For the perpetually impecunious (see: poor) indie filmmaker, a well-executed short or feature project can often be your best passport to the larger world. Left to our own scant devices, our calendars are unlikely to fill up with myriad jaunts to such exotic locales as Cannes, Venice, Locarno or, erm, Arkansas. But with a piping hot Dcp in hand, you not have not just an excuse to visit such places but an invitation. And few American cities are quite as dreamily summoned in the mind as day-glow Miami. After all: if it’s good enough for LeBron James, it’s good enough for us.
For 41 years, the Miami Film Festival has been showcasing innovative, inclusive work from new and emerging independent creators worldwide. Unsurprisingly, many of said creators are our own beloved Film Independent Fellows. In fact, a whopping 38 Fi Fellows will be in the Magic City next week to show new work,...
For 41 years, the Miami Film Festival has been showcasing innovative, inclusive work from new and emerging independent creators worldwide. Unsurprisingly, many of said creators are our own beloved Film Independent Fellows. In fact, a whopping 38 Fi Fellows will be in the Magic City next week to show new work,...
- 3/28/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Exclusive: L.A. and Cairo-based production company Ambient Light Films is upping its support for Middle East and North African indie cinema.
The company has unveiled details of six grants that it awarded to Mena filmmakers in the context of the CineGouna Bridge project market at the El Gouna Film Festival in December.
They included cast grants for Tunisian filmmaker Hinde Boujemaa’s Yammi, about a son who lashes out at the women closest to him following his mother’s death, and Lebanese director Dahlia Nemlich’s Assa, a Fish in a Bowl, about a couple who hire an Ethiopian maid to care for their child with unexpected consequences.
Service grants went to to Lebanese director George Peter Barbari’s So the Lover Could Come Out Again about the relationship between snipers against the backdrop of the Lebanese civil war, and Tunisian road movie Tunis-Djerba by Amel Guellaty.
Further in-kind...
The company has unveiled details of six grants that it awarded to Mena filmmakers in the context of the CineGouna Bridge project market at the El Gouna Film Festival in December.
They included cast grants for Tunisian filmmaker Hinde Boujemaa’s Yammi, about a son who lashes out at the women closest to him following his mother’s death, and Lebanese director Dahlia Nemlich’s Assa, a Fish in a Bowl, about a couple who hire an Ethiopian maid to care for their child with unexpected consequences.
Service grants went to to Lebanese director George Peter Barbari’s So the Lover Could Come Out Again about the relationship between snipers against the backdrop of the Lebanese civil war, and Tunisian road movie Tunis-Djerba by Amel Guellaty.
Further in-kind...
- 1/24/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Neha Dhupia (“A Thursday”) and Adil Hussain (“Life of Pi”) will star in Egyptian director Ali El Arabi’s upcoming drama “Blue 52,” about a young Indian soccer fan’s journey as a migrant worker to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
In El Arabi’s “Blue 52” Ashish endures his father’s isolating control on a remote island home in Kochi, India, but with his mother’s support, and lessons alongside inspiration from his late brother, he breaks free. Ashish embarks on a journey to meet his idol, Messi, at the World Cup in Qatar 22, leading him to face the world for the first time.
Production has now wrapped on “Blue 52,” which was initially meant to be a doc. The project has become a scripted feature, marking the feature film debut of El Arabi, who made a splash at virtual Sundance in 2021 with doc “Captains of Zaatari,” about the soccer dreams of young Syrian refugees.
In El Arabi’s “Blue 52” Ashish endures his father’s isolating control on a remote island home in Kochi, India, but with his mother’s support, and lessons alongside inspiration from his late brother, he breaks free. Ashish embarks on a journey to meet his idol, Messi, at the World Cup in Qatar 22, leading him to face the world for the first time.
Production has now wrapped on “Blue 52,” which was initially meant to be a doc. The project has become a scripted feature, marking the feature film debut of El Arabi, who made a splash at virtual Sundance in 2021 with doc “Captains of Zaatari,” about the soccer dreams of young Syrian refugees.
- 12/19/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Actress Neha Dhupia is set make her International film debut with ‘Blue 52’, directed by renowned Egyptian filmmaker Ali El Arabi.
Ali El Arabi, celebrated for his award-winning documentary feature ‘Captains of Za’atari’.
‘Blue 52’ unfolds against the stunning backdrops of Kochi, India, and Qatar.
Speaking of her international debut, Neha said: “Embarking on the journey of ‘Blue 52’ has been nothing short of magical. The fusion of diverse cultures in this international venture allowed me to delve deep into a character that is both challenging and emotionally resonant.”
The actress said: “It’s a transformative experience that I believe will leave a lasting impact and I’m glad that Ali chose me to essay the lead in what is my international first.”
Director Ali El Arabi said: “Creating ‘Blue 52’ was a labor of love, blending the cinematic languages of Egypt, America, and India. Neha brought an unparalleled dedication to her role,...
Ali El Arabi, celebrated for his award-winning documentary feature ‘Captains of Za’atari’.
‘Blue 52’ unfolds against the stunning backdrops of Kochi, India, and Qatar.
Speaking of her international debut, Neha said: “Embarking on the journey of ‘Blue 52’ has been nothing short of magical. The fusion of diverse cultures in this international venture allowed me to delve deep into a character that is both challenging and emotionally resonant.”
The actress said: “It’s a transformative experience that I believe will leave a lasting impact and I’m glad that Ali chose me to essay the lead in what is my international first.”
Director Ali El Arabi said: “Creating ‘Blue 52’ was a labor of love, blending the cinematic languages of Egypt, America, and India. Neha brought an unparalleled dedication to her role,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Sudan has submitted Mohamed Kordofani’s Khartoum-set drama Goodbye Julia for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
The film made history in Cannes this year as the first Sudanese film to play in the festival after it was selected for Un Certain Regard.
Its premiere took place just weeks after fighting broke out in Khartoum due to a clash between rival generals, which has led to the deaths of 5,000 people and uprooted seven million people.
Since Cannes, the film has also played at Karlovy Vary in its Horizons section and will make its Mena premiere at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival in October ahead of a theatrical release in the country on October 25. It has also been selected for the BFI London Film Festival.
The selection was made by the Sudanese National Committee which is operating in exile.
Alaa Karkouti at Mad Solutions, which is handling world sales,...
The film made history in Cannes this year as the first Sudanese film to play in the festival after it was selected for Un Certain Regard.
Its premiere took place just weeks after fighting broke out in Khartoum due to a clash between rival generals, which has led to the deaths of 5,000 people and uprooted seven million people.
Since Cannes, the film has also played at Karlovy Vary in its Horizons section and will make its Mena premiere at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival in October ahead of a theatrical release in the country on October 25. It has also been selected for the BFI London Film Festival.
The selection was made by the Sudanese National Committee which is operating in exile.
Alaa Karkouti at Mad Solutions, which is handling world sales,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
CAA Media Finance has come on board to handle sales in North America on Mohamed Kordofani’s “Goodbye Julia,” the first film from Sudan to launch from the Cannes Film Festival.
CAA will be working in tandem with Egypt-based producer Ali El Arabi’s Ambient Light Films, which holds North American rights for the timely drama that premiered on May 21 in Un Certain Regard.
“Goodbye Julia” takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan. It revolves around two women, one from the north, the other from the south, that are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities.
in an interview with Variety, Kordofani expressed the hope that his film “can be the start of a movement for reconciliation between all the Sudanese people” in the war-ravaged country.
Produced by fellow Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala — director of “You Will Die at 20,...
CAA will be working in tandem with Egypt-based producer Ali El Arabi’s Ambient Light Films, which holds North American rights for the timely drama that premiered on May 21 in Un Certain Regard.
“Goodbye Julia” takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan. It revolves around two women, one from the north, the other from the south, that are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities.
in an interview with Variety, Kordofani expressed the hope that his film “can be the start of a movement for reconciliation between all the Sudanese people” in the war-ravaged country.
Produced by fellow Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala — director of “You Will Die at 20,...
- 5/21/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Egyptian-u.S. company Ambient Light has acquired North American sales rights for Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s Cannes Un Certain Regard title Goodbye Julia, and is teaming with CAA to find North American distribution.
Egyptian producer and director Ali El Arabi’s Cairo and L.A.-based company Ambient Light is one of a number of co-producers on the film alongside lead producer Amjad Abu Alala, who works under the banner of Station Films.
El Arabi is best known internationally for his feature documentary Captains of Za’atari, about two Syrian boys growing up in a refugee camp in Jordan with dreams of becoming soccer stars, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021.
The film was handled internationally by Dogwoof, which sold the film to Utopia for the U.S.
El Arabi explains that the lessons he learned through the U.S. distribution of Captains of Za’atari...
Egyptian producer and director Ali El Arabi’s Cairo and L.A.-based company Ambient Light is one of a number of co-producers on the film alongside lead producer Amjad Abu Alala, who works under the banner of Station Films.
El Arabi is best known internationally for his feature documentary Captains of Za’atari, about two Syrian boys growing up in a refugee camp in Jordan with dreams of becoming soccer stars, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021.
The film was handled internationally by Dogwoof, which sold the film to Utopia for the U.S.
El Arabi explains that the lessons he learned through the U.S. distribution of Captains of Za’atari...
- 5/21/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Mohamed Kordofani’s debut feature will premiere in Un Certain Regard.
Pan-Arab outfit Mad Solutions is moving into international sales and has acquired worldwide rights to Mohamed Kordofani’s debut feature Goodbye Julia, the first Sudanese film ever to be selected by the Cannes Film Festival.
The film will receive its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival, which announced its lineup today.
Set in Khartoum ahead of Sudan’s division into two separate countries in 2011, the drama explores the differences between their two populations through two women hailing from the north and south of the country.
Pan-Arab outfit Mad Solutions is moving into international sales and has acquired worldwide rights to Mohamed Kordofani’s debut feature Goodbye Julia, the first Sudanese film ever to be selected by the Cannes Film Festival.
The film will receive its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival, which announced its lineup today.
Set in Khartoum ahead of Sudan’s division into two separate countries in 2011, the drama explores the differences between their two populations through two women hailing from the north and south of the country.
- 4/13/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Film Independent today announced the names of the 30 filmmakers, from 11 nations, selected to participate in its 2022 Global Media Makers LA Residency, taking place in person this month.
The filmmakers and projects chosen are Sumon Delwar (My Cousin), Ali El Arabi and Ahmed El Zoghby (The Legend of Zeinab and Noah), Prantik Basu (Dengue), Archana Borhade and Mangesh Joshi (Purjey (Parts)), Sriram Raja and Deyali Mukherjee (New Sweetness), Kushal Batunge (They Call Her Mafia), Gaby Zarazir and Michael Zarazir, Lamia Chraibi and Hicham Lasri (Meskoun), Anup Poudel and Abinash Bikram Shah (Elephants in the Fog), Rajan Kathet and Sunir Pandey (No Winter Holidays), Fizza Ali Meerza and Nabeel Qureshi (There Was a Boy), Suzannah Mirghani (Cotton Queen), Amjad Abu Alala and Mohamed Kordofani (Goodbye Julia), Lotfi Achour and Anissa Daoud (Red Path), Rashid Abdelhamid and Ismahane Lahmar (A Respectable Family), Sezen Kayhan and Beste Yamalıoğlu (Women with...
The filmmakers and projects chosen are Sumon Delwar (My Cousin), Ali El Arabi and Ahmed El Zoghby (The Legend of Zeinab and Noah), Prantik Basu (Dengue), Archana Borhade and Mangesh Joshi (Purjey (Parts)), Sriram Raja and Deyali Mukherjee (New Sweetness), Kushal Batunge (They Call Her Mafia), Gaby Zarazir and Michael Zarazir, Lamia Chraibi and Hicham Lasri (Meskoun), Anup Poudel and Abinash Bikram Shah (Elephants in the Fog), Rajan Kathet and Sunir Pandey (No Winter Holidays), Fizza Ali Meerza and Nabeel Qureshi (There Was a Boy), Suzannah Mirghani (Cotton Queen), Amjad Abu Alala and Mohamed Kordofani (Goodbye Julia), Lotfi Achour and Anissa Daoud (Red Path), Rashid Abdelhamid and Ismahane Lahmar (A Respectable Family), Sezen Kayhan and Beste Yamalıoğlu (Women with...
- 4/13/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Ali El Arabi keeps his teenage subjects up close in this wonderfully empathetic film that humanises displaced people
The opening of Ali El Arabi’s documentary is achingly evocative in its quotidian simplicity. Under the last light of the day, a football is kicked into the air. As the camera follows the spinning ball, the comforting ordinariness is ruptured by the sight of barbed wires and housing barracks. Here is a slice of life in Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, the world’s largest for Syrian refugees, and a story that follows the friendship of football-mad Fawzi and Mahmoud from their teenage years to early adulthood.
With tender compassion, the film offers gently nuanced insight into the lives of Syrian refugees. It is peppered with endearing conversations between the teenaged boys, who talk of not only romantic crushes but also their dreams of becoming professional athletes. Captains of Zaatari is also attentive to private heartbreak,...
The opening of Ali El Arabi’s documentary is achingly evocative in its quotidian simplicity. Under the last light of the day, a football is kicked into the air. As the camera follows the spinning ball, the comforting ordinariness is ruptured by the sight of barbed wires and housing barracks. Here is a slice of life in Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, the world’s largest for Syrian refugees, and a story that follows the friendship of football-mad Fawzi and Mahmoud from their teenage years to early adulthood.
With tender compassion, the film offers gently nuanced insight into the lives of Syrian refugees. It is peppered with endearing conversations between the teenaged boys, who talk of not only romantic crushes but also their dreams of becoming professional athletes. Captains of Zaatari is also attentive to private heartbreak,...
- 11/29/2021
- by Phuong Le
- The Guardian - Film News
The ninth edition of Doha Film Institute’s youth and family-focused festival ran November 7-13.
Egyptian director Ali El Arabi’s coming-of-age documentary Captains Of Zaatari has won the top prize at the ninth edition of Doha Film Institute’s Ayjal Film Festival which took place in Qatar from November 7-13.
Captains Of Zaatari won the best feature film award in the Hilal category, chosen by a jury aged 13 to 17 years. It follows two young Syrian refugees living in a camp in Jordan as they pursue their dreams to become professional soccer players.
In a surprise announcement, it was revealed the film’s young subjects,...
Egyptian director Ali El Arabi’s coming-of-age documentary Captains Of Zaatari has won the top prize at the ninth edition of Doha Film Institute’s Ayjal Film Festival which took place in Qatar from November 7-13.
Captains Of Zaatari won the best feature film award in the Hilal category, chosen by a jury aged 13 to 17 years. It follows two young Syrian refugees living in a camp in Jordan as they pursue their dreams to become professional soccer players.
In a surprise announcement, it was revealed the film’s young subjects,...
- 11/17/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Marco Orsini, president of the not-for-profit International Emerging Film Talent Association (Iefta), is firmly in favor of a back to basics distribution approach for independent films from the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, the Horn of Africa and some parts of South Asia.
Orsini says that quality independent films would most likely be selected at some high-end film festivals and attract sales agents, but Covid-19 shut down many of the potential theatrical markets for these films. Many went straight to VOD platforms instead.
“I think a lot of the VOD platforms have begun to put a sting into how sales agents work, they become diminished,” Orsini told Variety in an interview conducted at the recent El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt. “But at the same time, filmmakers, I feel, have been brainwashed to believe that the golden carrot is Netflix.”
“I think that would be a great end game…...
Orsini says that quality independent films would most likely be selected at some high-end film festivals and attract sales agents, but Covid-19 shut down many of the potential theatrical markets for these films. Many went straight to VOD platforms instead.
“I think a lot of the VOD platforms have begun to put a sting into how sales agents work, they become diminished,” Orsini told Variety in an interview conducted at the recent El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt. “But at the same time, filmmakers, I feel, have been brainwashed to believe that the golden carrot is Netflix.”
“I think that would be a great end game…...
- 11/1/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
By Glenn Dunks
I recently ‘visited’ Arkansas of all places to sit on a jury for America’s longest-running documentary film festival. I got to judge on the 2021 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival’s international jury with Andria Wilson Mirza and Jesse Knight and the three of us awarded the International Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize (phew!) to Andrea Arnold’s Cow with an honourable mention to Ali El Arabi’s Captains of Zataari. The U.S. Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize went to Angelo Madsen Minax's excellent North by Current, which we looked at earlier in the year.
So for this week’s column I wanted to look at a selection of the titles from songstresses in Cuba, professional wrestlers in Mexico and, yup, that damn cow.
I recently ‘visited’ Arkansas of all places to sit on a jury for America’s longest-running documentary film festival. I got to judge on the 2021 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival’s international jury with Andria Wilson Mirza and Jesse Knight and the three of us awarded the International Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize (phew!) to Andrea Arnold’s Cow with an honourable mention to Ali El Arabi’s Captains of Zataari. The U.S. Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize went to Angelo Madsen Minax's excellent North by Current, which we looked at earlier in the year.
So for this week’s column I wanted to look at a selection of the titles from songstresses in Cuba, professional wrestlers in Mexico and, yup, that damn cow.
- 10/28/2021
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
In other prizes Mounia Akl’s Costa Brava, Lebanon clinches Fipresci prize and inaugural Green Award.
Finnish director Teemu Nikki’s dark comedy-drama The Blind Man Who Did Not Want To See Titanic scooped the El Gouna Film Festival’s $50,000 Golden Star award for best narrative film over the weekend.
Its star Petri Poikolainen also won best actor for his performance as a blind man who ventures out of his small apartment and onto the streets to travel by train to spend time with his long-distance girlfriend.
The film world premiered in Venice’s new Horizon Extras where it won the audience award.
Finnish director Teemu Nikki’s dark comedy-drama The Blind Man Who Did Not Want To See Titanic scooped the El Gouna Film Festival’s $50,000 Golden Star award for best narrative film over the weekend.
Its star Petri Poikolainen also won best actor for his performance as a blind man who ventures out of his small apartment and onto the streets to travel by train to spend time with his long-distance girlfriend.
The film world premiered in Venice’s new Horizon Extras where it won the audience award.
- 10/25/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Teemu Nikki’s Venice and Antalya winner “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic” won the Golden star for best film at the 5th El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt, which wrapped Friday. The award carries a cash prize of $50,000.
The film’s lead Petri Poikolainen won best actor, while Maya Vanderbeque, the young star of “Playground,” won best actress.
Egyptian filmmaker Omar El Zohairy’s Cannes winner “Feathers,” which also won the Variety award at El Gouna earlier, won best Arab narrative film.
Directors Aleksey Chupov and Natasha Merkulova’s “Captain Volkonogov Escaped” won the Netpac award and bronze in the narrative category.
Michel Franco’s “Sundown” won silver in the narrative competition, while Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” scored a special mention from Netpac.
Mounia Akl’s “Costa Brava, Lebanon” won the Fipresci award and the Green Star award for tackling environmental issues.
The film’s lead Petri Poikolainen won best actor, while Maya Vanderbeque, the young star of “Playground,” won best actress.
Egyptian filmmaker Omar El Zohairy’s Cannes winner “Feathers,” which also won the Variety award at El Gouna earlier, won best Arab narrative film.
Directors Aleksey Chupov and Natasha Merkulova’s “Captain Volkonogov Escaped” won the Netpac award and bronze in the narrative category.
Michel Franco’s “Sundown” won silver in the narrative competition, while Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” scored a special mention from Netpac.
Mounia Akl’s “Costa Brava, Lebanon” won the Fipresci award and the Green Star award for tackling environmental issues.
- 10/22/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The Intl. Emerging Film Talent Assn. (Iefta) returns to El Gouna, Egypt, with two ongoing partnerships at the fifth film festival, running Oct. 14-22.
For the fifth year, Iefta and its Global Film Expression Mentorship program will participate in the CineGouna Platform, which enables Arab film directors and producers with projects in development or films in post-production to find creative and financial support.
And for the third year in El Gouna (after two years in Cannes), Iefta and the U.N. High Commission for Refugees are presenting Refugee Voices in Film. This year’s program explores how filmmakers use different film formats, including narrative, documentary and animation, to depict stories of refugees around the globe.
The fest at the Egyptian resort town of El Gouna, on the Red Sea, has a longtime mandate of “cinema for humanity,” and the programs and films selected reflect this.
Established in 2006, Iefta has driven...
For the fifth year, Iefta and its Global Film Expression Mentorship program will participate in the CineGouna Platform, which enables Arab film directors and producers with projects in development or films in post-production to find creative and financial support.
And for the third year in El Gouna (after two years in Cannes), Iefta and the U.N. High Commission for Refugees are presenting Refugee Voices in Film. This year’s program explores how filmmakers use different film formats, including narrative, documentary and animation, to depict stories of refugees around the globe.
The fest at the Egyptian resort town of El Gouna, on the Red Sea, has a longtime mandate of “cinema for humanity,” and the programs and films selected reflect this.
Established in 2006, Iefta has driven...
- 10/13/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
The Austin Film Festival has announced new additions to its 2021 lineup, including the Kristen Stewart-starring “Spencer” and Stephen Karam’s “The Humans.” The festival will take place in Austin, Texas and online from Oct. 21-28.
“Spencer” will be the festival’s closing night piece. Directed by Pablo Larraín and written by Steven Knight, the biopic follows Princess Diana (Stewart) as she processes her decision to end her marriage to Prince Charles.
As the culmination of Aff’s writers’ conference, the centerpiece film will be “The Humans,” written and directed by Karam and adapted from his Pulitzer-winning play of the same name. “The Humans” takes place on Thanksgiving as a family comes together despite hidden secrets, past trauma and nightmares coming to life. Beanie Feldstein, Amy Schumer, Steven Yeun, Richard Jenkins, Jayne Houdyshell and June Squibb star.
The inaugural spotlight film slot will showcase the North American premiere of “Down With the King,...
“Spencer” will be the festival’s closing night piece. Directed by Pablo Larraín and written by Steven Knight, the biopic follows Princess Diana (Stewart) as she processes her decision to end her marriage to Prince Charles.
As the culmination of Aff’s writers’ conference, the centerpiece film will be “The Humans,” written and directed by Karam and adapted from his Pulitzer-winning play of the same name. “The Humans” takes place on Thanksgiving as a family comes together despite hidden secrets, past trauma and nightmares coming to life. Beanie Feldstein, Amy Schumer, Steven Yeun, Richard Jenkins, Jayne Houdyshell and June Squibb star.
The inaugural spotlight film slot will showcase the North American premiere of “Down With the King,...
- 10/6/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Egyptian director and producer Ali El Arabi, who made a splash at virtual Sundance with doc “Captains of Zaatari,” about the soccer dreams of young Syrian refugees, is shooting another soccer-related project, this one centered on fan fever in the leadup to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
“Ashish’s Journey” (working title), El Arabi’s new high-profile doc, will chronicle the true tale of a young Indian (pictured in this exclusive first look image) who is a fervent soccer fan and — realizing that he can’t afford travel and ticket costs to attend 2022 World Cup, where he wants to meet a football icon of his — decides to apply for a job as a stadium worker in Qatar.
“We’ve been living with Ashish for a year now and will continue shooting until after the World Cup in 2022,” the director said. “What we hope to accomplish and are exploring is...
“Ashish’s Journey” (working title), El Arabi’s new high-profile doc, will chronicle the true tale of a young Indian (pictured in this exclusive first look image) who is a fervent soccer fan and — realizing that he can’t afford travel and ticket costs to attend 2022 World Cup, where he wants to meet a football icon of his — decides to apply for a job as a stadium worker in Qatar.
“We’ve been living with Ashish for a year now and will continue shooting until after the World Cup in 2022,” the director said. “What we hope to accomplish and are exploring is...
- 7/8/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance title “Captains of Zaatari” has sold into Utopia for the U.S., where it will get a theatrical release this fall.
London-based sales agent Dogwoof secured the movie with Robert Schwartzman and Cole Harper’s fledgling distributor Utopia, which is planning a day-and-date release in cinemas on Nov. 19 in New York and Los Angeles, alongside a premiere on Apple TV and Altavod.
Directed and produced by Ali El Arabi from Egypt, the film follows two best friends, Mahmoud and Fawzi, living in the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, who dream of becoming professional soccer players. Despite being confined under challenging conditions, they remain hopeful and practice day in and day out. When a world-renowned sports academy visits, both have a chance to turn their dream into a reality.
The film, which world premiered in competition at Sundance in January, has also sold into Sherry Media (Canada), Trigon (Switzerland) and...
London-based sales agent Dogwoof secured the movie with Robert Schwartzman and Cole Harper’s fledgling distributor Utopia, which is planning a day-and-date release in cinemas on Nov. 19 in New York and Los Angeles, alongside a premiere on Apple TV and Altavod.
Directed and produced by Ali El Arabi from Egypt, the film follows two best friends, Mahmoud and Fawzi, living in the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, who dream of becoming professional soccer players. Despite being confined under challenging conditions, they remain hopeful and practice day in and day out. When a world-renowned sports academy visits, both have a chance to turn their dream into a reality.
The film, which world premiered in competition at Sundance in January, has also sold into Sherry Media (Canada), Trigon (Switzerland) and...
- 7/7/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Captains of Zaatari opens on a note of beauty, with exceedingly pretty shots of best friends Mahmoud and Fawzi kicking up dust as they bounce a soccer ball back and forth in the Zaatari refugee camp in northern Jordan.
Displaced with 80,000 other Syrians (more than half of whom are children) to this sprawling makeshift city, both teens dream of escaping the camp and playing professional soccer. A distant goal to Mahmoud and Fawzi, and one viewed as a pipe dream by Fawzi’s patient but put-upon family, this possibility suddenly grows excitingly close when a Qatari sports academy scouts the camp and recruits Mahmoud for training. Due to what the documentary presents as an age-related technicality, Fawzi is left behind, though coaches shortly thereafter allow him to join. From there, Captains of Zaatari shifts from a more interesting, slice-of-life look at the Za’atari refugee camp and its communities into an overtly inspirational sports doc,...
Displaced with 80,000 other Syrians (more than half of whom are children) to this sprawling makeshift city, both teens dream of escaping the camp and playing professional soccer. A distant goal to Mahmoud and Fawzi, and one viewed as a pipe dream by Fawzi’s patient but put-upon family, this possibility suddenly grows excitingly close when a Qatari sports academy scouts the camp and recruits Mahmoud for training. Due to what the documentary presents as an age-related technicality, Fawzi is left behind, though coaches shortly thereafter allow him to join. From there, Captains of Zaatari shifts from a more interesting, slice-of-life look at the Za’atari refugee camp and its communities into an overtly inspirational sports doc,...
- 2/2/2021
- by Isaac Feldberg
- The Film Stage
In his feature debut, Captains of Zaatari, Ali El Arabi turns his eye on the teenagers living in the world’s largest Syrian refugee camp. Unafraid to dream despite their bleak surroundings, Fawzi and Mahmoud hope to escape Zaatari and enter the world of professional soccer. El Shishini tells us of his unique perspective as editor and assistant director, and how he crafte a narrative from hundreds of hours of footage. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? El Shishini: […]
The post "The Message of the Film Continued to Evolve": Editor Menna El Shishini on Captains of Zaatari first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post "The Message of the Film Continued to Evolve": Editor Menna El Shishini on Captains of Zaatari first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/2/2021
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
In his feature debut, Captains of Zaatari, Ali El Arabi turns his eye on the teenagers living in the world’s largest Syrian refugee camp. Unafraid to dream despite their bleak surroundings, Fawzi and Mahmoud hope to escape Zaatari and enter the world of professional soccer. El Shishini tells us of his unique perspective as editor and assistant director, and how he crafte a narrative from hundreds of hours of footage. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? El Shishini: […]
The post "The Message of the Film Continued to Evolve": Editor Menna El Shishini on Captains of Zaatari first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post "The Message of the Film Continued to Evolve": Editor Menna El Shishini on Captains of Zaatari first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/2/2021
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
In his feature debut, Captains of Zaatari, Ali El Arabi turns his eye on the teenagers living in the world’s largest Syrian refugee camp. Unafraid to dream despite their bleak surroundings, Fawzi and Mahmoud hope to escape Zaatari and enter the world of professional soccer. Dp Mahmoud Bashir discusses becoming friends with the boys at the center of the film and the importance of natural lighting. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Bashir: I did shoot more than […]
The post "Dreams Are Never Bound or Restricted by Austere Conditions": Dp Mahmoud Bashir on Captains of Zaatari first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post "Dreams Are Never Bound or Restricted by Austere Conditions": Dp Mahmoud Bashir on Captains of Zaatari first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/2/2021
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
In his feature debut, Captains of Zaatari, Ali El Arabi turns his eye on the teenagers living in the world’s largest Syrian refugee camp. Unafraid to dream despite their bleak surroundings, Fawzi and Mahmoud hope to escape Zaatari and enter the world of professional soccer. Dp Mahmoud Bashir discusses becoming friends with the boys at the center of the film and the importance of natural lighting. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Bashir: I did shoot more than […]
The post "Dreams Are Never Bound or Restricted by Austere Conditions": Dp Mahmoud Bashir on Captains of Zaatari first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post "Dreams Are Never Bound or Restricted by Austere Conditions": Dp Mahmoud Bashir on Captains of Zaatari first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/2/2021
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
For his directing debut, Ali El Arabi wanted to make sure all types of audiences were engaged by his documentary on two Syrian refugees with dreams of playing professional soccer.
“I wanted the movie to be appealing to the people who don’t like documentaries,” El Arabi tells Gold Derby through an interpreter in a new interview from this year’s Sundance Film Festival. “When it comes to dry documentaries, status-quo kind of thing — I didn’t want that. I wanted to give more life to that movie. It appeals to both, documentary loves and feature lovers.”
Set to compete in the World Cinema Documentary competition at Sundance, “Captains of Zaatari” follows two teenagers, Fawzi and Mahmoud, as they play soccer and imagine a life outside the Zaatari refugee camp in Northern Jordan, the largest Syrian refugee camp in the world.
See Our full coverage of Sundance 2021
“These boys stood out in the crowd,...
“I wanted the movie to be appealing to the people who don’t like documentaries,” El Arabi tells Gold Derby through an interpreter in a new interview from this year’s Sundance Film Festival. “When it comes to dry documentaries, status-quo kind of thing — I didn’t want that. I wanted to give more life to that movie. It appeals to both, documentary loves and feature lovers.”
Set to compete in the World Cinema Documentary competition at Sundance, “Captains of Zaatari” follows two teenagers, Fawzi and Mahmoud, as they play soccer and imagine a life outside the Zaatari refugee camp in Northern Jordan, the largest Syrian refugee camp in the world.
See Our full coverage of Sundance 2021
“These boys stood out in the crowd,...
- 2/1/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Hope is in the DNA of competitive sports. Comes with it a shot at victory, a rush of optimism for what might follow. The sensation only multiplies through unity — not just with one’s team, but also fans cheering on. Through his profoundly humanistic nonfiction feature debut “Captains of Zaatari,” a moving tale of two Syrian teenagers with a deep love for soccer, filmmaker Ali El Arabi captures what that kind of hope can mean to those with bleakly limited options. He does so with stunning cinematic artistry and precision, honoring the lives he portrays with authenticity and respect.
In the oblique footsteps of Jafar Panahi’s masterful “Offsite” and Adam Sobel’s Sundance-hailing documentary “The Workers Cup,” El Arabi demonstrates an acute understanding of the buoyancy that surrounds soccer, the kind of promise it symbolizes to many around the globe, as well as the set of intricate skills required by the game.
In the oblique footsteps of Jafar Panahi’s masterful “Offsite” and Adam Sobel’s Sundance-hailing documentary “The Workers Cup,” El Arabi demonstrates an acute understanding of the buoyancy that surrounds soccer, the kind of promise it symbolizes to many around the globe, as well as the set of intricate skills required by the game.
- 2/1/2021
- by Tomris Laffly
- Variety Film + TV
The Zaatari refugee camp in Northern Jordan, home to the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world, sits on a rocky patch of soil, surrounded by barbed wire.
When filmmaker Ali El Arabi traveled there to do some reportage for the Un and the Arab League, he found people poor in opportunities, yet “very rich” in one respect—they hadn’t given up on their dreams.
Two of those dreamers, teenagers Fawzi and Mahmoud, would become the stars of his documentary Captains of Zaatari, premiering at Sundance in World Cinema Documentary Competition. The boys were the standout players on a refugee soccer team, and hoped the sport would be their ticket out of the camp.
“From the first time I met Fawzi he gave me a sentence that is engraved [in my mind],” El Arabi recalled during an appearance in Deadline’s virtual Sundance Studio. “He told me, ‘The only time I...
When filmmaker Ali El Arabi traveled there to do some reportage for the Un and the Arab League, he found people poor in opportunities, yet “very rich” in one respect—they hadn’t given up on their dreams.
Two of those dreamers, teenagers Fawzi and Mahmoud, would become the stars of his documentary Captains of Zaatari, premiering at Sundance in World Cinema Documentary Competition. The boys were the standout players on a refugee soccer team, and hoped the sport would be their ticket out of the camp.
“From the first time I met Fawzi he gave me a sentence that is engraved [in my mind],” El Arabi recalled during an appearance in Deadline’s virtual Sundance Studio. “He told me, ‘The only time I...
- 2/1/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Captains of Zaatari’ Director Ali El Arabi on Soccer as Ticket to a Future For Syrian Refugee Teens
It took Egyptian director and producer Ali El Arabi six years to shoot “Captains of Zaatari,” which world premieres in the Sundance world doc competition on Jan. 31. He shot it mostly on the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. which hosts some 80,000 Syrians forced to flee the civil war in Syria, more than half of which are children. At the camp, the director focused on the lives of two talented teens, Mahmoud and Fawzi, who are best friends and dream of becoming professional soccer players. They get a shot at it thanks to a Doha-based sports academy called Aspire. El Arabi spoke from Cairo to Variety about how he gained deep access to the team captains’ lives and, by extension, to a potent depiction of the redemptive power of soccer, friendship and “the right that refugees have to connect with the world.” The excerpted conversation follows.
What is most striking about the doc is the intimacy.
What is most striking about the doc is the intimacy.
- 1/28/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
This year’s Sundance is shorter, virtual, is not local to just Park City and has a new director for the first time in years. But what has not changed is that Sundance remains one of the best marketplaces for independent films. This year’s lineup for the festival set for Jan. 28-Feb. 3 even has some hopeful Oscar contenders such as Robin Wright’s “Land” and “Judas and the Black Messiah” from Warner Bros., and we’ve already seen a few titles such as “Together Together,” “The World to Come” and “The Most Beautiful Boy in the World” find homes. But while there may be fewer films overall and without the in-person wheeling and dealing, the market figures to be just as robust with some exciting movies up for sale.
“Passing”
Actress Rebecca Hall is making her directorial debut on “Passing,” a psychological thriller set in 1920s New York and...
“Passing”
Actress Rebecca Hall is making her directorial debut on “Passing,” a psychological thriller set in 1920s New York and...
- 1/28/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
London-based sales agent Dogwoof has snapped up Sundance-bound documentaries “Ailey” and “Captains of Zaatari.”
Directed by Jamila Wignot, “Ailey” will world premiere in the U.S. Documentary competition. Dogwoof will handle international rights, while Cinetic will oversee North American sales.
The outfit has also snapped up the debut feature by Ali El Arabi, “Captains of Zaatari,” which will launch in the World Documentary competition. The film was added to the Sundance doc competition earlier this week.
“Ailey” is billed as an immersive profile of ground-breaking African American choreographer Alvin Ailey, founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The archive-laden “Ailey” captures the enigmatic dancer who, confronted by a world that refused to embrace him, was forced to carve out a new path for himself.
Produced by Lauren DeFilippo, “Ailey” is an Insignia Films production, in association with American Masters Pictures, Itvs, Xtr, Impact Partners and Black Public Media. The...
Directed by Jamila Wignot, “Ailey” will world premiere in the U.S. Documentary competition. Dogwoof will handle international rights, while Cinetic will oversee North American sales.
The outfit has also snapped up the debut feature by Ali El Arabi, “Captains of Zaatari,” which will launch in the World Documentary competition. The film was added to the Sundance doc competition earlier this week.
“Ailey” is billed as an immersive profile of ground-breaking African American choreographer Alvin Ailey, founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The archive-laden “Ailey” captures the enigmatic dancer who, confronted by a world that refused to embrace him, was forced to carve out a new path for himself.
Produced by Lauren DeFilippo, “Ailey” is an Insignia Films production, in association with American Masters Pictures, Itvs, Xtr, Impact Partners and Black Public Media. The...
- 1/14/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Before its Feb. 12, 2021 release, Warner Bros.’ Fred Hampton movie Judas and the Black Messiah will make its world premiere at this year’s Sundance.
The movie, directed and co-written by Shaka King, will premiere on Monday, Feb. 1 at 6:00pm Mountain Time on the digital platform, and will also play at several satellite screens listed at the end of this article.
In addition, making its world premiere in the World Documentary Competition Section is Egypt’s Captains of Zaatari from filmmaker Ali El Arabi. The movie will premiere at Sunday, Jan. 31 at 6:00pm Mountain Time on the Sundance digital platform.
“We are delighted to welcome these powerful works into our program,” said Festival Director Tabitha Jackson, “In a year where our Festival already exemplifies the vanguard of bold, visionary storytelling from around the world, they help further expand our boundaries.”
Judas and the Black Messiah is written by Will Berson and King.
The movie, directed and co-written by Shaka King, will premiere on Monday, Feb. 1 at 6:00pm Mountain Time on the digital platform, and will also play at several satellite screens listed at the end of this article.
In addition, making its world premiere in the World Documentary Competition Section is Egypt’s Captains of Zaatari from filmmaker Ali El Arabi. The movie will premiere at Sunday, Jan. 31 at 6:00pm Mountain Time on the Sundance digital platform.
“We are delighted to welcome these powerful works into our program,” said Festival Director Tabitha Jackson, “In a year where our Festival already exemplifies the vanguard of bold, visionary storytelling from around the world, they help further expand our boundaries.”
Judas and the Black Messiah is written by Will Berson and King.
- 1/12/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Darrel Britt-Gibson, Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield appear in Judas and the Black Messiah by Shaka King Photo: Glen Wilson/Sundance Institute Sundance has announced an additional two world premieres at this year's festival.
Shaka King's Judas And The Black Messiah joins the Premieres section, while Captains Of Zaatari, directed by Ali El Arabi, is added to the World Documentary slate.
King's film dramatises the story of FBI informant William O’Neal, who infiltrated the Illinois Black Panther party when J Edgar Hoover feared charismatic leader Chairman Fred Hampton will emerge as a Black Messiah and stars Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya.
Arabi's documentary goes inside Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, where Mahmoud and Fawzi dream of becoming professional football players. When a world renowned sports academy scout visits the camp, both have a chance to make their dreams come true.
“We are delighted to welcome these powerful works into our program,...
Shaka King's Judas And The Black Messiah joins the Premieres section, while Captains Of Zaatari, directed by Ali El Arabi, is added to the World Documentary slate.
King's film dramatises the story of FBI informant William O’Neal, who infiltrated the Illinois Black Panther party when J Edgar Hoover feared charismatic leader Chairman Fred Hampton will emerge as a Black Messiah and stars Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya.
Arabi's documentary goes inside Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, where Mahmoud and Fawzi dream of becoming professional football players. When a world renowned sports academy scout visits the camp, both have a chance to make their dreams come true.
“We are delighted to welcome these powerful works into our program,...
- 1/12/2021
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Sundance Film Festival announced two additional world premieres for its 2021 edition including one highly anticipated awards contender. Shaka King’s “Judas and the Black Messiah” and Ali El Arabi‘s documentary “Captains of Zaatari” will increase Sundance’s slate to 73 films representing 30 nations and 39 first-time filmmakers. A Warner Bros. release, “Messiah” becomes the second studio world premiere hoping for Oscar attention from festival-goers following Robin Wright’s “Land,” from Focus Features.
Continue reading ‘Judas And The Black Messiah’ To Premiere At The Sundance Film Festival at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Judas And The Black Messiah’ To Premiere At The Sundance Film Festival at The Playlist.
- 1/12/2021
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
“Judas and the Black Messiah” will have its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
The 2021 edition, which runs from Jan. 28 through Feb. 3, is rolling out in numerous cities across the country as the annual gathering goes virtual amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The documentary “Captains of Zaatari” has also been added to the Sundance lineup and will debut in the world doc competition. Tickets for these additions are on sale now. See the complete Sundance lineup here.
“We are delighted to welcome these powerful works into our program,” said Festival Director Tabitha Jackson. “In a year where our festival already exemplifies the vanguard of bold, visionary storytelling from around the world, they help further expand our boundaries.”
“Judas and the Black Messiah,” a historical drama about the life and assassination of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton, will premiere on Monday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. Mt on the...
The 2021 edition, which runs from Jan. 28 through Feb. 3, is rolling out in numerous cities across the country as the annual gathering goes virtual amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The documentary “Captains of Zaatari” has also been added to the Sundance lineup and will debut in the world doc competition. Tickets for these additions are on sale now. See the complete Sundance lineup here.
“We are delighted to welcome these powerful works into our program,” said Festival Director Tabitha Jackson. “In a year where our festival already exemplifies the vanguard of bold, visionary storytelling from around the world, they help further expand our boundaries.”
“Judas and the Black Messiah,” a historical drama about the life and assassination of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton, will premiere on Monday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. Mt on the...
- 1/12/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance has made two late additions to its 2021 festival lineup: an Egyptian soccer documentary called “Captains of Zaatari,” and Warner Bros.’ upcoming “Judas and the Black Messiah,” a rare example of a big studio film with ambitious Oscar hopes landing a big premiere stage at the generally indie festival.
“Judas and the Black Messiah” is the story of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and stars Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Lil Rel Howery and Martin Sheen. The film, directed by Shaka King and produced by Ryan Coogler, will make its world premiere at Sundance ahead of Warner Bros. releasing it in theaters and on HBO Max on Feb. 12.
“Judas and the Black Messiah” is playing out of competition and will make its premiere on Feb. 1 at 6:00 p.m. Mt on Sundance’s digital platform. It will also play on a number of the festival’s drive-in Satellite Screens this year.
“Judas and the Black Messiah” is the story of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and stars Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Lil Rel Howery and Martin Sheen. The film, directed by Shaka King and produced by Ryan Coogler, will make its world premiere at Sundance ahead of Warner Bros. releasing it in theaters and on HBO Max on Feb. 12.
“Judas and the Black Messiah” is playing out of competition and will make its premiere on Feb. 1 at 6:00 p.m. Mt on Sundance’s digital platform. It will also play on a number of the festival’s drive-in Satellite Screens this year.
- 1/12/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Warner Bros. is not in the habit of booking movies at Sundance, but the studio is adding director Shaka King and producer Ryan Coogler’s “Judas and the Black Messiah” as a late entry at the Sundance Film Festival, which launches January 28. This serves as a marketing launch for the biopic, which will open day and date in theaters and HBO Max on February 12, well before the February 28 Oscar eligibility cut-off. The studio had originally scheduled the film to open on August 21, 2020, but due to the pandemic, pushed back the film to 2021.
Studio marketers saw an opportunity to draw some attention to “Judas and the Black Messiah” at this year’s hybrid festival which, due to its late January start-date and the Oscars’ two-month pandemic delay, offers a showcase ahead of the nominating period that begins on March 5. “Judas and the Black Messiah” will premiere on Monday, February 1 at 6Pm...
Studio marketers saw an opportunity to draw some attention to “Judas and the Black Messiah” at this year’s hybrid festival which, due to its late January start-date and the Oscars’ two-month pandemic delay, offers a showcase ahead of the nominating period that begins on March 5. “Judas and the Black Messiah” will premiere on Monday, February 1 at 6Pm...
- 1/12/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Warner Bros. is not in the habit of booking movies at Sundance, but the studio is adding director Shaka King and producer Ryan Coogler’s “Judas and the Black Messiah” as a late entry at the Sundance Film Festival, which launches January 28. This serves as a marketing launch for the biopic, which will open day and date in theaters and HBO Max on February 12, well before the February 28 Oscar eligibility cut-off. The studio had originally scheduled the film to open on August 21, 2020, but due to the pandemic, pushed back the film to 2021.
Studio marketers saw an opportunity to draw some attention to “Judas and the Black Messiah” at this year’s hybrid festival which, due to its late January start-date and the Oscars’ two-month pandemic delay, offers a showcase ahead of the nominating period that begins on March 5. “Judas and the Black Messiah” will premiere on Monday, February 1 at 6Pm...
Studio marketers saw an opportunity to draw some attention to “Judas and the Black Messiah” at this year’s hybrid festival which, due to its late January start-date and the Oscars’ two-month pandemic delay, offers a showcase ahead of the nominating period that begins on March 5. “Judas and the Black Messiah” will premiere on Monday, February 1 at 6Pm...
- 1/12/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Festival runs January 28-February 3.
Sundance Film festival has added awards season contender Judas And The Black Messiah starring Daniel Kaluuya and documentary Captains Of Zaatari to its feature line-up.
Shaka King directed Judas, in which Kaluuya plays charismatic Illinois Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton, whose chapter is infiltrated by FBI informant William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield).
The true-life drama debuts in the festival’s Premieres section on February 1 online and in a number of satellite screening sites across the US that do not include drive-ins in the Los Angeles area due to the Covid surge.
Warner Bros will release it...
Sundance Film festival has added awards season contender Judas And The Black Messiah starring Daniel Kaluuya and documentary Captains Of Zaatari to its feature line-up.
Shaka King directed Judas, in which Kaluuya plays charismatic Illinois Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton, whose chapter is infiltrated by FBI informant William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield).
The true-life drama debuts in the festival’s Premieres section on February 1 online and in a number of satellite screening sites across the US that do not include drive-ins in the Los Angeles area due to the Covid surge.
Warner Bros will release it...
- 1/12/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Warner Bros.’ Judas and the Black Messiah, where Daniel Kaluuya plays Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, and Egyptian director Ali El Arabi’s documentary Captains of Zaatari have joined the Sundance Film Festival’s 2021 lineup.
Director Shaka King’s film about the assassinated Black Panther activist, produced by Ryan Coogler, will have a digital bow from Sundance on Feb.1. Set in the 1960s, Judas and the Black Messiah is told from Hampton’s perspective as he rises to the top of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and through the eyes of William O’Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated the ...
Director Shaka King’s film about the assassinated Black Panther activist, produced by Ryan Coogler, will have a digital bow from Sundance on Feb.1. Set in the 1960s, Judas and the Black Messiah is told from Hampton’s perspective as he rises to the top of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and through the eyes of William O’Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated the ...
- 1/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Warner Bros.’ Judas and the Black Messiah, where Daniel Kaluuya plays Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, and Egyptian director Ali El Arabi’s documentary Captains of Zaatari have joined the Sundance Film Festival’s 2021 lineup.
Director Shaka King’s film about the assassinated Black Panther activist, produced by Ryan Coogler, will have a digital bow from Sundance on Feb.1. Set in the 1960s, Judas and the Black Messiah is told from Hampton’s perspective as he rises to the top of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and through the eyes of William O’Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated the ...
Director Shaka King’s film about the assassinated Black Panther activist, produced by Ryan Coogler, will have a digital bow from Sundance on Feb.1. Set in the 1960s, Judas and the Black Messiah is told from Hampton’s perspective as he rises to the top of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and through the eyes of William O’Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated the ...
- 1/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The films are tipped for 2021 festivals.
Egyptian director Sameh Alaa’s coming-of-age story I Can Hear Your Voice… Still and Jordanian director Bassel Ghandour’s drama The Alleys, have led the awards at the Cairo Film Connection, the co-financing platform of the Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff).
Eleven projects in development and four works in post-production were showcased at the event which meted out prizes from some 19 organisations worth $250,000 in total
I Can Hear Your Voice… Still won the $10,000 Arab Radio Television (Art) prize, a $10,000 cash award from Egyptian production and distribution company Red Star Films, as well as participation...
Egyptian director Sameh Alaa’s coming-of-age story I Can Hear Your Voice… Still and Jordanian director Bassel Ghandour’s drama The Alleys, have led the awards at the Cairo Film Connection, the co-financing platform of the Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff).
Eleven projects in development and four works in post-production were showcased at the event which meted out prizes from some 19 organisations worth $250,000 in total
I Can Hear Your Voice… Still won the $10,000 Arab Radio Television (Art) prize, a $10,000 cash award from Egyptian production and distribution company Red Star Films, as well as participation...
- 12/10/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
“The Alleys,” “The Legend of Zeineb and Noah” and “I Can Hear Your Voice… Still” were the big winners of the Cairo Film Connection, the co-production platform of the Cairo International Film Festival.
“The Alleys,” the directorial debut from the Oscar-nominated “Theeb” producer Bassel Ghandour, was awarded the $10,000 Badyã Award and $10,000 New Century Productions Prize.
Currently in post-production, “The Alleys” is a Jordan, Egyptian, French and Saudi co-production about a charming hustler who pretends to be a white-collar career man in a gossip-ridden, violent neighborhood.
The jury, comprising Jordanian actor and producer Saba Mubarak, Moroccan producer Lamia Chraibi, and Egyptian filmmaker Abubakr Shawky, was slated to give out 21 awards from 18 different companies, but they added three more to the list during the ceremony.
“The Legend of Zeineb and Noah” by acclaimed Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah, whose 2012 film “After the Battle” competed for the Palme d’Or, took home five of...
“The Alleys,” the directorial debut from the Oscar-nominated “Theeb” producer Bassel Ghandour, was awarded the $10,000 Badyã Award and $10,000 New Century Productions Prize.
Currently in post-production, “The Alleys” is a Jordan, Egyptian, French and Saudi co-production about a charming hustler who pretends to be a white-collar career man in a gossip-ridden, violent neighborhood.
The jury, comprising Jordanian actor and producer Saba Mubarak, Moroccan producer Lamia Chraibi, and Egyptian filmmaker Abubakr Shawky, was slated to give out 21 awards from 18 different companies, but they added three more to the list during the ceremony.
“The Legend of Zeineb and Noah” by acclaimed Egyptian director Yousry Nasrallah, whose 2012 film “After the Battle” competed for the Palme d’Or, took home five of...
- 12/9/2020
- by Kaleem Aftab
- Variety Film + TV
Yousry Nasrallah (pictured) is among Egypt’s most highly regarded filmmakers, known for depicting his country’s social and political complexities in multi-layered movies such as “Gate of the Sun” (2004), “Aquarium” (2008) and “After the Battle” (2012), a meditation on the Tahrir Square revolution.
He is now working on magical realism/coming-of-age drama “The Legend of Zeineb and Noah,” in which a 12-year-old Muslim girl named Zeineb, who strongly believes in many superstitions, steals her recently deceased mother’s corpse in order to delay the funeral.
Zeineb, who despite her young age is already engaged to an older man, escapes from her village in Upper Egypt with Noah, her 16-year-old Christian neighbor, embarking on a road trip in which they both confront many of the myths and fears they believed were true. The project is being unveiled at the Cairo Film Festival’s Cairo Film Connection co-production platform.
“What interested me most...
He is now working on magical realism/coming-of-age drama “The Legend of Zeineb and Noah,” in which a 12-year-old Muslim girl named Zeineb, who strongly believes in many superstitions, steals her recently deceased mother’s corpse in order to delay the funeral.
Zeineb, who despite her young age is already engaged to an older man, escapes from her village in Upper Egypt with Noah, her 16-year-old Christian neighbor, embarking on a road trip in which they both confront many of the myths and fears they believed were true. The project is being unveiled at the Cairo Film Festival’s Cairo Film Connection co-production platform.
“What interested me most...
- 12/9/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Filmmakers behind 43 projects will connect online with industry.
Projects from Bhutan, Cuba and the Philippines are among participants in Tribeca Film Institute’s inaugural virtual Tfi Network film market, set to run from April 27-May 1.
Filmmakers behind 43 projects will connect online with executives, financiers, producers, festival programmers and others in the industry in place of a physical event due to the coronavirus pandemic.
From April 21-23 Tfi staff will guide participants through online pitch training sessions and moderate virtual seminars where invited industry representatives will outline their organisations’ background and tell Tfi artists about possible funding support avenues and resources.
Projects from Bhutan, Cuba and the Philippines are among participants in Tribeca Film Institute’s inaugural virtual Tfi Network film market, set to run from April 27-May 1.
Filmmakers behind 43 projects will connect online with executives, financiers, producers, festival programmers and others in the industry in place of a physical event due to the coronavirus pandemic.
From April 21-23 Tfi staff will guide participants through online pitch training sessions and moderate virtual seminars where invited industry representatives will outline their organisations’ background and tell Tfi artists about possible funding support avenues and resources.
- 4/16/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
Tribeca Film Institute announced on Thursday the 43 projects that will participate in this year’s Tfi Network film market, to be held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A traditional Tfi Network three-day event would see emerging filmmakers and creators from across the globe coming together in New York City to embark on a day of pitch prep and industry roundtables, along with two days of individual meetings with professionals during the Tribeca Film Festival, which has also moved some of its programming online. This year, Tfi Network, presented by AT&T, will move online from April 27 through May 1. Prior to Tfi Network, filmmakers will attend “Prep Week” from April 21 through April 23, which includes online pitch training sessions with mentors. This year’s 43 winners include scripted projects, documentaries and interactive projects.
“Tfi remains dedicated to creating opportunities for independent artists without compromising their health or safety,” Tribeca Film Institute executive director...
A traditional Tfi Network three-day event would see emerging filmmakers and creators from across the globe coming together in New York City to embark on a day of pitch prep and industry roundtables, along with two days of individual meetings with professionals during the Tribeca Film Festival, which has also moved some of its programming online. This year, Tfi Network, presented by AT&T, will move online from April 27 through May 1. Prior to Tfi Network, filmmakers will attend “Prep Week” from April 21 through April 23, which includes online pitch training sessions with mentors. This year’s 43 winners include scripted projects, documentaries and interactive projects.
“Tfi remains dedicated to creating opportunities for independent artists without compromising their health or safety,” Tribeca Film Institute executive director...
- 4/16/2020
- by Mackenzie Nichols
- Variety Film + TV
The International Emerging Film Talent Association (Iefta) Attends Egypt’s 2019 El Gouna Film FestivalWith Films, Mentorships, Panels & PartiesInternationally, there is always an appetite for stories untold, voices unheard and visions as yet unseen. This is attested to by the sold-out screenings and expanding number of screens at the El Gouna Film Festival, now in its third year and already one of the leading festivals in the Mena region.
Returning to Egypt’s Red Sea resort town, the Monaco-based International Emerging Film Talent Association (Iefta), committed to the discovery of new voices and supporting collaborations with filmmakers from across the Horn of Africa, Middle East and Asia, providing opportunity and education to those with little to no access to resources for their cinematic expression, is perfectly positioned to work with #Gff as they both strive to be a catalyst for the development of Cinema in the Arab World.
With its mission to discover,...
Returning to Egypt’s Red Sea resort town, the Monaco-based International Emerging Film Talent Association (Iefta), committed to the discovery of new voices and supporting collaborations with filmmakers from across the Horn of Africa, Middle East and Asia, providing opportunity and education to those with little to no access to resources for their cinematic expression, is perfectly positioned to work with #Gff as they both strive to be a catalyst for the development of Cinema in the Arab World.
With its mission to discover,...
- 10/6/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
El Gouna Ff 2019: CineGouna Platform AwardsCineGouna Platform, part of El Gouna Film Festival bestows its awards to various projects by directors and producers from the Arab world who were in competition seeking creative and financial support. The projects involved include some in development and others in post-production.Participants of the 3rd Edition of CineGouna Platform
The Springboard Jury of experts in filmmaking from all over the world chose a winner in both the projects in development and the ones in post-production. The winners receive a CineGouna Platform Certificate and a cash prize of Us $15,000. Additional awards are presented through local and regional institutions for a total of $250,000 Us.
In Post-Production — Watch for these as they appear in the next editions of top international film festivals!
Captains of Za’atari, an Egyptian film in post-production directed by Ali El-Arabi won an award worth $10,000 from New Century Production and another reward...
The Springboard Jury of experts in filmmaking from all over the world chose a winner in both the projects in development and the ones in post-production. The winners receive a CineGouna Platform Certificate and a cash prize of Us $15,000. Additional awards are presented through local and regional institutions for a total of $250,000 Us.
In Post-Production — Watch for these as they appear in the next editions of top international film festivals!
Captains of Za’atari, an Egyptian film in post-production directed by Ali El-Arabi won an award worth $10,000 from New Century Production and another reward...
- 10/5/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
With the seventh edition of Final Cut in Venice, the Venice Production Bridge’s pics-in-post workshop for films from Africa and the Arab world, Final Cut head Alessandra Speciale points to sweeping cultural and technological changes that are transforming the means of production in those regions.
“The big changes that the African continent is currently experiencing are also driving cultural and artistic production, a kind of high-tech liberation triggered by the strong impetus of high-speed Internet,” said Speciale, fostering what she calls a “cinema without borders.”
Final Cut, which runs through Sept. 2, awards prizes and financial assistance to six selected projects, while offering African and Arab producers and directors one-on-one meetings with participants of the Venice Production Bridge’s Gap-Financing Market. The program’s growing reach — which has included works-in-progress from countries such as Lesotho, Libya and the Central African Republic — highlights the increasing capacity to produce films in countries without formal industries,...
“The big changes that the African continent is currently experiencing are also driving cultural and artistic production, a kind of high-tech liberation triggered by the strong impetus of high-speed Internet,” said Speciale, fostering what she calls a “cinema without borders.”
Final Cut, which runs through Sept. 2, awards prizes and financial assistance to six selected projects, while offering African and Arab producers and directors one-on-one meetings with participants of the Venice Production Bridge’s Gap-Financing Market. The program’s growing reach — which has included works-in-progress from countries such as Lesotho, Libya and the Central African Republic — highlights the increasing capacity to produce films in countries without formal industries,...
- 8/31/2019
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
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