Directed by May Masri and co-produced by Palestine, France, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar and Lebanon, the film 3,000 Nights has been selected by Jordan's Royal Film Commission to represent the country at the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. The film centres on a young newly-wed Palestinian school teacher who is jailed in a top-security Israeli prison where she eventually gives birth. The film made its world premiere in September 2015 at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It then made its Arab world premiere in December 2015 as part of the Dubai International Film Festival's 12th edition where it participated in the Muhr Arab Feature Films Competition. The film also toured across Palestine right after the film's US premiere as part of the Palm Springs International Film Festival in early January. In February, 3,000 Nights was shown at the European Film Market at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film was screened in Egypt earlier this year, when it was hosen to open the Luxor Arab and European Film Festival, an event which took place between 30 January and 5 February. In May it was screened in Cairo's Zawya. This month, 3000 Nights will compete in the Feature Competition in the Malmo Arab Film Festival in Sweden (30 September - 5 October). The film will also compete in the 27th Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia (28 October - 5 November) within the Official Feature Film Competition. During the press conference for the Luxor Arab and European Film Festival, the Palestinian director May Masri said her film 3,000 Nights, was shot in a real prison, without any set decor, as a way of preserving the film's authenticity. Masri added that the jail where they filmed was neither in Palestine nor Jordan. The film won eight awards: the TaoEdu Young Prize at Taormina Film Festival in Italy, the Youth Jury Award at the International Film Festival and Forum for Human Rights, Switzerland, and the Audience Award at The Annonay International Film Festival in France. The film also won the Special Jury Award at Washington, DC International Film Festival (Filmfest DC), the Jury Award at the 8th Women's International Film and Television Showcase (The WIFTS), USA, the Meeting Point Audience Award at the 60th Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain, as well as the Youth Jury Award and the Women's Jury Award at the Paysages des Cineastes in France. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
