Sundance prize winner Sofia Alaoui, Yemeni-Scottish Oscar-nominee Sara Ishaq and Emmy-feted Egyptian cinematographer Muhammad Hamdy will be among filmmakers presenting projects at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra event, unfolding in Qatar March 10-15.
The nine edition of the talent incubator aimed at Dfi grantee filmmakers will showcase 44 projects from 23 countries as it returns as a physical event for the first time since 2019.
Moroccan-French director Alaoui, who won Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Creative Vision for her fantasy drama Animalia in January, attends with a new series which is in development.
Titled Let The Earth Burn, it revolves around a police academy graduate who is posted to a remote town in the Atlas Mountains despite coming top of her year.
Ishaq, who was Oscar-nominated for short film Karama Has No Walls, will present her second feature project The Station set against a women-only gas station in a gender-segregated village in war-torn Yemen.
The nine edition of the talent incubator aimed at Dfi grantee filmmakers will showcase 44 projects from 23 countries as it returns as a physical event for the first time since 2019.
Moroccan-French director Alaoui, who won Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Creative Vision for her fantasy drama Animalia in January, attends with a new series which is in development.
Titled Let The Earth Burn, it revolves around a police academy graduate who is posted to a remote town in the Atlas Mountains despite coming top of her year.
Ishaq, who was Oscar-nominated for short film Karama Has No Walls, will present her second feature project The Station set against a women-only gas station in a gender-segregated village in war-torn Yemen.
- 3/1/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Creative Media Solutions, which has its headquarters in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and a base in Jordan, is prepping two new feature films – “Montreal” and “Sink.”
Jordanian feature film “Montreal” will be directed by Jordanian-Palestinian helmer Ameen Nayfeh, whose debut feature “200 Meters,” starring Ali Suliman, about a Palestinian family separated by the Israeli wall, won the Audience Award at the 2020 Venice Film Festival.
The pic is a coming-of-age tale about a 12-year-old boy who moves to Jordan from abroad and discovers a crusader castle, called Montreal.
Nayfeh explains to Variety: “The film is about a young boy who visits a small village in Jordan with his father and is left behind there. Like all kids he’s into video games, social media, gadgets and technology, and suddenly finds himself stuck in this quiet village where nothing happens. But the village has a crusader castle, which is a big tourism attraction,...
Jordanian feature film “Montreal” will be directed by Jordanian-Palestinian helmer Ameen Nayfeh, whose debut feature “200 Meters,” starring Ali Suliman, about a Palestinian family separated by the Israeli wall, won the Audience Award at the 2020 Venice Film Festival.
The pic is a coming-of-age tale about a 12-year-old boy who moves to Jordan from abroad and discovers a crusader castle, called Montreal.
Nayfeh explains to Variety: “The film is about a young boy who visits a small village in Jordan with his father and is left behind there. Like all kids he’s into video games, social media, gadgets and technology, and suddenly finds himself stuck in this quiet village where nothing happens. But the village has a crusader castle, which is a big tourism attraction,...
- 12/9/2022
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
The El Gouna Film Festival’s project development platform showcased 20 projects in development and post-production.
Algerian filmmaker Sofia Djama’s unwanted pregnancy drama A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers and Palestinian-us filmmaker Hind Shoufani’s feature documentary work They Planted Strange Trees have scooped the top prizes at the CineGouna Platform.
Running October 16-21, within the framework of the El Gouna Film Festival, the platform’s CineGouna Springboard component showcased 20 projects in development and post-production.
The jury comprised Lebanese producer and film critic Mohamed Soueid, Nina Lath Gupta, the former managing director of India’s National Film and Television Development...
Algerian filmmaker Sofia Djama’s unwanted pregnancy drama A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers and Palestinian-us filmmaker Hind Shoufani’s feature documentary work They Planted Strange Trees have scooped the top prizes at the CineGouna Platform.
Running October 16-21, within the framework of the El Gouna Film Festival, the platform’s CineGouna Springboard component showcased 20 projects in development and post-production.
The jury comprised Lebanese producer and film critic Mohamed Soueid, Nina Lath Gupta, the former managing director of India’s National Film and Television Development...
- 10/25/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Yomna Khattab’s “Fifty Meters” (Egypt) was the big winner at the CineGouna Platform, the El Gouna Film Festival’s industry arm created to support and empower Egyptian and Arab filmmakers and help them find artistic and financial support.
This year, the CineGouna Platform disbursed awards worth $300,000 across 13 projects in development and seven films in post-production. The platform operates the SpringBoard and Bridge programs. The SpringBoard jury included Lebanese producer and film critic Mohamed Soueid, Nina Lath Gupta, former CEO of India’s National Film Development Corporation and Moroccan director and screenwriter Ismaël Ferroukhi.
“Fifty meters” won a $10,000 full film promotion package from The Cell Post Production, a $10,000 cash grant from Trend VFX, $10,000 from Synergy Films, $15,000 cash grant for script development from Mariam Naoum and Sard Writing Room, $5,000 worth of post-production services from Bee Media Productions, $10,000 from Cult, $1,000 for locations services from Clackett and a $7,000 master’s degree U.S.
This year, the CineGouna Platform disbursed awards worth $300,000 across 13 projects in development and seven films in post-production. The platform operates the SpringBoard and Bridge programs. The SpringBoard jury included Lebanese producer and film critic Mohamed Soueid, Nina Lath Gupta, former CEO of India’s National Film Development Corporation and Moroccan director and screenwriter Ismaël Ferroukhi.
“Fifty meters” won a $10,000 full film promotion package from The Cell Post Production, a $10,000 cash grant from Trend VFX, $10,000 from Synergy Films, $15,000 cash grant for script development from Mariam Naoum and Sard Writing Room, $5,000 worth of post-production services from Bee Media Productions, $10,000 from Cult, $1,000 for locations services from Clackett and a $7,000 master’s degree U.S.
- 10/22/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Five works in progress and 11 films in development due to be showcased at event running December 8-11.
The Red Souk, the industry component of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival’s project market, has unveiled fresh details for its inaugural edition running December 8-11.
Running within the framework of its larger parent festival, which will also mark its first edition this year from December 6-15, the souk will focus on Arab and African filmmakers and will feature a project market, work in progress screenings, an exhibition space and an industry talks programme.
Lebanese-French director Wissam Charaf’s Beirut-set romantic drama Dirty Difficult Dangerous,...
The Red Souk, the industry component of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival’s project market, has unveiled fresh details for its inaugural edition running December 8-11.
Running within the framework of its larger parent festival, which will also mark its first edition this year from December 6-15, the souk will focus on Arab and African filmmakers and will feature a project market, work in progress screenings, an exhibition space and an industry talks programme.
Lebanese-French director Wissam Charaf’s Beirut-set romantic drama Dirty Difficult Dangerous,...
- 9/30/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The fifth edition of project incubator event will showcase 20 projects in development and post-production.
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (October 14-22) has unveiled the selection of 20 projects in development and post-production from Arab filmmakers to be showcased at the fifth annual CineGouna Platform.
The platform will run from October 16-21.
The 13 projects in development include Algerian filmmaker Sofia Djama’s second feature A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers, about a woman whose plans to deal with an unwanted pregnancy are derailed by other life events.
Djama’s debut film The Blessed made its world premiere in Venice’s Horizons...
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (October 14-22) has unveiled the selection of 20 projects in development and post-production from Arab filmmakers to be showcased at the fifth annual CineGouna Platform.
The platform will run from October 16-21.
The 13 projects in development include Algerian filmmaker Sofia Djama’s second feature A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers, about a woman whose plans to deal with an unwanted pregnancy are derailed by other life events.
Djama’s debut film The Blessed made its world premiere in Venice’s Horizons...
- 9/17/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman, which is up for five Oscars this year, will skip cinemas in the UK and debut directly on Sky Cinema. It will be released by the broadcaster on April 16, 10 days before the Oscars. The deal was made by Focus Features and Universal with Sky, all of which are owned by Comcast. The pic premiered at Sundance in 2020 and was released stateside by Focus on December 25, grossing $5.8M to date in the pandemic-hit theatrical market.
HBO Europe has given the green-light to The Informant, an 8 x 40” Hungarian drama written by Bálint Szentgyörgyi, who also directs alongside Áron Mátyássy and Bence Miklauzic. Filming is now underway on the series, which follows 20-year-old Geri (Gergely Váradi) who is starting university in 1980’s Hungary. Unbeknownst to his friends, Geri lives a second life as a government informant. Cast includes Váradi with Márton Patkós, Júlia Szász, Abigél Szőke and Szabolcs Thuróczy.
HBO Europe has given the green-light to The Informant, an 8 x 40” Hungarian drama written by Bálint Szentgyörgyi, who also directs alongside Áron Mátyássy and Bence Miklauzic. Filming is now underway on the series, which follows 20-year-old Geri (Gergely Váradi) who is starting university in 1980’s Hungary. Unbeknownst to his friends, Geri lives a second life as a government informant. Cast includes Váradi with Márton Patkós, Júlia Szász, Abigél Szőke and Szabolcs Thuróczy.
- 3/25/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Eight-month programme culminates with industry pitching event at first edition of Red Sea International Film Festival in November.
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled the 12 projects that will participate in its 2021 Red Sea Lodge project lab, which is organised in collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab.
Six of the projects are Saudi while the other projects hail from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and Lebanon.
Half of the projects are directed by women including Saudi director Dalyah Bakheet’s The Photographer Of Madina, based on the true story of a female photographer who opened the first studio for women in Saudia Arabia,...
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled the 12 projects that will participate in its 2021 Red Sea Lodge project lab, which is organised in collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab.
Six of the projects are Saudi while the other projects hail from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and Lebanon.
Half of the projects are directed by women including Saudi director Dalyah Bakheet’s The Photographer Of Madina, based on the true story of a female photographer who opened the first studio for women in Saudia Arabia,...
- 3/25/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Give Up the Ghost by director Zain Duraie has won the Vimeo Staff Pick Award at this year's virtual Palm Springs International ShortFest. The film reached 20 thousand views in its first 48 hours on the Vimeo website. This marks the third award for the film after winning El Gouna Star for the Best Arab Short Film and the Jury Award at the Indian World Film Festival.
A twist on the subject of woman and her place in Muslim society, the 15-minute short, Give Up The Ghost by Zain Duraie, is quite daring as the protagonist resists a tradition which automatically puts her into an inferior position.
Give Up the Ghost won the El Gouna Star for the Best Arab Short Film when I was lucky enough to see it and to interview Zain in person.
Set in modern Jordan, Give up the Ghost tells the story of Salam whose dreams of...
A twist on the subject of woman and her place in Muslim society, the 15-minute short, Give Up The Ghost by Zain Duraie, is quite daring as the protagonist resists a tradition which automatically puts her into an inferior position.
Give Up the Ghost won the El Gouna Star for the Best Arab Short Film when I was lucky enough to see it and to interview Zain in person.
Set in modern Jordan, Give up the Ghost tells the story of Salam whose dreams of...
- 6/30/2020
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The 2020 Palm Springs International ShortFest has announced its festival juried award winners from the 332 shorts films featured throughout this year’s virtual edition, running June 16-22. Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000 were handed out, and a number of the winners are now eligible for the 2021 Academy Awards short film categories. See the full list of winners below.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
- 6/21/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The 2020 Palm Springs International ShortFest has announced its festival juried award winners from the 332 shorts films featured throughout this year’s virtual edition, running June 16-22. Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000 were handed out, and a number of the winners are now eligible for the 2021 Academy Awards short film categories. See the full list of winners below.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
- 6/21/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Belgian-French drama “Matriochkas,” the documentary “The Heart Still Hums” and the animated film “The Fabric of You” have won the top prizes at the Palm Springs International ShortFest.
The festival unveiled the juried award winners Sunday from the 332 short films that were part of the official selection. Some of the winners are now qualified to enter the shorts categories for the Oscars.
The Best of the Festival Award, including a $5,000 prize from the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, went to “Matriochkas,” directed by Bérangère McNeese. The film centers on a 16-year-old who lives with her young mother and begins to discover her own sexuality. As she learns she is pregnant, her mother sees herself in her daughter, at the same age, facing the same choices.
“Writer/Director Bérangère McNeese brings a complex and bold point of view to the page and screen, drawing unexpected turns from the script and nuanced performances from her cast,...
The festival unveiled the juried award winners Sunday from the 332 short films that were part of the official selection. Some of the winners are now qualified to enter the shorts categories for the Oscars.
The Best of the Festival Award, including a $5,000 prize from the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, went to “Matriochkas,” directed by Bérangère McNeese. The film centers on a 16-year-old who lives with her young mother and begins to discover her own sexuality. As she learns she is pregnant, her mother sees herself in her daughter, at the same age, facing the same choices.
“Writer/Director Bérangère McNeese brings a complex and bold point of view to the page and screen, drawing unexpected turns from the script and nuanced performances from her cast,...
- 6/21/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
“Matriochkas,” a French and Belgian short-film directed by Bérangère Mc Neese, has been named the best film of the 2020 Palm Springs International Shortfest, which announced its winners on Sunday. The film, about the sexual awakening of a 16-year-old girl over the course of a summer, is one of five films that can qualify for the Academy Awards in the short-film categories because of jury awards in Palm Springs.
The other Oscar-qualifying winners are Josephine Lohoar Self’s “The Fabric of You,” which was named best animated short; Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell’s “The Heart Still Hums,” best documentary short; Inbar Horesh’s “Birth Right,” best live-action short over 15 minutes; and Laurynas Bareisa’s “Dummy,” best live-action short 15 minutes and under.
A total of 332 short films were part of the official selection at the festival, which did not physically take place this year because of the coronavirus. A number of...
The other Oscar-qualifying winners are Josephine Lohoar Self’s “The Fabric of You,” which was named best animated short; Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell’s “The Heart Still Hums,” best documentary short; Inbar Horesh’s “Birth Right,” best live-action short over 15 minutes; and Laurynas Bareisa’s “Dummy,” best live-action short 15 minutes and under.
A total of 332 short films were part of the official selection at the festival, which did not physically take place this year because of the coronavirus. A number of...
- 6/21/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The short film program was exceptional and the sequencing of the shorts was also very well planned, each somehow leading into the next, whether by filmic style or elements or by theme. There were four programs, each with six shorts. The subjects were far-ranging, and considering Egypt is a Muslim country and religion often plays a strong role in the lives of many, the program was very liberal. I strongly advocate for the inclusion of these well-curated shorts in many short film festivals or in festivals with concurrent themes.
** On the subject of woman and her place in Muslim society, the 15-minute short, Give Up The Ghost by Zain Duraie, is quite daring as the protagonist resists a tradition which automatically puts her into an inferior position. Give Up the Ghost won the El Gouna Star for the Best Arab Short Film. In modern Jordan, Salam and her husband must...
** On the subject of woman and her place in Muslim society, the 15-minute short, Give Up The Ghost by Zain Duraie, is quite daring as the protagonist resists a tradition which automatically puts her into an inferior position. Give Up the Ghost won the El Gouna Star for the Best Arab Short Film. In modern Jordan, Salam and her husband must...
- 10/5/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
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