Human Rights Film Festival organised for second year running to highlight plight of Palestinians under siege.
In Pictures
Gaza rolls out the red carpet
Second annual Human Rights Film Festival aims to show the creativity of Palestinians living in the besieged territory.
![A Palestinian child sells balloons in front of a poster for the film festival. [Wissam Nassar/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/42aded15dbda44a196d1ce862e4962fc_8.jpeg?resize=1170%2C780)
14 May 2016
The second annual Human Rights Film Festival in Gaza is under way in an effort to show the cultural face of the besieged Palestinian territory.
The festival has attracted an international audience, underscoring that despite the suffering of Gaza’s residents, the territory is still a creative place, organisers told Al Jazeera.
“There is creativity in Gaza … I support the existence of purposeful cinema that harmonises with traditions, culture and customs of the Palestinian community in Gaza,” freelance journalist and project coordinator Mohammad Shurrab told Al Jazeera.
“Despite the Israeli siege and suffering imposed on Gaza by Israel, we as Palestinians have powerful skills to produce movies, series and long narrative and documentary films,” Yara Abumseen, a student and festival organiser, told Al Jazeera.
The festival is set to screen 70 films.
![This is the second time the film festival has been held in Gaza. [Wissam Nassar/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/92f5556d930e4f04ad9db7f7762c4755_8.jpeg?fit=1170%2C800)
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![Palestinians attend a screening during the opening ceremonies. [Wissam Nassar/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/e72c9d45918644fba2851cf057983f9b_8.jpeg?fit=1170%2C780)
![Director Khalil al-Mozayen is also the festival's manager. [Wissam Nassar/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/3b9c8a91bb204f2e9fd50c98df04856d_8.jpeg?fit=1170%2C753)
![A Palestinian man wounded in the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza walks the red carpet after attending the film festival this weekend. [Wissam Nassar/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/812624eb732a464a8f729c4b1d991a6d_8.jpeg?fit=1170%2C765)
![Mamadou, centre, an official with the Red Cross, attends a screening. [Wissam Nassar/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/04a2896559584d72870fd2133529dcc7_8.jpeg?fit=1170%2C780)
![Mozayen delivers a speech about cinema. [Wissam Nassar/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2b39ff907fe74370a0d247d0712b2fc9_8.jpeg?fit=1170%2C780)
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![Mahammed al-Tawil, 6, sells balloons by the red carpet. [Wissam Nassar/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/173da866205042848f07fa586fdf08d5_8.jpeg?fit=1170%2C780)
![Three Palestinian child actors stand on stage during the festival. [Wissam Nassar/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/eaaaa83c60f7480faed1e362044b6f44_8.jpeg?fit=1170%2C734)
![The focus of the festival was human rights, a pivotal issue in the besieged Gaza Strip. [Wissam Nassar/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/4957f1fea29545bfa0745c5b908131df_8.jpeg?fit=1170%2C780)
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