Black and white portrait of Bushra Barghouthi standing among tree branches.

Self Portrait, The Palestinian Museum Garden, 2024.

Bushra Barghouthi is a Palestinian filmmaker and visual practitioner working at the intersection of cinema, design, and culture. She holds a BA in Film Production from Dar Al-Kalima University and currently serves as the Artistic Director and Film Curator of Oyounona.

In 2022, she co-founded the Citadel Cinema Club in Beit Sahour, where she curated and programmed over 100 films in dialogue with the local community, showcasing student works alongside independent Arab and world cinema.

Bushra has directed several short films, including Wadi Al-Salib: Two Minutes, which screened at the Palestinian Film Festival Amsterdam, Palinale Berlin, and Marseille’s /si:n/ Festival. Her experience in international programming includes a screening internship with the BlackStar Film Festival, where she reviewed works by Black, Brown, and Indigenous filmmakers, as well as volunteering with the programming team at the MENA Film Festival.

بشرى البرغوثي، صانعة أفلام وممارسة بصرية فلسطينية، تعمل في تقاطعات السينما والتصميم والثقافة. حصلت على درجة البكالوريوس في السينما (انتاج الافلام) من جامعة دار الكلمة، وتشغل حالياً دور المديرة الفنية وقيمة البرامج السينمائية في “عيوننا”.

في عام 2022، شاركت في تأسيس "نادي سينما القلعة" في بيت ساحور، حيث قامت بتقييم وبرمجة أكثر من 100 فيلم في حوار مستمر مع المجتمع المحلي، بعين مركزة على افلام الطلاب والاعمال السينمائية العربية والعالمية المستقلة.

أخرجت عدة أفلام قصيرة، من بينها "وادي الصليب: دقيقتان"، الذي عُرض في مهرجان الفيلم الفلسطيني في أمستردام، ومهرجان "بالينالي" في برلين، ومهرجان "سين" لفن الفيديو في مارسيليا.

تشمل خبرتها في البرمجة الدولية تدريبًا في تقييم الأفلام مع مهرجان "بلاك ستار" (BlackStar)، حيث شاركت في مراجعة أعمال لمخرجين من مجتمعات السود والملونين والسكان الأصليين، بالإضافة إلى تطوعها مع فريق برمجة الأفلام في مهرجان "مينا" (MENA) السينمائي.

THE CITADEL CINEMA CLUB

People watching a film in the stone-wall Citadel Cinema Club run by Bushra Barghouthi

Co-Founder, Film Programmer & Manager of The Citadel Cinema Club, Beit Sahour
March 2022 – December 2023

Bushra co-founded The Citadel Cinema Club as the first and only community cinema in Beit Sahour, located in The Citadel—a historic former school transformed into a cultural space. The club became a platform for collective viewing, critical dialogue, and creative exchange.

Over this period, Bushra organized 80+ public screenings, averaging 30–60 attendees, and successfully doubled audience engagement within the first six months. The program included post-screening discussions, workshops, and curated film series exploring themes such as social justice, restored Palestinian films, and collective memory. The club regularly hosted local and international filmmakers for moderated Q&As and collaborative programs, featuring guests such as Rashid Mashharawi, Jumana Manna, Anton Vidokle, Khadeeja Habashneh, and Anne Paq.

The club also provided a dedicated space for test screenings, offering filmmakers a supportive environment for critical feedback and discourse around works-in-progress. Furthermore, the club established strategic partnerships with over five cultural and academic institutions, including Dar Al-Kalima University, the Palestinian Film Institute, and Alliance Française Bethlehem.