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The 2026 Venice Film Festival put the spotlight on Gaza on Monday with the official launch of the Gaza Cinema Academy.

Co-founded by Ezzaldeen Shalah and Mai Masri, the initiative aims to facilitate film education, training and production in Gaza, which has witnessed catastrophic levels of destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis since the beginning of the genocide in October 2023.

It’s a platform created and supported by a group of Palestinian, Arab and international filmmakers and industry heavyweights, including names like Palestinian actor and director Hiam Abbas, American comedian Ramy Youssef and Kaouther Ben Hania, who directed The Voice of Hind Rajab. She also serves as a Venice jury member.

“In Gaza, cinema is not merely an art form; it is a means of preserving memory, reclaiming our right to shape our own image, and giving a new generation the tools to tell its own story,” Shalah said in a statement, according to Variety.

“We want the academy to open a window for young people and women in Gaza to learn, create and make their own films, and for their voices and images to reach the world. We invite our partners in institutions, universities and the international film community to be part of building this space,” Shalah said.

Following the launch of the new academy, a short film showcased Shalah in the classroom with aspiring women filmmakers sharing their dreams of bringing their stories to the big screen, according to Deadline.

The Venice Film Festival this year highlights two important Palestinian films in its official lineup: Citizen Osama, directed by Ahmed Hassouna and Conversation With the Sea directed by Muayad Alayan.