The "2002 Palestine International Video Festival" is a new video festival to take place in the West Bank during the winter of 2002. The festival will showcase an international collection of contemporary video art, installations, and documentaries. During the festival, the works will be installed in various independent galleries, screened on local television stations, and made permanently available in a public archive at Birzeit University.

The festival is an attempt to breach the cultural and intellectual isolation of the Palestinian people brought about by the ongoing Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Issues ranging from immigration and exile, the practice of everyday life, and the aftermath of September 11th will be explored by the festival's diverse participants. The festival was conceived by Emily Jacir (UNDP/TOKTEN), and is co-organized by John Menick. It will hopefully mark the beginning of an ongoing dialog between the international cultural community and the residents of Palestine.

For more information please visit our website: http://www.pivf.org/