The Tiro Association for Arts (TAA) and the Istanbouli Theater announced the establishment of the Tripoli International Theater Festival’s second edition, taking place from August 28th, 2023, until August 31st, 2023, at the free Lebanese National Theater in Tripoli. This festival’s edition is established in tribute to the artist Khalid Al Qasimi’s spirit and under the slogan "Tripoli: The Capital of Arab Culture." It also includes Arab and foreign performances, which comprise: "The Boat" directed by Shareh AlBal Abed AlHadi from Libya; "Swear in the Name of God", performed and directed by Mostafa Al Hilali from Iraq; "The Sultan", written and directed by Salem Al Mansouri from Qatar; "Dose of Art", directed by Emna Gharbi from Tunisia; "Waiting for the Birds", written by Carlos Pessoa, directed by Ana Palma and Herlandson Duarte from Portugal; "Hope for Life", performed and directed by Zillur Rahman John from Bangladesh and Canada; "Howa Yjer w Ana Njer", performed by Mohammad Akyoud from Morocco; and a playback theater performance by Tiro Association for Arts’ trainees.
Actor, director, and founder of the Lebanese National Theater, Kassem Istanbouli confirmed: "The continuation of free festivals and training workshops despite all crises around us is an important opportunity to meet as well as an opportunity for the public to learn about different cultures of the world so that art is always a right to everyone as long as the persistence of young volunteers to work for art is there."
As for the performances, these compete for the festival’s official competition within the following categories: best actress, best actor, best script, best cinematography, best director, best artistic work, and the jury award consisting of Dr. Khalifa Al Hajri from Kuwait, actor Salah Al Mulla from Qatar, Majid Al Oufi from the Sultanate of Oman, and Dr. Hakima Abou Ali from Lebanon. Noting that Kuwaiti artist Mohammed Al-Mansour will be the festival’s guest of honor.
Along with the performances, the festival includes a training workshop for children entitled "Story Builders," trained by Ana Palma and Ana Dias from the Teatro da Garagem in Portugal. In addition to this, seminars are conducted by Dr. Jana Al Hassan, director Salah Atwi, and actor Omar Mikati.
Moreover, the Tiro Association for Arts (TAA), which is led by youth and volunteers, aims to establish free and independent cultural forums in Lebanon. That is, by renovating Al Hamra and Stars Cinema in Nabatieh and Rivoli Cinema in Tyre, which became the Lebanese National Theater, the first free theater and cinema in Lebanon, as well as Empire Cinema in Tripoli, which became the Lebanese National Theater in that city. TAA also implements artistic training workshops for children and youth, opens and renovates cultural forums, and organizes festivals, activities, and artistic exhibitions. In addition to this, the association screens artistic and educational movies for children and youth and works on maintaining partnerships with international festivals, as well as granting young directors the opportunity to screen their movies and letting people get acquainted with the history of cinema and local and international performances. The Lebanese International Theater Festival, the Watch Lebanon in Mobile Cinema Festival, the Tripoli International Theater Festival, the Tyre International Music Festival, the Lebanese International Theater Festival for Storytelling, the Tyre International Short Film Festival, the Tyre International Fine Arts Festival, the Tyre Cultural Days Festival, the Lebanese International Theater Festival for Women’s Monodrama, the Lebanese International Theater Festival for Contemporary Dance, the Tiro International Arts Festival, and the Lebanese Epic Theater Festival are among the festivals that TAA implements.
