Exclusive: Dubai-based management and production company 75East has signed Palestinian director Mahdi Fleifel, whose narrative feature debut To A Land Unknown is playing in Directors’ Fortnight this year.
75East, was launched last December by former Mister Smith sales executive Antone Saliba under the banner Untamed Talent with a focus on the Swana region (South West Asia and North Africa), and has recently rebranded.
The only Palestinian feature in Cannes this year, To A Land Unknown tells the story of the desperate attempts of two Palestinian cousins stranded in Athens to find a way to reach Germany.
Chatila and Reda are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. When Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his best friend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.
75East, was launched last December by former Mister Smith sales executive Antone Saliba under the banner Untamed Talent with a focus on the Swana region (South West Asia and North Africa), and has recently rebranded.
The only Palestinian feature in Cannes this year, To A Land Unknown tells the story of the desperate attempts of two Palestinian cousins stranded in Athens to find a way to reach Germany.
Chatila and Reda are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. When Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his best friend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.
- 5/21/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Untamed Talent, the recently launched Arab world management and production company led by former Mister Smith Entertainment executive Antone Saliba is rebranding as 75East and bringing on board Shams Mohajerani, a former acquisitions executive at Cairo-based Mad Solutions, as manager and producer.
The change in name to 75East of the company, which launched last December with backing from Front Row Productions – a joint venture between leading Middle East distribution companies Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Empire Entertainment – is a geographical reference to the wider Southwest Asian and North African (Swana) region from Morocco to Pakistan, “reflecting the company’s commitment to representing talent beyond Arabic-speaking territories,” according to a statement.
The addition of Mohajerani, an Iranian-American raised in Boston, will expand the company’s reach outside the Arab world and commit to its focus on neighboring territories “including the Persian-speaking world, as well as filmmakers with ties to the region...
The change in name to 75East of the company, which launched last December with backing from Front Row Productions – a joint venture between leading Middle East distribution companies Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Empire Entertainment – is a geographical reference to the wider Southwest Asian and North African (Swana) region from Morocco to Pakistan, “reflecting the company’s commitment to representing talent beyond Arabic-speaking territories,” according to a statement.
The addition of Mohajerani, an Iranian-American raised in Boston, will expand the company’s reach outside the Arab world and commit to its focus on neighboring territories “including the Persian-speaking world, as well as filmmakers with ties to the region...
- 5/16/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Qatar, which put itself on the global entertainment map by hosting the 2022 soccer World Cup, isn’t known as a moviemaking hub. But Doha-based Katara Studios, which is keen on fostering filmmaking and content production in the minuscule gas-rich Gulf nation, is getting the ball rolling.
And the World Cup – followed by the AFC Asian Cup soccer tournament that is currently underway – is an integral part of Katara Studios’ multi-pronged strategy.
“When the vision for Katara Studios was established, we thought it would be great to create a space that could include a bit of everything for a filmmaker,” says Katara Studios CEO Ahmed Al Baker. Besides being a filmmaker and producer, Al Baker also served as creative director of the Qatar World Cup opening ceremony and more recently for the opening ceremony for the AFC Asian Cup, which Katara Studios executive produced.
The AFC Asian Cup ceremony, held in...
And the World Cup – followed by the AFC Asian Cup soccer tournament that is currently underway – is an integral part of Katara Studios’ multi-pronged strategy.
“When the vision for Katara Studios was established, we thought it would be great to create a space that could include a bit of everything for a filmmaker,” says Katara Studios CEO Ahmed Al Baker. Besides being a filmmaker and producer, Al Baker also served as creative director of the Qatar World Cup opening ceremony and more recently for the opening ceremony for the AFC Asian Cup, which Katara Studios executive produced.
The AFC Asian Cup ceremony, held in...
- 2/9/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The moves comes as the leading Mena distributor ramps up activity.
Dubai-based distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment has promoted Nicolas Torloting, Carine Chaiban and Elie Touma to partners as the company increases activity in the region.
The trio joined in early 2019 as part of a revamp of the company, which is one of the leading distributors of independent and genre films in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena). Torloting is Front Row’s COO, with Chaiban heading post-theatrical sales and Touma leading acquisitions and theatrical distribution.
The company, founded by Gianluca Chakra in 2003, handles the release of more than 200 films per year,...
Dubai-based distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment has promoted Nicolas Torloting, Carine Chaiban and Elie Touma to partners as the company increases activity in the region.
The trio joined in early 2019 as part of a revamp of the company, which is one of the leading distributors of independent and genre films in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena). Torloting is Front Row’s COO, with Chaiban heading post-theatrical sales and Touma leading acquisitions and theatrical distribution.
The company, founded by Gianluca Chakra in 2003, handles the release of more than 200 films per year,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Untamed Talent, a management and production company led by former Mister Smith Entertainment executive Antone Saliba, is launching with the backing of Dubai-based Front Row Productions, a joint venture of leading Middle East distribution companies Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Empire Entertainment.
Front Row Productions will provide capital and strategic value to support Untamed Talent’s goals to innovate new business models covering the South West Asia and North Africa region, the fastest-growing entertainment market in the world. The focus will be not only on representing filmmakers from established Middle East industry hubs of Egypt and Saudi, it will also identify, develop and promote talent from traditionally underrepresented countries within the region such as Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey and Iran.
Untamed will work on a non-exclusive basis with all production and distribution parties in the region, as well as U.S. and international studios and streamers to maximize opportunities for its clients.
Front Row Productions will provide capital and strategic value to support Untamed Talent’s goals to innovate new business models covering the South West Asia and North Africa region, the fastest-growing entertainment market in the world. The focus will be not only on representing filmmakers from established Middle East industry hubs of Egypt and Saudi, it will also identify, develop and promote talent from traditionally underrepresented countries within the region such as Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey and Iran.
Untamed will work on a non-exclusive basis with all production and distribution parties in the region, as well as U.S. and international studios and streamers to maximize opportunities for its clients.
- 12/1/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
‘Hajjan’ director Abu Bakr Shawky and ‘Theeb’ producer’ Bassel Ghandour on initial clint roster.
Untamed Talent, a new management and production company led by former Mister Smith Entertainment executive Antone Saliba, has launched with the backing of Dubai-based Front Row Productions and unveiled its first roster of clients.
The firm will represent filmmakers from the established Middle East industry hubs of Egypt and Saudi as well as promoting talent from more underrepresented countries in South West Asia and North Africa such as Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Iran.
Front Row Productions, a joint venture of leading Middle East distribution...
Untamed Talent, a new management and production company led by former Mister Smith Entertainment executive Antone Saliba, has launched with the backing of Dubai-based Front Row Productions and unveiled its first roster of clients.
The firm will represent filmmakers from the established Middle East industry hubs of Egypt and Saudi as well as promoting talent from more underrepresented countries in South West Asia and North Africa such as Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Iran.
Front Row Productions, a joint venture of leading Middle East distribution...
- 12/1/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Former Mister Smith Entertainment exec Antone Saliba is spearheading a newly launched management and production company focused on the Middle East and the South West Asia and North Africa (Swana) region.
Untamed Entertainment, unveiled from the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, comes with backing from Dubai-based Front Row Productions, the joint venture between distribution companies Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Empire Entertainment.
Alongside representing filmmakers from the established Middle East industry hubs of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Untamed aims to identify, develop, and promote talent from traditionally underrepresented countries within the region, such as Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Iran. It plans to work on a non-exclusive basis with all production and distribution parties in the region, as well as U.S. and international studios and streamers.
The company’s opening roster of clients includes an impressive mix of critically acclaimed writers and directors, including Palme d...
Untamed Entertainment, unveiled from the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, comes with backing from Dubai-based Front Row Productions, the joint venture between distribution companies Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Empire Entertainment.
Alongside representing filmmakers from the established Middle East industry hubs of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Untamed aims to identify, develop, and promote talent from traditionally underrepresented countries within the region, such as Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Iran. It plans to work on a non-exclusive basis with all production and distribution parties in the region, as well as U.S. and international studios and streamers.
The company’s opening roster of clients includes an impressive mix of critically acclaimed writers and directors, including Palme d...
- 12/1/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Former Mister Smith sales executive Antone Saliba has launched management and production company Untamed Talent, with the backing of Dubai-based Front Row Productions.
The latter company, which is a joint venture of leading Middle East distribution companies Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Empire Entertainment, will provide capital and strategic value for the new banner.
Saliba, who was a sales and acquisitions executive under David Garrett at Mister Smith, wants to create new content business models for the fast-growing entertainment sectors of the Swana region, covering Southwest Asia and North Africa.
As well as representing filmmakers from the established Mena industry hubs of Egypt and Saudi, the new company will also identify, develop, and promote talent from traditionally underrepresented countries within the region such as Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey and Iran.
The company will work on a non-exclusive basis with production and distribution parties in the region, as well as U.
The latter company, which is a joint venture of leading Middle East distribution companies Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Empire Entertainment, will provide capital and strategic value for the new banner.
Saliba, who was a sales and acquisitions executive under David Garrett at Mister Smith, wants to create new content business models for the fast-growing entertainment sectors of the Swana region, covering Southwest Asia and North Africa.
As well as representing filmmakers from the established Mena industry hubs of Egypt and Saudi, the new company will also identify, develop, and promote talent from traditionally underrepresented countries within the region such as Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey and Iran.
The company will work on a non-exclusive basis with production and distribution parties in the region, as well as U.
- 12/1/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Jordanian director Bassel Ghandour’s thriller “The Alleys,” which depicts lowlife intrigue in Amman’s murky underworld, is drawing fire from conservative members of Jordan’s parliament for its use of expletives and allegedly blasphemous themes.
Ghandour’s multi-strand genre film — shot in a claustrophobic neighborhood in East Amman called Jabal Al Natheef, where violence runs rampant — is being blasted in parliament. It has also sparked heated social media debate ever since an uncensored version of the film released on Netflix on Jan. 5.
Conservative MP Suleiman Abu Yahya on Monday demanded that one of the actors, Munther Rayahna, be stripped of his citizenship for defending the film on social media. Another conservative politician, Muhammad Abu Suailik, in parliament called for Jordan’s Royal Film Commission, which helped fund “The Alleys,” to be prosecuted “for supporting films that distort the public image of Jordanian society.”
The Rfc in a statement responded...
Ghandour’s multi-strand genre film — shot in a claustrophobic neighborhood in East Amman called Jabal Al Natheef, where violence runs rampant — is being blasted in parliament. It has also sparked heated social media debate ever since an uncensored version of the film released on Netflix on Jan. 5.
Conservative MP Suleiman Abu Yahya on Monday demanded that one of the actors, Munther Rayahna, be stripped of his citizenship for defending the film on social media. Another conservative politician, Muhammad Abu Suailik, in parliament called for Jordan’s Royal Film Commission, which helped fund “The Alleys,” to be prosecuted “for supporting films that distort the public image of Jordanian society.”
The Rfc in a statement responded...
- 1/26/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Locarno Film Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro has come to Saudi Arabia for the first time to serve on the jury panel for the works-in-progress showcase at the Red Sea Film Festival’s industry section, the Red Sea Souk. A former head of the Venice Critics’ Week, Nazzaro has been tracking Arabic cinema for a while and programming pics that are breaking its mold. He spoke to Variety about the challenges directors from the region face as they try to do new things.
My impression is that Arab directors these days are less beholden to an auteur vision of cinema. Do you agree?
This is something that has been going on for quite some time. The fact is there has been a great change of paradigm within cinema from the Arab world and from the Mena region at large. This is largely because institutions such as the Doha Film Institute...
My impression is that Arab directors these days are less beholden to an auteur vision of cinema. Do you agree?
This is something that has been going on for quite some time. The fact is there has been a great change of paradigm within cinema from the Arab world and from the Mena region at large. This is largely because institutions such as the Doha Film Institute...
- 12/3/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
In Bassel Ghandour’s debut feature set in Amman, the stories of interweaving lives are told through some great performances, but lead nowhere significant
In a residential part of Amman, Jordan, where the whitened buildings are built so close to each other the streets are little more than the alleys of the title, a number of interrelated stories unfold revealing a complex skein of lives woven together. Writer-director Bassel Ghandour’s feature debut represents the kind of criss-crossing ensemble piece that does well on the festival circuit, all the more so here as Jordanian cinema hasn’t yet established the same kind of exportable appeal as other Middle Eastern countries.
However, with a bit more scrutiny it doesn’t hold up quite so well, even if some of the performances, particularly from Maisa Abd Elhadi and Nadira Omran sinking their teeth into properly meaty characters, are terrific. At first, the...
In a residential part of Amman, Jordan, where the whitened buildings are built so close to each other the streets are little more than the alleys of the title, a number of interrelated stories unfold revealing a complex skein of lives woven together. Writer-director Bassel Ghandour’s feature debut represents the kind of criss-crossing ensemble piece that does well on the festival circuit, all the more so here as Jordanian cinema hasn’t yet established the same kind of exportable appeal as other Middle Eastern countries.
However, with a bit more scrutiny it doesn’t hold up quite so well, even if some of the performances, particularly from Maisa Abd Elhadi and Nadira Omran sinking their teeth into properly meaty characters, are terrific. At first, the...
- 11/29/2022
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Project incubator is part of the Cairo International Film Festival.
Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) has appointed Lynda Belkhiria as manager of its Cairo Film Connection (Cfc) co-production market.
She replaces Chadi Zeneddine, who oversaw last year’s edition of the project incubator.
Belkhiria is a festival programmer who has been head of Tunesia’s Pro Carthage Film Festival industry platform since 2016. She also had a short stint as an industry event coordinator at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.
The 44th edition of Ciff is due to take place from November 13-22.
The Cfc is a major component of the Cairo Industry Days,...
Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) has appointed Lynda Belkhiria as manager of its Cairo Film Connection (Cfc) co-production market.
She replaces Chadi Zeneddine, who oversaw last year’s edition of the project incubator.
Belkhiria is a festival programmer who has been head of Tunesia’s Pro Carthage Film Festival industry platform since 2016. She also had a short stint as an industry event coordinator at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.
The 44th edition of Ciff is due to take place from November 13-22.
The Cfc is a major component of the Cairo Industry Days,...
- 5/31/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
167 film critics from 68 countries voted on the awards organised by the Arab Cinema Centre.
Egyptian director Omar El Zohairy’s social satire Feathers, which won the top prize at Cannes Critics’ Week last year, has swept the board at the sixth edition of the Critics’ Awards for Arab Films.
The film, which was nominated in four categories, won best film, director and screenplay.
This year’s edition of the awards, spearheaded by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), focuses on Arab-language films that premiered on the festival circuit outside of the Arab world in 2021.
It was voted on by 167 film critics from 68 countries,...
Egyptian director Omar El Zohairy’s social satire Feathers, which won the top prize at Cannes Critics’ Week last year, has swept the board at the sixth edition of the Critics’ Awards for Arab Films.
The film, which was nominated in four categories, won best film, director and screenplay.
This year’s edition of the awards, spearheaded by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), focuses on Arab-language films that premiered on the festival circuit outside of the Arab world in 2021.
It was voted on by 167 film critics from 68 countries,...
- 5/22/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Past best film awards from the previous five editions include Wajib, Yomeddine and Gaza Mon Amour.
Jordanian director Bassel Ghandour’s The Alleys and Egyptian director Omar El Zohairy’s Feathers lead the nominations in the sixth edition of the Critics Awards for Arab Films.
The films each garnered nominations in four categories, including best film, director and screenplay.
Spearheaded and run by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), this edition focused on Arab-language films that premiered on the festival circuit outside of the Arab world in 2021.
It was voted on by 167 film critics from 68 countries, who viewed the films on Festival Scope.
Jordanian director Bassel Ghandour’s The Alleys and Egyptian director Omar El Zohairy’s Feathers lead the nominations in the sixth edition of the Critics Awards for Arab Films.
The films each garnered nominations in four categories, including best film, director and screenplay.
Spearheaded and run by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), this edition focused on Arab-language films that premiered on the festival circuit outside of the Arab world in 2021.
It was voted on by 167 film critics from 68 countries, who viewed the films on Festival Scope.
- 5/10/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The Red Sea International Film Festival has set the lineup for its inaugural edition which runs from December 6-15 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The roster includes 138 titles from 67 countries and will open with MGM’s Joe Wright-directed musical romance Cyrano. The film previously played Telluride and Rome among others and releases domestically on December 31. Among highlights are also Netflix’s Venice Film Festival drama The Lost Daughter. Closing the Red Sea Fest is the world premiere of Egyptian director Amr Salama’s Bara El Manhag.
Sixteen films will run in the competition which is focused on films from Asia, Africa and the Arab world (see full list below). They will vie for the Golden Yusr Award as well as in individual directing, acting and writing categories. Among the titles screening are Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon, Georgian Oscar submission Brighton 4th and Panah Panahi’s Hit The Road.
Kaleem Aftab,...
The roster includes 138 titles from 67 countries and will open with MGM’s Joe Wright-directed musical romance Cyrano. The film previously played Telluride and Rome among others and releases domestically on December 31. Among highlights are also Netflix’s Venice Film Festival drama The Lost Daughter. Closing the Red Sea Fest is the world premiere of Egyptian director Amr Salama’s Bara El Manhag.
Sixteen films will run in the competition which is focused on films from Asia, Africa and the Arab world (see full list below). They will vie for the Golden Yusr Award as well as in individual directing, acting and writing categories. Among the titles screening are Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon, Georgian Oscar submission Brighton 4th and Panah Panahi’s Hit The Road.
Kaleem Aftab,...
- 11/9/2021
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Grants
The International Documentary Association (IDA) will award grants totalling $105,000 to five films through its Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund on the theme, “Challenging White Supremacy.”
The films are “Aanikoobijigan”; “Brigidy Bram: The Life and Mind of Kendal Hanna”; “Home Is Somewhere Else”; “The Quiet Part” (working title); and “Yintah”.
In addition, filmmakers Ilse Fernandez (“Exodus Stories”) and Sundance winner Rintu Thomas (“Writing with Fire”), will receive IDA’s Logan Elevate Grants of $25,000 each.
Highlighting IDA’s support for diversity, among the Pare Lorentz grants, one project is directed and/or produced by a non-binary filmmaker and four are directed and/or produced by a woman. Four have a Bipoc director and/or producer and four directors and/or producers identify as LGBTQ+.
Since 2011, IDA has provided over $5.9 million in grants through its documentary funds.
Festival
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (Jan. 26 – Feb. 6) has revealed the first confirmed titles for its 51st edition,...
The International Documentary Association (IDA) will award grants totalling $105,000 to five films through its Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund on the theme, “Challenging White Supremacy.”
The films are “Aanikoobijigan”; “Brigidy Bram: The Life and Mind of Kendal Hanna”; “Home Is Somewhere Else”; “The Quiet Part” (working title); and “Yintah”.
In addition, filmmakers Ilse Fernandez (“Exodus Stories”) and Sundance winner Rintu Thomas (“Writing with Fire”), will receive IDA’s Logan Elevate Grants of $25,000 each.
Highlighting IDA’s support for diversity, among the Pare Lorentz grants, one project is directed and/or produced by a non-binary filmmaker and four are directed and/or produced by a woman. Four have a Bipoc director and/or producer and four directors and/or producers identify as LGBTQ+.
Since 2011, IDA has provided over $5.9 million in grants through its documentary funds.
Festival
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (Jan. 26 – Feb. 6) has revealed the first confirmed titles for its 51st edition,...
- 11/3/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Project incubator will take place during Cairo International Film Festival.
Upcoming features by Tunisian director Mehdi Barsaoui and Saudi filmmaker Ahd Kamel will be among 15 projects showcased at the eighth edition of the Cairo Film Connection (Cfc).
The project incubator will take place at the 43rd edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff), which runs from November 26 to December 5 this year.
It is at the heart of the festival’s Cairo Industry Days programme, which is organised in partnership with the Arab Cinema Center.
Barsaoui will present Aicha about a thirtysomething woman, caught between social dictates, family pressures and disillusionment,...
Upcoming features by Tunisian director Mehdi Barsaoui and Saudi filmmaker Ahd Kamel will be among 15 projects showcased at the eighth edition of the Cairo Film Connection (Cfc).
The project incubator will take place at the 43rd edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff), which runs from November 26 to December 5 this year.
It is at the heart of the festival’s Cairo Industry Days programme, which is organised in partnership with the Arab Cinema Center.
Barsaoui will present Aicha about a thirtysomething woman, caught between social dictates, family pressures and disillusionment,...
- 10/12/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Festival, which opens today, also annouced its Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons competition sections.
This year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Octobner 12-19) will open with Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu’s Yanagawa and close with Xu Lei’s The Great Director.
Starring Ni Ni, Zhang Luyi and Xin Baiqing, Yanagawa revolves around two brothers who travel to Japan in search of the woman they both loved in their youth. The film, which is receiving its world premiere at Busan in the Icons section, is produced by Midnight Blur Films and sold internationally by Hishow Entertainment. The Great Director is described...
This year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Octobner 12-19) will open with Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu’s Yanagawa and close with Xu Lei’s The Great Director.
Starring Ni Ni, Zhang Luyi and Xin Baiqing, Yanagawa revolves around two brothers who travel to Japan in search of the woman they both loved in their youth. The film, which is receiving its world premiere at Busan in the Icons section, is produced by Midnight Blur Films and sold internationally by Hishow Entertainment. The Great Director is described...
- 10/12/2021
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
The 65th BFI London Film Festival (Lff) in partnership with American Express today announced the full 2021 programme line-up that will be presented both in cinemas and virtually, incorporating some of the most popular elements of the successful 2020 edition into the full large-scale festival model.
Over 12 days from 6 to 17 October, flagship venue BFI Southbank and the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, the Lff gala venue for 2021, will make London’s South Bank one of two London hubs at the heart of the film festival experience. Films will also screen in a number of cinemas in London’s West End, with a selection of films at 10 venues in cities and towns across the UK. Audiences will enjoy a rich and varied programme of fiction, documentary, animation, artists’ moving image, short film, restored classics from the world’s archives as well as programmes of exciting international works made in immersive and episodic forms.
Over 12 days from 6 to 17 October, flagship venue BFI Southbank and the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, the Lff gala venue for 2021, will make London’s South Bank one of two London hubs at the heart of the film festival experience. Films will also screen in a number of cinemas in London’s West End, with a selection of films at 10 venues in cities and towns across the UK. Audiences will enjoy a rich and varied programme of fiction, documentary, animation, artists’ moving image, short film, restored classics from the world’s archives as well as programmes of exciting international works made in immersive and episodic forms.
- 9/8/2021
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
The 65th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express has announced the full 2021 programme line-up that will be presented both in cinemas and virtually.
Opening and closing films have previously been announced with Netflix’s ‘The Harder They Fall opening the festival. Directed by Londoner Jeymes Samuel, the film will receive its World Premiere at Lff gala venue the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, with Samuel expected to attend along with the key cast. The Festival closes with Joel Coen’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic play, ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ from Apple Original Films and A24. The film will receive its European Premiere at the Lff, with Joel Coen expected to attend. Both films will be available at Lff partner cinemas across the UK, with ‘The Harder They Fall also going to a wider network of cinemas.
This year’s headline galas will include the dark...
Opening and closing films have previously been announced with Netflix’s ‘The Harder They Fall opening the festival. Directed by Londoner Jeymes Samuel, the film will receive its World Premiere at Lff gala venue the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, with Samuel expected to attend along with the key cast. The Festival closes with Joel Coen’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic play, ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ from Apple Original Films and A24. The film will receive its European Premiere at the Lff, with Joel Coen expected to attend. Both films will be available at Lff partner cinemas across the UK, with ‘The Harder They Fall also going to a wider network of cinemas.
This year’s headline galas will include the dark...
- 9/7/2021
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The 65 British Film Institute (BFI) London Film Festival has unveiled its full program and the headline galas include several films that have been gaining fame recently.
Among the galas are Pablo Larrain’s “Spencer,” with Kristen Stewart; Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” with Benedict Cumberbatch; Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard,” with Will Smith; and Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” featuring a host of stars including Timothée Chalamet, Tilda Swinton and Léa Seydoux.
The galas also include Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast,” Paul Verhoeven’s “Benedetta,” Eva Husson’s “Mothering Sunday,” Edgar Wright’s “Last Night in Soho,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter,” Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir: Part II” and Sarah Smith and Jean Philippe-Vine’s “Ron’s Gone Wrong.”
Special presentations include Clio Barnard’s “Ali & Ava,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car,” Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Memoria,” Julia Ducournau’s “Titane,” Jacques Audiard’s “Paris, 13th District,...
Among the galas are Pablo Larrain’s “Spencer,” with Kristen Stewart; Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” with Benedict Cumberbatch; Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard,” with Will Smith; and Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” featuring a host of stars including Timothée Chalamet, Tilda Swinton and Léa Seydoux.
The galas also include Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast,” Paul Verhoeven’s “Benedetta,” Eva Husson’s “Mothering Sunday,” Edgar Wright’s “Last Night in Soho,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter,” Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir: Part II” and Sarah Smith and Jean Philippe-Vine’s “Ron’s Gone Wrong.”
Special presentations include Clio Barnard’s “Ali & Ava,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car,” Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Memoria,” Julia Ducournau’s “Titane,” Jacques Audiard’s “Paris, 13th District,...
- 9/7/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Both the title and opening voiceover of the Jordanian feature “The Alleys” make us think we’re in Naguib Mahfouz territory, evoking the backstreets of a neighborhood where “average” people lead intersected lives and everyone knows everyone else’s business — a place where, as the narrator tells it, “a story spreads like wildfire.” It’s a great model to follow, but debuting director Bassel Ghandour, who wrote and produced the superb “Theeb,” is ultimately more invested in making a dark thriller, one without the subtlety of Mahfouz or his attention to character.
Set in an eastern district of Amman, the film follows a lowlife whose desire to run away with his respectable girlfriend leads him and others to make very foolish alliances. , but will have difficulty connecting to more mainstream boulevards.
Ali (Emad Azmi) and Lana (Baraka Rahmani) are in love, but they have to disguise it from her mother...
Set in an eastern district of Amman, the film follows a lowlife whose desire to run away with his respectable girlfriend leads him and others to make very foolish alliances. , but will have difficulty connecting to more mainstream boulevards.
Ali (Emad Azmi) and Lana (Baraka Rahmani) are in love, but they have to disguise it from her mother...
- 8/18/2021
- by Jay Weissberg
- Variety Film + TV
The Locarno Film Festival, long known as a safe haven for indie cinema, is taking a turn into genre territory while remaining true to
its origins.
“People know what the mission is for Locarno,” says the fest’s new artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, referring to the prestige of the event — the 74th edition runs Aug. 4-14 — that is known worldwide as a festival of discovery.
But Nazzaro, an Italian film critic and former chief of the Venice Critics’ Week, now intends “to broaden the moral imagination of this mission,” as he puts it, by digging deeper into genre cinema, and “also into the [festival’s] relationship with the U.S. studios and what people would consider as [pure] entertainment.”
Significantly, this year’s Locarno opener is Netflix Original “Beckett,” a thriller toplining John David Washington as an American tourist who becomes the target of a political assassination while vacationing in Greece, and...
its origins.
“People know what the mission is for Locarno,” says the fest’s new artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, referring to the prestige of the event — the 74th edition runs Aug. 4-14 — that is known worldwide as a festival of discovery.
But Nazzaro, an Italian film critic and former chief of the Venice Critics’ Week, now intends “to broaden the moral imagination of this mission,” as he puts it, by digging deeper into genre cinema, and “also into the [festival’s] relationship with the U.S. studios and what people would consider as [pure] entertainment.”
Significantly, this year’s Locarno opener is Netflix Original “Beckett,” a thriller toplining John David Washington as an American tourist who becomes the target of a political assassination while vacationing in Greece, and...
- 8/3/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Year after year a site par excellence for the most innovative premieres—in that respect an antithesis to the ensuing fall circuit—the Locarno Film Festival returns triumphant next month. Their 2021 lineup, per usual, mixes iconic names with complete unknowns and, admittedly, a head-scratcher or two. Abel Ferrara’s much-anticipated Zeros and Ones, sure. Gaspar Noé’s Vortex—makes sense. A new film from The Wild Boys director Bertrand Mandico? Great! But Shawn Levy and a Jennifer Hudson Aretha Franklin biopic?
However, new festival head Giona A. Nazzaro sees it as part of a steady influx, telling Variety “A festival can be quite highbrow and also entertaining at the same time. That is why for this year’s lineup we have selected several comedies and also some genre movies, as well as straightforward auteur films.” By that metric it’s more inclusive than almost any other major competition on the European circuit.
However, new festival head Giona A. Nazzaro sees it as part of a steady influx, telling Variety “A festival can be quite highbrow and also entertaining at the same time. That is why for this year’s lineup we have selected several comedies and also some genre movies, as well as straightforward auteur films.” By that metric it’s more inclusive than almost any other major competition on the European circuit.
- 7/1/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
After Blue (Paradis sale)The lineup for the 2021 festival has been revealed, including new films by Bertrand Mandico, Axelle Ropert, Abel Ferrara and others, alongside retrospectives and tributes, and much more.Piazza GRANDEBeckett (Ferdinando Cito Filomarino)Free Guy (Shawn Levy)Heat (Michael Mann)Hinterland (Stefan Ruzowitzky)Ida Red (John Swab)Monte Verità (Stefan Jäger)National Lampoon's Animal House (John Landis)Respect (Liesl Tommy)Rose (Aurélie Saada)Sinkhole (Kim Ji-hoon)The Alleys (Bassel Ghandour)The Terminator (James Cameron)Vortex (Gaspar Noé)Yaya e Lennie — The Walking Liberty (Alessandro Rak)Tomorrow My Love (Gitanjali Rao)Lynx (Laurent Geslin)Zeros and OnesCONCORSO INTERNAZIONALEAfter Blue (Paradis sale) (Bertrand Mandico)Al Naher (The River) (Ghassan Salhab)Espíritu sagrado (The Sacred Spirit) (Chema García Ibarra)Gerda (Natalya Kudryashova)I giganti (The Giants) (Bonifacio Angius)Jiao ma teng hui (A New Old Play) (Jiongjiong Qiu)Juju StoriesLa Place d'une autre (Secret Name) (Aurélia Georges)Leynilögga (Cop Secret...
- 7/1/2021
- MUBI
With Cannes right around the corner, two more prominent European film festivals announced their official lineups for 2021 this week. The 2021 Locarno Film Festival (the 74th edition of the event) is taking place August 4-14 and will feature the world premiere of Abel Ferrara’s “Zeroes and Ones,” plus the Melissa Leo-Frank Grillo starring thriller “Ida Red” from director John Swab. Perhaps the most prominent U.S. title in the Locarno lineup is “Respect,” the Jennifer Hudson-starring Aretha Franklin biopic that has already caught the eye of Oscar pundits here in the states. The film will screen out of competition, as will Ryan Reynolds’ long-delayed Disney-Fox tentpole “Free Guy.”
“A festival can be quite highbrow and also entertaining at the same time,” Nazzaro told Variety in a statement. “That is why for this year’s lineup we have selected several comedies and also some genre movies, as well as straightforward auteur films.
“A festival can be quite highbrow and also entertaining at the same time,” Nazzaro told Variety in a statement. “That is why for this year’s lineup we have selected several comedies and also some genre movies, as well as straightforward auteur films.
- 7/1/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Abel Ferrara’s contemporary thriller ’Zeros And Ones’ stars Ethan Hawke.
Abel Ferrara’s contemporary thriller Zeros And Ones and Srdjan Dragojević’s dark comedy Heavens Above are among 17 films from 12 countries having their world premiere in the international competition at the 74th Locarno Film Festival (August 4-14) under the new artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro.
Scroll down for full line-up
In his first collaboration with Ferrara, Zeros And Ones sees Ethan Hawke plays an American soldier stationed in Rome who pursues an unknown enemy threatening the entire world after the Vatican gets blown up.
Ahead of shooting in Italy...
Abel Ferrara’s contemporary thriller Zeros And Ones and Srdjan Dragojević’s dark comedy Heavens Above are among 17 films from 12 countries having their world premiere in the international competition at the 74th Locarno Film Festival (August 4-14) under the new artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro.
Scroll down for full line-up
In his first collaboration with Ferrara, Zeros And Ones sees Ethan Hawke plays an American soldier stationed in Rome who pursues an unknown enemy threatening the entire world after the Vatican gets blown up.
Ahead of shooting in Italy...
- 7/1/2021
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
The Locarno Film Festival has unveiled a promising lineup combining edgy new works by established auteurs such as Abel Ferrara alongside plenty of potential discoveries by emerging helmers and global newcomers for its upcoming 74th edition.
It will be the first one under new Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro, the former Venice Critics’ Week chief who is steering the Swiss fest known as an international incubator and indie cinema temple on a more audience-friendly course.
“A festival can be quite highbrow and also entertaining at the same time” Nazzaro told Variety. “That is why for this year’s lineup we have selected several comedies and also some genre movies, as well as straightforward auteur films,” he added.
As usual the bulk of Locarno’s crowdpleasers will launch from the Swiss lakeside town’s 8,000-seat Piazza Grande square which is Europe’s largest outdoor venue and this year has been approved...
It will be the first one under new Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro, the former Venice Critics’ Week chief who is steering the Swiss fest known as an international incubator and indie cinema temple on a more audience-friendly course.
“A festival can be quite highbrow and also entertaining at the same time” Nazzaro told Variety. “That is why for this year’s lineup we have selected several comedies and also some genre movies, as well as straightforward auteur films,” he added.
As usual the bulk of Locarno’s crowdpleasers will launch from the Swiss lakeside town’s 8,000-seat Piazza Grande square which is Europe’s largest outdoor venue and this year has been approved...
- 7/1/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Chadi Zeneddine, one of the core team that created the Doha Film Institute’s talent incubator Qumra, has taken charge as manager of the Cairo International Film Festival’s (Ciff) co-production market Cairo Film Connection (Cfc).
Zeneddine’s predecessor Meriame Deghedi is now head of Cairo Industry Days.
The Cfc is open for submissions through Aug. 5, 2021.
Ciff recently confirmed that it will hold its 43rd edition Dec. 1-10. Now in its 8th year, the Cfc (Dec. 4-6) has supported more than 120 Arab filmmakers including Yousry Nasrallah, Kaouther Ben Hania, Sameh Alaa, Mehdi Barsaoui, Bassel Ghandour, Haider Rashid and Mayye Zayed.
To be eligible for submission to the Cfc, projects must be directed by filmmakers of Arab nationality or origin. The project must be a work of feature-length fiction or non-fiction in development or at post-production stage. The director of the project must have previously directed a minimum of one film,...
Zeneddine’s predecessor Meriame Deghedi is now head of Cairo Industry Days.
The Cfc is open for submissions through Aug. 5, 2021.
Ciff recently confirmed that it will hold its 43rd edition Dec. 1-10. Now in its 8th year, the Cfc (Dec. 4-6) has supported more than 120 Arab filmmakers including Yousry Nasrallah, Kaouther Ben Hania, Sameh Alaa, Mehdi Barsaoui, Bassel Ghandour, Haider Rashid and Mayye Zayed.
To be eligible for submission to the Cfc, projects must be directed by filmmakers of Arab nationality or origin. The project must be a work of feature-length fiction or non-fiction in development or at post-production stage. The director of the project must have previously directed a minimum of one film,...
- 6/30/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Zeneddine will head up the festival’s Cairo Film Connection project market.
The Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) has bolstered its industry team with the appointment of Chadi Zeneddine as head of its Cairo Film Connection (Cfc) co-production market.
His predecessor Meriame Deghedi has been promoted to the role of head of the festival’s industry programme, the Cairo Industry Days, taking over from Aliaa Zaky.
Zeneddine is a well-known figure on the Middle East film festival and industry event circuit thanks to his previous role as a senior programmer at the Doha Film Institute (Dfi). During his eight years at the institute,...
The Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) has bolstered its industry team with the appointment of Chadi Zeneddine as head of its Cairo Film Connection (Cfc) co-production market.
His predecessor Meriame Deghedi has been promoted to the role of head of the festival’s industry programme, the Cairo Industry Days, taking over from Aliaa Zaky.
Zeneddine is a well-known figure on the Middle East film festival and industry event circuit thanks to his previous role as a senior programmer at the Doha Film Institute (Dfi). During his eight years at the institute,...
- 6/29/2021
- ScreenDaily
Acquisitions include upcoming films Yousry Nasrallah, Muayad Alayan and Mohamed ben Attia.
Cairo-based film company Mad Solutions has unveiled an acquisition slate of more than 50 Arabic-language titles from 13 different territories that it plans to get into festivals and cinemas across the Middle East and North Africa in 2021 and 2022.
“During the pandemic, we used the opportunity to discuss the objectives and goals for Arab films, to strengthen links with the public, and to be a part of projects from the beginning, developing the films together,” said company co-heads Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab. “We feel that there is a bright future...
Cairo-based film company Mad Solutions has unveiled an acquisition slate of more than 50 Arabic-language titles from 13 different territories that it plans to get into festivals and cinemas across the Middle East and North Africa in 2021 and 2022.
“During the pandemic, we used the opportunity to discuss the objectives and goals for Arab films, to strengthen links with the public, and to be a part of projects from the beginning, developing the films together,” said company co-heads Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab. “We feel that there is a bright future...
- 5/28/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Actress’s recent credits include Gaza Mon Amour, Tel Aviv On Fire and The Reports On Sarah and Saleem.
Palestinian actress Maisa Abd Elhadi was injured on Sunday while participating in a protest in the Israeli city of Haifa against Israeli police brutality and the planned expulsion of Palestinian families from their long-time homes in East Jerusalem.
A source close to the actress said she had been filming the demonstration on Haifa’s central Ben Gurion Avenue when Israeli police moved in to clear the hundreds of protestors. She was hurt when a police stun grenade exploded on the back of her right leg.
Palestinian actress Maisa Abd Elhadi was injured on Sunday while participating in a protest in the Israeli city of Haifa against Israeli police brutality and the planned expulsion of Palestinian families from their long-time homes in East Jerusalem.
A source close to the actress said she had been filming the demonstration on Haifa’s central Ben Gurion Avenue when Israeli police moved in to clear the hundreds of protestors. She was hurt when a police stun grenade exploded on the back of her right leg.
- 5/11/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Hot Docs, one of the world’s top documentary feature film festivals, has selected 36 projects from 18 countries to take part in Hot Docs Deal Maker, a curated one-on-one pitch meeting program for producers seeking financing from the international marketplace.
Since the program’s launch in 2013, the number of decision makers taking part has more than doubled and will reach almost 100 this year. In total, 433 projects and 516 filmmakers have pitched in 4,000 Deal Maker meetings, with millions of dollars raised.
Notable projects that have pitched at Hot Docs Deal Maker in previous years include the 2020 Hot Docs Festival opening night film “Softie,” 2020’s “Downstream to Kinshasa,” 2019’s “Smog Town and The Forum,” 2018’s “Love, Gilda,” and 2017’s “My Enemy, My Brother,” directed by Ann Shin, whose film “A.rtificial I.mmortality” will open this year’s festival.
Featuring a diverse selection of projects showcasing varied perspectives, stories and styles from established and...
Since the program’s launch in 2013, the number of decision makers taking part has more than doubled and will reach almost 100 this year. In total, 433 projects and 516 filmmakers have pitched in 4,000 Deal Maker meetings, with millions of dollars raised.
Notable projects that have pitched at Hot Docs Deal Maker in previous years include the 2020 Hot Docs Festival opening night film “Softie,” 2020’s “Downstream to Kinshasa,” 2019’s “Smog Town and The Forum,” 2018’s “Love, Gilda,” and 2017’s “My Enemy, My Brother,” directed by Ann Shin, whose film “A.rtificial I.mmortality” will open this year’s festival.
Featuring a diverse selection of projects showcasing varied perspectives, stories and styles from established and...
- 4/14/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Jordanian multihyphenate Bassel Ghandour since graduating from USC film school has among other things worked closely with Kathryn Bigelow on “The Hurt Locker,” and penned and produced Naji Abu Nowar’s groundbreaking Bedouin Western “Theeb.” Now he is making a splash with his first feature as director “The Alleys,” even before its launch.
Ghandour’s multi-character tale, which is now in post, is set – and was shot – in a claustrophobic neighborhood in East Amman called Jabal Al Natheef where violence, and gossip, run rampant. “The Alleys” involves a young hustler named Ali who pretends to be a white-collar career man, his secret love interest Lana, and an extortion attempt that brings Lana’s mother and an older cutthroat gangster into the picture. The promising pic just scored several prizes at the Cairo Film Festival’s Cairo Film Connection co-production market.
“Ali is a hustler who takes tourists to dodgy night clubs in exchange for kickbacks,...
Ghandour’s multi-character tale, which is now in post, is set – and was shot – in a claustrophobic neighborhood in East Amman called Jabal Al Natheef where violence, and gossip, run rampant. “The Alleys” involves a young hustler named Ali who pretends to be a white-collar career man, his secret love interest Lana, and an extortion attempt that brings Lana’s mother and an older cutthroat gangster into the picture. The promising pic just scored several prizes at the Cairo Film Festival’s Cairo Film Connection co-production market.
“Ali is a hustler who takes tourists to dodgy night clubs in exchange for kickbacks,...
- 12/10/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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
Two years ago Egyptian film producer and screenwriter Mohamed Hefzy was appointed president of the Cairo Film Festival with a mandate to revamp and relaunch the prominent Arab fest, which had been losing luster due to political turbulence. Having largely accomplished that with last year’s watershed edition, Hefzy had to face new challenges this year, contending with Covid-19, of course. But also with the resignation of the event’s former artistic director, Ahmed Shawky, just days into the job following a social media sh__storm over some past controversial social media posts.
Shortly before the 42nd fest kicked off Hefzy spoke to Variety about how he navigated through it all. Edited excerpts from the conversation.
How did you deal with Shawky’s departure?
After Ahmed’s resignation I was faced with the choice of either to appoint a new artistic director — keeping in mind this was late May/early...
Shortly before the 42nd fest kicked off Hefzy spoke to Variety about how he navigated through it all. Edited excerpts from the conversation.
How did you deal with Shawky’s departure?
After Ahmed’s resignation I was faced with the choice of either to appoint a new artistic director — keeping in mind this was late May/early...
- 12/1/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Parent event Cairo International Film Festival pushing on with 42nd edition.
Upcoming features by veteran Egyptian filmmaker Yousry Nasrallah and Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania are among 15 projects selected for the 7th edition of the Cairo Film Connection (Cfc), aimed at finding partners for Arab works in development and in post-production.
The event is an integral part of the Cairo Industry Days programme of the Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff), which is pushing on with plans to hold a live 42nd edition in November in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic.
There were 105 project submissions from across 12 Arab countries to the Cfc this year.
Upcoming features by veteran Egyptian filmmaker Yousry Nasrallah and Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania are among 15 projects selected for the 7th edition of the Cairo Film Connection (Cfc), aimed at finding partners for Arab works in development and in post-production.
The event is an integral part of the Cairo Industry Days programme of the Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff), which is pushing on with plans to hold a live 42nd edition in November in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic.
There were 105 project submissions from across 12 Arab countries to the Cfc this year.
- 9/15/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
“Wild Roots,” a drama about a lonely, ex-con bouncer who is reunited with his wild child daughter, has won the Works in Progress Award at Eastern Promises, Karlovy Vary Film Festival‘s industry section.
In the debut feature from director Hajni Kis, the two outsiders bond, but the father’s vehement nature and a family secret stand between them. The Hungary-Slovak Republic coproduction will receive a cash prize of Euros 10,000.
The jury described the film, produced by Júlia Berkes and Balázs Zachar, as “visually compelling,” and displaying a “distinct directing style and promising talent.” It added the director displays a “skilful ability to engage both professional and nonprofessional actors,” and delivers a “profoundly moving and intriguing story.”
The jury included Gabor Greiner, COO of Films Boutique, Faruk Güven, head of co-productions at Turkish Radio and TV Corporation, and Vanja Kaludjerčić, festival director at Rotterdam Film Festival.
Works in Progress included...
In the debut feature from director Hajni Kis, the two outsiders bond, but the father’s vehement nature and a family secret stand between them. The Hungary-Slovak Republic coproduction will receive a cash prize of Euros 10,000.
The jury described the film, produced by Júlia Berkes and Balázs Zachar, as “visually compelling,” and displaying a “distinct directing style and promising talent.” It added the director displays a “skilful ability to engage both professional and nonprofessional actors,” and delivers a “profoundly moving and intriguing story.”
The jury included Gabor Greiner, COO of Films Boutique, Faruk Güven, head of co-productions at Turkish Radio and TV Corporation, and Vanja Kaludjerčić, festival director at Rotterdam Film Festival.
Works in Progress included...
- 7/10/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Hajni Kis's Wild Roots has received the Trt Award, while Bassel Ghandour's The Alleys picked up the Post-production Development Award. The Works in Progress segment of Karlovy Vary's Eastern Promises Industry Days section, which took place online earlier this week, has announced its award winners. Two out of the eight projects (find the full list and the composition of the juries in this news story) received prizes, and we profile them below. Works in Progress Trt Award Wild Roots - Hajni Kis (Hungary/Slovakia)The first feature by writer-director Hajni Kis, whose 2016 short Beautiful Figure was nominated for the Student Oscars, is a semi-autobiographical story starring non-professionals. The lead character, Tibor, is an ex-con who works as a bouncer in a club, and is played by Gusztáv Dietz, a former Mma world champion and bodyguard. He has financial difficulties, and because of his vehement nature, he’s always in conflict with.
Films include Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon and Mohammed Diab’s Amira.
Cairo-based Mad Solutions has boarded Arab sales and distribution rights for 11 anticipated films from the Middle East and North Africa, most of which are now in post-production.
It is handling three of the titles with Shahinaz El-Akkad’s Lagoonie Film Production: Amira, Huda’s Salon and Daughters Of Abdulrahman
Amira, the third film from Egypt’s Mohamed Diab following the award-winning dramas 678 and Clash, is in post-production. Palestinian Oscar-nominated director Hany Abu-Assad thriller Huda’s Salon is midway through shooting.
Daughters Of Abdulrahman is the debut feature...
Cairo-based Mad Solutions has boarded Arab sales and distribution rights for 11 anticipated films from the Middle East and North Africa, most of which are now in post-production.
It is handling three of the titles with Shahinaz El-Akkad’s Lagoonie Film Production: Amira, Huda’s Salon and Daughters Of Abdulrahman
Amira, the third film from Egypt’s Mohamed Diab following the award-winning dramas 678 and Clash, is in post-production. Palestinian Oscar-nominated director Hany Abu-Assad thriller Huda’s Salon is midway through shooting.
Daughters Of Abdulrahman is the debut feature...
- 6/23/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦69¦
- ScreenDaily
Karlovy Vary Film Festival, the leading cinema event in Central and Eastern Europe, has unveiled the projects that will be showcased during the online edition of its industry program, Eastern Promises.
Eastern Promises will feature a total of 41 film projects, which will be presented as part of its various sections – Works in Progress, First Cut+ Works in Progress, Docs in Progress, Works in Development – Feature Launch, and Eurimages Lab Project Award. The presentations of projects to industry professionals will take place July 6-8, and the most promising projects will receive awards of the total value of Euros 165,000.
In order to attend the online program, film industry professionals must be registered (click here) by June 22 at the latest.
Works in Progress
The Works in Progress sessions will be presented online on July 6 at 14:00-17:00 Cet and July 7 at 14:00-17:00 Cet.
The Trt prize of 10,000 Eur will be...
Eastern Promises will feature a total of 41 film projects, which will be presented as part of its various sections – Works in Progress, First Cut+ Works in Progress, Docs in Progress, Works in Development – Feature Launch, and Eurimages Lab Project Award. The presentations of projects to industry professionals will take place July 6-8, and the most promising projects will receive awards of the total value of Euros 165,000.
In order to attend the online program, film industry professionals must be registered (click here) by June 22 at the latest.
Works in Progress
The Works in Progress sessions will be presented online on July 6 at 14:00-17:00 Cet and July 7 at 14:00-17:00 Cet.
The Trt prize of 10,000 Eur will be...
- 6/17/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has unveiled a global teaser for its first Arabic original series, Jinn, and has set a release of June 13 for the young adult fantasy drama.
The series comes from exec producers Elan and Rajeev Dassani, who are the VFX specialists behind a raft of hit U.S series such as Scandal and Justified as the creatives responsible for Oscar-nominated drama Theeb, Bassel Ghandour and Very Big Shot, Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya. It is produced by Master Key Productions and Kanter Productions.
Jinn is described as a “contemporary”, supernatural drama focused on young Arab characters that follows a group of teenagers, whose lives are disrupted when a spiritual figure appears in front of them in the ancient city of Petra. They must try and stop Jinn from destroying the world.
Salma Malhas stars as Mira, a rebellious teen still devastated after the loss of her mother who learns to love again when she meets Keras,...
The series comes from exec producers Elan and Rajeev Dassani, who are the VFX specialists behind a raft of hit U.S series such as Scandal and Justified as the creatives responsible for Oscar-nominated drama Theeb, Bassel Ghandour and Very Big Shot, Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya. It is produced by Master Key Productions and Kanter Productions.
Jinn is described as a “contemporary”, supernatural drama focused on young Arab characters that follows a group of teenagers, whose lives are disrupted when a spiritual figure appears in front of them in the ancient city of Petra. They must try and stop Jinn from destroying the world.
Salma Malhas stars as Mira, a rebellious teen still devastated after the loss of her mother who learns to love again when she meets Keras,...
- 4/18/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Qatar gives grants to TV and two web series for the first time.
The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) has announced the latest round of 38 projects to be supported under its autumn 2018 grants cycle.
Among the grantees is Lebanese filmmaker Mounia Akl who won Dfi funding for her upcoming film Costa Brava Lebanon about a family whose idyllic mountain retreat home is blighted when the government decides to build a landfill by their home. It was one of seven projects hailing from Lebanon.
Other grantees included Palestinian director Laila Abbas’s comedy-drama Barzakh about two sisters who hide their father’s...
The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) has announced the latest round of 38 projects to be supported under its autumn 2018 grants cycle.
Among the grantees is Lebanese filmmaker Mounia Akl who won Dfi funding for her upcoming film Costa Brava Lebanon about a family whose idyllic mountain retreat home is blighted when the government decides to build a landfill by their home. It was one of seven projects hailing from Lebanon.
Other grantees included Palestinian director Laila Abbas’s comedy-drama Barzakh about two sisters who hide their father’s...
- 12/21/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Driven by still nascent streamers and pay-tv platforms in the region, Middle East producers are rethinking formats and storylines for Arabic TV dramas, adapting some Western shows and venturing beyond the constraints of so-called Ramadan soaps and skeins that have long been the bulk of their output.
Netflix, after entering the Middle East market in 2016, recently announced its first Arabic original series, “Jinn,” in which the lives of a group of present-day teenagers in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra are disrupted by a supernatural being who is their age.
The six-episode show will be directed by Lebanon’s Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya, whose dark comedy debut “Very Big Shot” made a splash, and written by Bassel Ghandour who penned Jordan’s Oscar-nominated “Theeb.”
Leading Middle East pay-tv operator Osn recently picked up groundbreaking show “Qalb Al Adala” (“Justice”), inspired by “L.A. Law,” but based on real cases from the Abu Dhabi Judicial Dept.
Netflix, after entering the Middle East market in 2016, recently announced its first Arabic original series, “Jinn,” in which the lives of a group of present-day teenagers in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra are disrupted by a supernatural being who is their age.
The six-episode show will be directed by Lebanon’s Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya, whose dark comedy debut “Very Big Shot” made a splash, and written by Bassel Ghandour who penned Jordan’s Oscar-nominated “Theeb.”
Leading Middle East pay-tv operator Osn recently picked up groundbreaking show “Qalb Al Adala” (“Justice”), inspired by “L.A. Law,” but based on real cases from the Abu Dhabi Judicial Dept.
- 4/8/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
After setting series in France, Italy, and Korea, Netflix is headed to the Middle East for its first Arabic original series, Jinn -- a supernatural thriller for teens.
The six-episode project, which is set to premiere on the streaming service next year, will be filmed in Jordan. It’s about a group of teenagers who see a Jinn -- a supernatural being that exists in Arabian mythology -- and whose friendships and romances are subsequently tested when they set out to stop dark forces threatening to destroy the world. Jinn will be helmed by up-and-coming Lebanese director Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya (Very Big Shot), written by Bassel Ghandour (whose film Theeb was nominated for an Oscar), and executive produced by twins Elan and Rajeev Dassani (Seam). The series will be produced by Master Keys Productions.
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The six-episode project, which is set to premiere on the streaming service next year, will be filmed in Jordan. It’s about a group of teenagers who see a Jinn -- a supernatural being that exists in Arabian mythology -- and whose friendships and romances are subsequently tested when they set out to stop dark forces threatening to destroy the world. Jinn will be helmed by up-and-coming Lebanese director Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya (Very Big Shot), written by Bassel Ghandour (whose film Theeb was nominated for an Oscar), and executive produced by twins Elan and Rajeev Dassani (Seam). The series will be produced by Master Keys Productions.
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- 2/26/2018
- by Geoff Weiss
- Tubefilter.com
Netflix has ordered its first Arabic original series, a young adult fantasy drama Jinn from the VFX team behind Scandal as well as the creatives responsible for Oscar-nominated drama Theeb and Very Big Shot. The Svod service is partnering on the six-part drama from exec producers Elan and Rajeev Dassani, who are the VFX specialists behind a raft of hit U.S series such as Scandal and Justified, Lebanese director Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya (Very Big Shot) and Bassel Ghandour, who…...
- 2/26/2018
- Deadline TV
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Aferim! (Radu Jude)
Leave it to a Romanian director to make a movie that best expresses the dangers of the dyed-in-the-wool mindset of modern America. Culled partly from historical documents, Aferim! is a twisted history lesson whose messages transcend its insular time period of 19th-century Romania. Its story concerns Constable Costandin (Teodor Corban) and his son, Ionita (Mihai Comanoiu), who chase after a wanted Gypsy slave...
Aferim! (Radu Jude)
Leave it to a Romanian director to make a movie that best expresses the dangers of the dyed-in-the-wool mindset of modern America. Culled partly from historical documents, Aferim! is a twisted history lesson whose messages transcend its insular time period of 19th-century Romania. Its story concerns Constable Costandin (Teodor Corban) and his son, Ionita (Mihai Comanoiu), who chase after a wanted Gypsy slave...
- 6/24/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Fortissimo secures deals in Europe and South America.
Naji Abu Nowar’s Theeb has been snapped up by distributors following its win at the BAFTAs earlier this month.
Fortissimo Films, which was selling the film at the European Film Market (Efm) this month, has closed deals in Spain (Film Buro), Colombia (Cineplex), Mexico (Cineteca Nacional), Bulgaria (Bulgaria Film Vision), former Yugoslavia (MegaCom), Central Europe (HBO), Turkey (Denk & Sinema TV) and Worldwide Airline rights (Skyline Ife).
The film previously sold to the Middle East (Mad Solutions) and Switzerland (Trigon).
Theeb, which won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer, is the first ever Arab film to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
The film is set in 1916 amidst the landscapes of the Arabian Desert and tells the coming of age story of the title character, Theeb (‘Wolf’), who embarks upon a treacherous journey across the unforgiving desert plains in order...
Naji Abu Nowar’s Theeb has been snapped up by distributors following its win at the BAFTAs earlier this month.
Fortissimo Films, which was selling the film at the European Film Market (Efm) this month, has closed deals in Spain (Film Buro), Colombia (Cineplex), Mexico (Cineteca Nacional), Bulgaria (Bulgaria Film Vision), former Yugoslavia (MegaCom), Central Europe (HBO), Turkey (Denk & Sinema TV) and Worldwide Airline rights (Skyline Ife).
The film previously sold to the Middle East (Mad Solutions) and Switzerland (Trigon).
Theeb, which won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer, is the first ever Arab film to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
The film is set in 1916 amidst the landscapes of the Arabian Desert and tells the coming of age story of the title character, Theeb (‘Wolf’), who embarks upon a treacherous journey across the unforgiving desert plains in order...
- 2/23/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The entire Academy Awards endeavour seems to expand every year, as more and more often, shortlists are announced during the behind-the-scenes nominations process, ahead of the final nominations announcement. While that tends to make the awards season feel even longer, it does much to raise the profile of films that might otherwise be little noticed by general audiences – including those submitted to the Academy for consideration as Best Foreign Film.
The Academy accepts one submission from each country, and the deadline for those submissions was October 1st this year. The selection process then has two phases. In the first phase, the Foreign Language Film Award Committee screens each submission, and selects six for shortlisting, with an additional three selected by the Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee. This set of nine films is then announced as the shortlist, and this is the announcement we have seen today.
The shortlisted films...
The Academy accepts one submission from each country, and the deadline for those submissions was October 1st this year. The selection process then has two phases. In the first phase, the Foreign Language Film Award Committee screens each submission, and selects six for shortlisting, with an additional three selected by the Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee. This set of nine films is then announced as the shortlist, and this is the announcement we have seen today.
The shortlisted films...
- 12/22/2015
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
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