Shashat section:
The Palestinian Ministry of Culture honored an outstanding group of Palestinian Cienastes in the presence of filmmakers, members of the cultural community and Palestinian officials.

The Selection Committee for the Cinema Awards chose Mustafa Abu Ali, Mai Masri, Hani Abu Asaad, Cherien Deabis and the Cinema NGO, Shashat, whose director is Dr. Alia Arasoughly.

Shashat succeeded in winning this prize, the first such prize in recognition of a cinema NGO, given to its Director General, Alia Arasoughly, for being a pioneering organization in the area of cinema, especially women’s cinema and for opening wide so many doors for Palestinian women filmmakers.

The awardees expressed their tremendous joy at this honor and recognition, and filmmaker Arasoughly said, “Shashat was always a dream for me, so was working in Palestine, and founding a women’s film festival there.  Shashat has been able in five years to transform these dreams into a reality on the ground.  I am very pleased at this award, for it is a Palestinian recognition of the important role Shashat has played in building Palestinian cinema, especially women’s cinema, both inside and outside Palestine.”