la-delegaci%C3%B3n-de-m%C3%A9xico-en-el-fisahara-afirma-su-determinaci%C3%B3n-de-romper-el-silencio-informa La delegación de México en el FiSahara afirma su determinación de romper el silencio informativo en el Sáhara Occidental] {{webarchive. link. (2014-04-13 [[Sahara Press Service]], 3 May 2012 {{in lang). es
  40. [http://www.spsrasd.info/en/content/decade-after-fisahara-achieved-international-status-confirms-saharawi-culture-minister Decade after: FiSahara achieved international status, confirms Saharawi Culture Minister] {{webarchive. link. (2014-04-13 Sahara Press Service, 10 July 2013)
  41. [http://www.sadr-emb-au.net/south-africa-guest-of-honor-of-fisahara-2014-and-nelson-mandela-honored-in-the-occasion/ South Africa guest of honor of FiSahara 2014 and Nelson Mandela honored in the occasion] SADR Permanent Mission in Ethiopia and African Union, 9 April 2014
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