Thea Gausen

Photography by Jakub Kyncl and Dan Jaeger Vendruscolo

Situated at the gateway to the Sahara, the annual International Festival of the Sahara is a four-day celebration of North African and Berber culture. Though the event has gained huge momentum, it’s lost none of its authenticity.

Each year thousands of North Africans flock to Douz, Tunisia, for the largest desert gathering since 1910. The International Festival of the Sahara is one of the most unique arts festivals in the world with a four-day showcase of Berber and Bedouin traditions and culture, ranging from camel racing to dancing and parades – all set within the H’naiech stadium.

Beyond being a place to experience the rich history of Saharan life, the festival has become a meeting place of old and new; as day turns to night the younger generations take over. Camel races are swapped for bike rallies and the desert is transformed into a showcase of new movements, music and contemporary Tunisian youth culture. It's a unique snapshot into the creative energy that's bubbling across rural North Africa and a chance for people to pull up and reconnect.

The International Festival of the Sahara is an unmissable event on the cultural calendar, one that truly captures the spirit of North African identity: rooted in tradition but kept alive by future generations.

The International Festival of the Sahara takes place in Douz, Tunisia, in November. Dates are yet to be announced.

International Festival of the Sahara

The Sheffield International Documentary Festival is the UK’s leading event dedicated to platforming underrepresented directors and the best in avant-garde film.

Started in 1994, the annual festival champions all genres of films from up-and-coming and established directors. The premise of the event is to reflect the industry’s most exciting, boundary-pushing filmmaking and storytelling. But what sets it apart from other leading film festivals?

Sheffield DocFest takes a democratic approach to its curation by ensuring that its team selects works from open submissions only. This process aims to highlight underrepresented voices within the independent film industry, giving every filmmaker involved a fair chance to have their work featured within the event. 2022 may have been crowned the Year of the Nepo Baby by 

, but within the film industry Sheffield DocFest seeks to provide a corrective by levelling the playing field. In addition to this egalitarian selection process, they offer 35 bursaries to make the festival accessible and affordable to those from low-income backgrounds.

Furthermore, the event offers a programme of afterparties, networking events, world premieres and awards. While key cultural events in the UK are often based in London, Sheffield DocFest provides a dose of culture away from the capital city, and it’s renowned for breaking in new talent. This is an essential event for those looking to dive into the very best of UK film, and if you’d like to get to know emerging talent before they become in-demand names.

Sheffield DocFest returns on 14-19 June 2023.

Sheffield DocFest

Photographer and regular traveller Jenny Abrahams shares her favourite stories and pictures from her time trippin in Guatemala.

I flew out to photograph a destination wedding for three days, I only had one day to shoot my own photos.

Was this your first time in Guatemala? If yes, what were your first impressions? If no, what keeps you coming back?

Yes, this was my first time. I didn’t see much of Guatemala City as I spent my time in Antigua. Antigua is a special place high in elevation surrounded by volcanos and decked with Spanish architecture. The setting feels magical with views of the volcanos from anywhere you stand. I was mostly blown away by the colours. Deep reds and bright yellow walls. The colourful garments of the locals and the aroma of tortillas seeping through the alleyways had me in love. Every corner you turn is a new photo op. And the people are so beautiful…

“Travel is a tool that helps us share observations about the world”

Do photographers have a responsibility to explore the local culture?

Yes. Everyone sees the world in their own way. It’s interesting to see the details of unknown cultures through the eyes of different photographers.

What’s the best thing you’ve brought back from a trip?

Duh, photos! But I always bring back candy / chocolate to eat and give to my friends.

What was the best thing you ate / saw / experienced on the trip?

Champurradas. A giant crispy cookie that is better paired with hot coffee. Que rico.

You’ve got a lot of portraits from your trip, was there a particularly memorable subject?

This was the first time I had lost photos from a camera, a card malfunctioned on me. It was devastating because I only had 8 hours to shoot my own stuff out there. I had been neglecting going through the ones I still had because I was bummed about what was lost. I remember every photo I took, and the one that was my favourite no longer exists. But when I finally opened the remaining pics, I was reminded of an encounter with a local woman and her beautiful baby boy. What a face.

Why do you travel, what does it mean for you?

I travel because the world is too small not to explore. I love interacting with people from different places and cultures. It makes me more empathetic to the world.

Do you think travel is necessary for the creative community? why?

Of course. If all artists in history only stayed in one place, their work would have been very one dimensional. Every creative draws ideas and thought from experience, people, and environment. Travel is a tool that helps us share observations about the world.

I have quite a few cameras that I switch between. My favourite street camera, until I can get a Leica, is a Fujfilm x100F.

I’m working on a few local projects before I embark on any new trips. I also plan to work on long term bodies of work starting next year, for which I’m currently in the planning phase. One project would require me to travel and meet with people in far places, I am really looking forward to it.
