The Arab Cinema Center has published this year's “Golden 101”, its annual list of the 101 most influential figures in Arab cinema in its 22nd edition of Arab Cinema Magazine, which is being circulated at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival and can be accessed on the Marché du Film website.
Celebrating individuals and institutions who have made the most significant impact on the Arab film industry over the past twelve months, this year's Golden 101 comprises of 13 directors, 16 producers, 14 actors, five crew members, 18 distributors from 12 institutions, 12 executives from 10 governmental cinema institutions, 11 executives from seven video-on-demand platforms, 11 representatives from seven festivals, and seven executives from film financing institutions.
Commenting on this year's Golden 101 list, Colin Brown, Mad Solutions' Managing Partner for International Operations said; “These are the artists, artisans, and power brokers who have distinguished themselves this past year – and the rest of the world should pay attention to them if...
Celebrating individuals and institutions who have made the most significant impact on the Arab film industry over the past twelve months, this year's Golden 101 comprises of 13 directors, 16 producers, 14 actors, five crew members, 18 distributors from 12 institutions, 12 executives from 10 governmental cinema institutions, 11 executives from seven video-on-demand platforms, 11 representatives from seven festivals, and seven executives from film financing institutions.
Commenting on this year's Golden 101 list, Colin Brown, Mad Solutions' Managing Partner for International Operations said; “These are the artists, artisans, and power brokers who have distinguished themselves this past year – and the rest of the world should pay attention to them if...
- 5/17/2024
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Mohamed Kordofani’s Goodbye Julia and Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters lead the nominations for the 8th Critics Awards for Arab Films, which will be held during the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
Both features picked up seven nominations apiece for the awards, focused on Arab films that were produced and premiered outside of the Arab world in 2023. Overseen and run by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), it was voted on by 209 critics from 72 countries and the winners will be announced during Cannes on May 18.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
This year’s nominees range from Sudan,...
Both features picked up seven nominations apiece for the awards, focused on Arab films that were produced and premiered outside of the Arab world in 2023. Overseen and run by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), it was voted on by 209 critics from 72 countries and the winners will be announced during Cannes on May 18.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
This year’s nominees range from Sudan,...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
‘Four Daughters’ & ‘Goodbye Julia’ Lead Nominations For 8th Edition Of Critics Awards For Arab Films
Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated documentary Four Daughters and Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s Lupita Nyong’o-EPed drama Goodbye Julia lead the nominations in the eighth edition of the Critics Awards for Arab Films.
Hybrid work Four Daughters, exploring the story of a real-life Tunisian mother who lost two of her daughters to Isis after they were radicalized by a local preacher, world premiered in Competition in Cannes last year.
The film won Cannes’ Golden Eye for Best Documentary and also went on to be nominated for Best Documentary at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Kordofani’s Khartoum-set drama Goodbye Julia was also at Cannes in 2023, making history as the first Sudanese film to play in the festival across its 76 editions, with a debut in Un Certain Regard. It represented Sudan at in the 2023-24 Oscar race but was not nominated.
Set against the backdrop of the 2011 South Sudan Independence referendum,...
Hybrid work Four Daughters, exploring the story of a real-life Tunisian mother who lost two of her daughters to Isis after they were radicalized by a local preacher, world premiered in Competition in Cannes last year.
The film won Cannes’ Golden Eye for Best Documentary and also went on to be nominated for Best Documentary at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Kordofani’s Khartoum-set drama Goodbye Julia was also at Cannes in 2023, making history as the first Sudanese film to play in the festival across its 76 editions, with a debut in Un Certain Regard. It represented Sudan at in the 2023-24 Oscar race but was not nominated.
Set against the backdrop of the 2011 South Sudan Independence referendum,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Arab Film Club, a popular monthly film club on Arab cinema based in London, is expanding.
Actress and presenter Sarah Agha, the club’s founder and curator, is launching The Arab Film Club Podcast, debuting Wednesday, May 1, with an initial five-episode season. Episodes will drop on Podbean, Apple, and Spotify every second Wednesday after that.
The pod’s first season will be dedicated to Palestinian cinema and highlight five different Palestinian filmmakers through intimate interviews. Featured filmmakers will include Darin J. Sallam, best known for her breakout feature Farha, which was Jordan’s Best International Film Oscar in 2022. Agha will also sit down with Bye Bye Tiberias director Lina Soualem. Scroll down to see the full season one lineup.
Agha, an actress, writer, presenter, and film curator is of Palestinian and Irish heritage. She is perhaps best known for presenting the acclaimed BBC doc The Holy Land And...
Actress and presenter Sarah Agha, the club’s founder and curator, is launching The Arab Film Club Podcast, debuting Wednesday, May 1, with an initial five-episode season. Episodes will drop on Podbean, Apple, and Spotify every second Wednesday after that.
The pod’s first season will be dedicated to Palestinian cinema and highlight five different Palestinian filmmakers through intimate interviews. Featured filmmakers will include Darin J. Sallam, best known for her breakout feature Farha, which was Jordan’s Best International Film Oscar in 2022. Agha will also sit down with Bye Bye Tiberias director Lina Soualem. Scroll down to see the full season one lineup.
Agha, an actress, writer, presenter, and film curator is of Palestinian and Irish heritage. She is perhaps best known for presenting the acclaimed BBC doc The Holy Land And...
- 4/17/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Filmmakers Farah Nabulsi and Darin J. Sallam recently came together to discuss how ongoing violence in Gaza has impacted the Palestinian creative community, the hardships they’ve endured telling their stories, concerns over Hollywood censorship and hopes that film can “preserve” Palestinian history for the Muslim Girl Code podcast‘s debut episode “Will Storytelling Save Palestine?”
In a conversation with MuslimGirl.com founder Amani Al-Khatahtbeh for the podcast’s first Ramadan episode, Nabulsi and Sallam shared how their identities as Palestinian women have influenced the stories they spotlight, and whether identity or gender has been a barrier for them in the film industry.
Nabulsi, a British-Palestinian filmmaker whose recent works include the Oscar-nominated short “The Present” and “The Teacher,” notes that the difficulties she has faced more often have been due to independent cinema being a challenge in itself and that the stories she wants to tell are Palestinian and...
In a conversation with MuslimGirl.com founder Amani Al-Khatahtbeh for the podcast’s first Ramadan episode, Nabulsi and Sallam shared how their identities as Palestinian women have influenced the stories they spotlight, and whether identity or gender has been a barrier for them in the film industry.
Nabulsi, a British-Palestinian filmmaker whose recent works include the Oscar-nominated short “The Present” and “The Teacher,” notes that the difficulties she has faced more often have been due to independent cinema being a challenge in itself and that the stories she wants to tell are Palestinian and...
- 3/27/2024
- by Sharareh Drury
- Variety Film + TV
To say there is quite a bit of debate surrounding the situation facing Palestinians in Gaza right now is a gross understatement. On one side, you have the Israeli government justifying violence based on the Hamas attack last October. And on the other side, you have the Palestinian people getting killed by the thousands with no end in sight, with some calling it a genocide. But even though it feels like a relatively new situation for many people who started to really pay attention to what’s happening, this is a war that has been raging for decades.
Continue reading ‘The Teacher’ Trailer: Saleh Bakri & Imogen Poots Star In Farah Nabulsi’s Acclaimed Palestinian Drama at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Teacher’ Trailer: Saleh Bakri & Imogen Poots Star In Farah Nabulsi’s Acclaimed Palestinian Drama at The Playlist.
- 1/31/2024
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Rose Glass’s romantic thriller Loves Lives Bleeding is set to open the 20th edition of Glasgow Film Festival (Gff) on February 28.
The UK filmmaker’s follow-up to Saint Maud stars Kristen Stewart as a gym owner who falls for a bodybuilder with criminal connections. The A24 feature will receive its UK premiere at Glasgow following its debut at Sundance earlier this month.
John Archer’s documentary Janey, about Scottish stand-up comedian Janey Godley as she embarks on her final tour following a terminal cancer diagnosis, will close the festival on March 10.
Gff has secured eight world premieres (see below...
The UK filmmaker’s follow-up to Saint Maud stars Kristen Stewart as a gym owner who falls for a bodybuilder with criminal connections. The A24 feature will receive its UK premiere at Glasgow following its debut at Sundance earlier this month.
John Archer’s documentary Janey, about Scottish stand-up comedian Janey Godley as she embarks on her final tour following a terminal cancer diagnosis, will close the festival on March 10.
Gff has secured eight world premieres (see below...
- 1/24/2024
- ScreenDaily
The 6th edition of the El Gouna Film Festival (Gff) has wrapped with a feeling of quiet triumph. The glitz and celebrities were largely absent, although Egyptian star Yousra and legendary French actor Christophe Lambert both appeared at In Conversation events. But in a way, this allowed festival organizers to better focus on the core values which they wish to take forward.
For artistic director Marianne Khoury, the mission was clear, though the challenges were extraordinary, even before the horrific attacks on Israel on Oct. 7. “I joined in June, so it was quite a crazy summer where we’re working almost every day. Then on the 10th October, we decided to postpone. So it was very overwhelming. Since then, we were on hold every day. We wanted this edition to take place before the year end.”
Better late than never; better small than not at all
With the 2022 edition already having been canceled,...
For artistic director Marianne Khoury, the mission was clear, though the challenges were extraordinary, even before the horrific attacks on Israel on Oct. 7. “I joined in June, so it was quite a crazy summer where we’re working almost every day. Then on the 10th October, we decided to postpone. So it was very overwhelming. Since then, we were on hold every day. We wanted this edition to take place before the year end.”
Better late than never; better small than not at all
With the 2022 edition already having been canceled,...
- 12/21/2023
- by John Bleasdale
- Variety Film + TV
Click on the titles for the full articles
Film Review: Snow in Midsummer (2023) by Keat Aun Chong
“Snow in Midsummer” is a film that will appeal more to the Malay audience, particularly the ones who have some knowledge of the elements mentioned above, but also to those who can enjoy movies without understanding them fully. And the truth is, that there is enough artistry and beauty here to allow just that. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
Interview with Keat Aun Chong Interview with Park Ki-yong Interview with Yasna Mirtahmasb and Parviz Shahbazi Film Review: Wakhri (2023) by Iram Parveen Bilal
Iram Parveen Bilal does one very smart thing with the film, essentially mirroring her protagonist's persona. She fills the screen with impressive colors, intriguing frames, rather entertaining music, and a truly charismatic protagonist who clearly draws utmost attention every time she appears on screen, either as Noor or Wakhri. This choice allows her to...
Film Review: Snow in Midsummer (2023) by Keat Aun Chong
“Snow in Midsummer” is a film that will appeal more to the Malay audience, particularly the ones who have some knowledge of the elements mentioned above, but also to those who can enjoy movies without understanding them fully. And the truth is, that there is enough artistry and beauty here to allow just that. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
Interview with Keat Aun Chong Interview with Park Ki-yong Interview with Yasna Mirtahmasb and Parviz Shahbazi Film Review: Wakhri (2023) by Iram Parveen Bilal
Iram Parveen Bilal does one very smart thing with the film, essentially mirroring her protagonist's persona. She fills the screen with impressive colors, intriguing frames, rather entertaining music, and a truly charismatic protagonist who clearly draws utmost attention every time she appears on screen, either as Noor or Wakhri. This choice allows her to...
- 12/12/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
British-Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi returns to her roots by shooting a film entirely in Palestine, particularly in Burin over three months, in an effort to highlight the issues the people in the area face.
The Teacher is screening at Red Sea Film Festival
Palestinian schoolteacher Basem grapples with loss after a tragic event involving his son, channeling his grief on helping his students, and particularly two brothers who come from the same village he does: Yakoub, who has just been released after two years detention in a military prison and currently acts as his brother's, Adam, “bodyguard”, with the latter being the brains and him the muscles as he so eloquently mentions in one of the first scenes of the movie. Lisa, a new social worker, also tries to help Yakoub, which is what brings her closer to Basem. At the same time, a high-profile American attorney and his wife...
The Teacher is screening at Red Sea Film Festival
Palestinian schoolteacher Basem grapples with loss after a tragic event involving his son, channeling his grief on helping his students, and particularly two brothers who come from the same village he does: Yakoub, who has just been released after two years detention in a military prison and currently acts as his brother's, Adam, “bodyguard”, with the latter being the brains and him the muscles as he so eloquently mentions in one of the first scenes of the movie. Lisa, a new social worker, also tries to help Yakoub, which is what brings her closer to Basem. At the same time, a high-profile American attorney and his wife...
- 12/9/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
he Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) marked the closing of its third edition with a screening of Micheal Mann's Ferrari, a Red Sea International Film Financing project, and revealed the winners of its highly anticipated Yusr Awards. The festival also welcomed Hollywood icon Nicolas Cage, receiving a Red Sea Honoree award, and joining the 2023 Honoree line-up of Diane Kruger, Ranveer Singh, and Abdullah Al-Sadhan. Kristoffer Borgli's comedy horror Dream Scenario, starring Nicolas Cage, will screen as the Final Festival Gala on Saturday 9th December.
Two juries deliberated to finally select winners across 14 categories; led by Jury President Baz Luhrmann. Seventeen films in competition, as well as 23 shorts, were in the running for the coveted awards.
The festival this year celebrated its biggest year yet in terms of attendance – welcoming almost 6,000 accredited guests and selling more than 40,000 tickets across all screenings and In Conversations.
The Closing Ceremony...
Two juries deliberated to finally select winners across 14 categories; led by Jury President Baz Luhrmann. Seventeen films in competition, as well as 23 shorts, were in the running for the coveted awards.
The festival this year celebrated its biggest year yet in terms of attendance – welcoming almost 6,000 accredited guests and selling more than 40,000 tickets across all screenings and In Conversations.
The Closing Ceremony...
- 12/8/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Oscar winner Nicholas Cage received a Red Sea Honouree award
Zarrar Kahn’s Karachi-set thriller In Flames won the $100,000 Golden Yusr award for best feature film at the 2023 Red Sea International Film Festival, which announced its winners on Thursday evening (December 7).
A Canada-Pakistan co-production and Pakistan’s entry to the Oscars, In Flames is the story of a mother and daughter trying to survive after losing the family patriarch. It world premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
Indian production Dear Jassi, directed by Tarsem Singh, won the $30,000 Silver Yusr. Based on the true story of an Indian couple who fell foul of the class system,...
Zarrar Kahn’s Karachi-set thriller In Flames won the $100,000 Golden Yusr award for best feature film at the 2023 Red Sea International Film Festival, which announced its winners on Thursday evening (December 7).
A Canada-Pakistan co-production and Pakistan’s entry to the Oscars, In Flames is the story of a mother and daughter trying to survive after losing the family patriarch. It world premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
Indian production Dear Jassi, directed by Tarsem Singh, won the $30,000 Silver Yusr. Based on the true story of an Indian couple who fell foul of the class system,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Mona Sheded
- ScreenDaily
On the occasion of her film The Teacher screening at Red Sea International Film Festival, where it won the Best Actor award and the Jury Prize, Farah Nabulsi talks to Panos Kotzathanasis about shooting a film in Palestine, the current situation in the area, the cycle of violence and how it can end, humor in hard times, the casting and the cinematography, and other topics.
- 12/8/2023
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
The third annual Red Sea Film Festival handed out its Yusr Awards on Thursday night, with Zarrar Kahn’s In Flames taking Best Feature and Farah Nabulsi’s The Teacher scoring a pair of wins including Best Actor for Saleh Bakri. See the full list below.
Elvis director and two-time Oscar nominee Baz Luhrmann headed the Rea Sea jury, which handed out awards in 17 categories.
The Saudi Arabian fest also gave a Red Sea Honorary Award to Nicolas Cage. The Oscar winner, whose Dream Scenario will close the festival on December 9, joined fellow 2023 honorees Diane Kruger, Ranveer Singh and Abdullah Al-Sadhan.
“Over the past eight days, we have welcomed the world to Jeddah and celebrated this vibrant global film community together – with a goal of bridging cultures and creating new ties,” said Jomana Al-Rashid, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation. “We’ve done that with over 125 films from Saudi Arabia,...
Elvis director and two-time Oscar nominee Baz Luhrmann headed the Rea Sea jury, which handed out awards in 17 categories.
The Saudi Arabian fest also gave a Red Sea Honorary Award to Nicolas Cage. The Oscar winner, whose Dream Scenario will close the festival on December 9, joined fellow 2023 honorees Diane Kruger, Ranveer Singh and Abdullah Al-Sadhan.
“Over the past eight days, we have welcomed the world to Jeddah and celebrated this vibrant global film community together – with a goal of bridging cultures and creating new ties,” said Jomana Al-Rashid, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation. “We’ve done that with over 125 films from Saudi Arabia,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
At the closing ceremony of the 3rd edition of the Red Sea Film Festival Thursday, which took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in front of an audience that included Hollywood stars Nicolas Cage, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Jason Statham and Adrien Brody, the Golden Yusr for best film and a $100,000 cash prize went to Pakistani-Canadian horror film “In Flames,” directed by Zarrar Kahn.
The director said that the indie movie was shot for “just $300,000 — the size of a Red Sea Fund production grant.” He urged “everyone who gets a grant to go make a movie, because this was made for nothing.”
The Silver Yusr prize for best feature film went to Tarsem Singh for “Dear Jassi.” The film, an India/Canada/U.S. co-production, is based on the true story of a Canadian Punjabi woman who ran afoul of her family’s expectations when she chose to marry a working-class...
The director said that the indie movie was shot for “just $300,000 — the size of a Red Sea Fund production grant.” He urged “everyone who gets a grant to go make a movie, because this was made for nothing.”
The Silver Yusr prize for best feature film went to Tarsem Singh for “Dear Jassi.” The film, an India/Canada/U.S. co-production, is based on the true story of a Canadian Punjabi woman who ran afoul of her family’s expectations when she chose to marry a working-class...
- 12/7/2023
- by Nick Holdsworth
- Variety Film + TV
Zarrar Khan’s In Flames has picked up the Yusr Award for best competition film at the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The festival, which attracted such Hollywood stars as Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Chris Hemsworth and Sharon Stone, on Thursday evening unveiled the winners of its Red Sea competition honors, the so-called Yusr awards, as well as other prizes.
Khan’s Pakistani-Canadian horror pic that bowed in Cannes portrays a mother and daughter having to navigate loss, oppression and vulnerability after the death of the family patriarch. The debut feature is rendered as a ghost story as they must find strength in each other if they are to survive the malevolent forces that threaten to engulf them.
The Silver Yusr award for best feature went to Tarsem Singh’s modern day tragic drama Dear Jassi, which bowed in Toronto, where it won the 2023 Platform Prize.
The festival, which attracted such Hollywood stars as Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Chris Hemsworth and Sharon Stone, on Thursday evening unveiled the winners of its Red Sea competition honors, the so-called Yusr awards, as well as other prizes.
Khan’s Pakistani-Canadian horror pic that bowed in Cannes portrays a mother and daughter having to navigate loss, oppression and vulnerability after the death of the family patriarch. The debut feature is rendered as a ghost story as they must find strength in each other if they are to survive the malevolent forces that threaten to engulf them.
The Silver Yusr award for best feature went to Tarsem Singh’s modern day tragic drama Dear Jassi, which bowed in Toronto, where it won the 2023 Platform Prize.
- 12/7/2023
- by Georg Szalai and Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The initiative celebrates Arab talent and highlights the hottest up-and-coming actors, writers and directors from the region.
Screen International has unveiled the five emerging Middle East and North Africa talents in the fields of acting and directing selected for the seventh edition of Arab Stars Of Tomorrow.
This year’s line-up comprises Adwa Bader, the actress and poet from Saudi Arabia; Jordan’s Cynthia Madanat Sharaiha, director; Egyptian writer and director Morad Mostafa; Palestinian actor Muhammad Abed El Rahman; and fellow Jordanian actress Noor Taher.
The initiative celebrates Arab talent and highlights the hottest up-and-coming actors, writers and directors who...
Screen International has unveiled the five emerging Middle East and North Africa talents in the fields of acting and directing selected for the seventh edition of Arab Stars Of Tomorrow.
This year’s line-up comprises Adwa Bader, the actress and poet from Saudi Arabia; Jordan’s Cynthia Madanat Sharaiha, director; Egyptian writer and director Morad Mostafa; Palestinian actor Muhammad Abed El Rahman; and fellow Jordanian actress Noor Taher.
The initiative celebrates Arab talent and highlights the hottest up-and-coming actors, writers and directors who...
- 12/1/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has announced details of this year's selection of films from Saudi Arabia, alongside the Arab Spectacular and Red Sea: Competition features strands. Collectively, these strands will showcase the rich and varied work by established and new filmmakers from the region, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The third edition of the Rsiff – running from 30 November to 9 December – providesa unique and powerful platform for celebrating film, connecting cultures, and expanding horizons while welcoming stories from all walks of life. It is a comprehensive cinematic platform that promotes diversity in all facets of filmmaking, elevating it beyond just a film screening event. These ideas of diversity, connection, and cultural exchange are manifested in this year's theme; “Your Story, Your Festival”.
While celebrating cinema on a global scale, Red Sea Iff throws a spotlight on films made in the...
The third edition of the Rsiff – running from 30 November to 9 December – providesa unique and powerful platform for celebrating film, connecting cultures, and expanding horizons while welcoming stories from all walks of life. It is a comprehensive cinematic platform that promotes diversity in all facets of filmmaking, elevating it beyond just a film screening event. These ideas of diversity, connection, and cultural exchange are manifested in this year's theme; “Your Story, Your Festival”.
While celebrating cinema on a global scale, Red Sea Iff throws a spotlight on films made in the...
- 11/10/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has announced the bulk of its lineup from the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), signaling that the event is forging ahead with its third edition despite the Israel-Hamas war that has caused cancellations of several movie celebrations across the Arab world.
The fest’s third edition, set to run Nov. 30-Dec. 9 in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore, will feature a slew of films from the Mena region and comprise 11 feature films from Saudi, underlining the local film industry’s growth. This year’s theme is “Your Story, Your Festival”.
There are two Saudi films in the 17-title competition dedicated to features from the Arab world as well as Africa and Asia. They are “Norah,” a drama by first-time helmer Tawfik Alzaidi set in 1990s Saudi Arabia, when conservatism was at its height, and Ali Alkalthami’s bold comedy “Mandoob...
The fest’s third edition, set to run Nov. 30-Dec. 9 in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore, will feature a slew of films from the Mena region and comprise 11 feature films from Saudi, underlining the local film industry’s growth. This year’s theme is “Your Story, Your Festival”.
There are two Saudi films in the 17-title competition dedicated to features from the Arab world as well as Africa and Asia. They are “Norah,” a drama by first-time helmer Tawfik Alzaidi set in 1990s Saudi Arabia, when conservatism was at its height, and Ali Alkalthami’s bold comedy “Mandoob...
- 11/6/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled its selection of 36 movies from Saudi Arabia, as well as its Arab Spectacular and Red Sea: Competition lineups for this year’s third edition.
“Collectively, these strands will showcase the rich and varied work by established and new filmmakers from the region, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation,” organizers said on Monday.
The program will put a spotlight on films made in the Middle East and North Africa region, featuring 36 feature-length and short films from Saudi Arabia. “The lineup includes internationally recognized talent plus new voices; from Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp which opened at Cannes with support from the Red Sea International Film Financing arm, to Kaouther Ben Hania with Four Daughters, nominated as Tunisia’s submission for international feature at the forthcoming Academy Awards,” the festival said. “Further directors selected...
“Collectively, these strands will showcase the rich and varied work by established and new filmmakers from the region, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation,” organizers said on Monday.
The program will put a spotlight on films made in the Middle East and North Africa region, featuring 36 feature-length and short films from Saudi Arabia. “The lineup includes internationally recognized talent plus new voices; from Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp which opened at Cannes with support from the Red Sea International Film Financing arm, to Kaouther Ben Hania with Four Daughters, nominated as Tunisia’s submission for international feature at the forthcoming Academy Awards,” the festival said. “Further directors selected...
- 11/6/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled it 2023 line-up and theme as it maintains its third edition against the backdrop of the escalating Israel-Gaza Conflict. (scroll down for full list)
The edition, running from November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah, will unfold under the theme of “Your Story, Your Festival”.
Among the key sections announced on Monday was the Red Sea International Film Festival: In Competition section which will showcase 17 narrative and documentary features from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world.
Contenders include UK-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi critically-acclaimed West Bank-set first feature The Teacher, Tunisian-Moroccan filmmaking couple Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane’s Atlas Mountains-set, theatre troupe road movie Backstage, Tawfik Alzaidi’s Norah, which is billed as the first Saudi feature shot in the country’s growing location hub of AlUla, and Iranian director Parviz Shahbazi’s drama Roxana, for which its...
The edition, running from November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah, will unfold under the theme of “Your Story, Your Festival”.
Among the key sections announced on Monday was the Red Sea International Film Festival: In Competition section which will showcase 17 narrative and documentary features from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world.
Contenders include UK-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi critically-acclaimed West Bank-set first feature The Teacher, Tunisian-Moroccan filmmaking couple Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane’s Atlas Mountains-set, theatre troupe road movie Backstage, Tawfik Alzaidi’s Norah, which is billed as the first Saudi feature shot in the country’s growing location hub of AlUla, and Iranian director Parviz Shahbazi’s drama Roxana, for which its...
- 11/6/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, will have a special screening at the festival
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival will take place from November 30-December 9 in the port city of Jeddah under the theme ’Your Stories, Your Festival.’
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in the Mena region and includes 36 feature length and short films from Saudi Arabia, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The Competition strand includes 17 films from Asia,...
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival will take place from November 30-December 9 in the port city of Jeddah under the theme ’Your Stories, Your Festival.’
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in the Mena region and includes 36 feature length and short films from Saudi Arabia, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The Competition strand includes 17 films from Asia,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, will have a special screening at the festival
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival, which takes place from November 30-December 9, will also give special screenings to Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, which was supported by Red Sea’s financing arm and opened Cannes, and to Dhafer L’abidine’s Saudi-uae co-production To My Son, which world premieres at the festival.
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in...
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival, which takes place from November 30-December 9, will also give special screenings to Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, which was supported by Red Sea’s financing arm and opened Cannes, and to Dhafer L’abidine’s Saudi-uae co-production To My Son, which world premieres at the festival.
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in...
- 11/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
“The Kitchen” co-director and co-writer Daniel Kaluuya and “Polite Society” writer-director Nida Manzoor are among the emerging talents recognized at the British Independent Film Awards’ (BIFA) New Talent categories.
Both have been longlisted twice, in the debut director and debut screenwriter categories. In all, 20 fiction and 15 documentary features have been longlisted in the four debut filmmaking categories. Nineteen first-time fiction feature directors, 17 first-time feature documentary directors, 17 first-time writers and 24 breakthrough producers have been recognized by BIFA voters this year.
BIFA Springboard, an annual program supporting second-time feature filmmakers will launch in early 2024. BIFA will reveal the Netflix-sponsored 2023 breakthrough performance longlist, which highlights British acting talent in their first significant role in a British feature film, on Oct. 24. The final five nominations in each category will be unveiled on Nov. 2. Winners will be revealed at the 26th BIFA ceremony on Dec. 3.
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) Sponsored By...
Both have been longlisted twice, in the debut director and debut screenwriter categories. In all, 20 fiction and 15 documentary features have been longlisted in the four debut filmmaking categories. Nineteen first-time fiction feature directors, 17 first-time feature documentary directors, 17 first-time writers and 24 breakthrough producers have been recognized by BIFA voters this year.
BIFA Springboard, an annual program supporting second-time feature filmmakers will launch in early 2024. BIFA will reveal the Netflix-sponsored 2023 breakthrough performance longlist, which highlights British acting talent in their first significant role in a British feature film, on Oct. 24. The final five nominations in each category will be unveiled on Nov. 2. Winners will be revealed at the 26th BIFA ceremony on Dec. 3.
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) Sponsored By...
- 10/18/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Eight films listed in three of the four categories.
Charlotte Regan’s Scrapper, Raine Allen-Miller’s Rye Lane and Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex are among the 35 features on the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) Filmmaker New Talent longlists for 2023.
The ceremony has released longlists for four awards: the Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director), Best Debut Screenwriter, Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary (a new award for this year) and Breakthrough Producer.
Scroll down for the full New Talent longlists
Eight films have been longlisted in three of the four categories: Earth Mama, Femme, In Camera, Pretty Red Dress,...
Charlotte Regan’s Scrapper, Raine Allen-Miller’s Rye Lane and Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex are among the 35 features on the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) Filmmaker New Talent longlists for 2023.
The ceremony has released longlists for four awards: the Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director), Best Debut Screenwriter, Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary (a new award for this year) and Breakthrough Producer.
Scroll down for the full New Talent longlists
Eight films have been longlisted in three of the four categories: Earth Mama, Femme, In Camera, Pretty Red Dress,...
- 10/18/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The Teacher, the feature debut of British-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi that recently had it world premiere in Toronto, has been acquired by Front Row Filmed Entertainment for the Middle East and North Africa.
The deal marks the second collaboration between Nabulsi and Front Row, with the Dubai-based banner having distributed and globally sold her previous short film The Present to Netflix, prior to it landing an BAFTA award and an Oscar nomination.
Set and shot in the West Bank city of Nablus and staring Saleh Bakri (Alam, The Blue Caftan) and Imogen Poots (The Father, HBO’s I Know This Much Is True), The Teacher follows the story of a Palestinian school teacher as he struggles to reconcile his life-threatening commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students and the chance of a new romantic relationship with a British volunteer worker. Sawsan Asfari (Hany Abu-Assad...
The deal marks the second collaboration between Nabulsi and Front Row, with the Dubai-based banner having distributed and globally sold her previous short film The Present to Netflix, prior to it landing an BAFTA award and an Oscar nomination.
Set and shot in the West Bank city of Nablus and staring Saleh Bakri (Alam, The Blue Caftan) and Imogen Poots (The Father, HBO’s I Know This Much Is True), The Teacher follows the story of a Palestinian school teacher as he struggles to reconcile his life-threatening commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students and the chance of a new romantic relationship with a British volunteer worker. Sawsan Asfari (Hany Abu-Assad...
- 9/12/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dubai-based distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment has boarded Mena distribution of Palestinian drama The Teacher, which enjoyed a buzzy world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend.
The acquisition marks the company’s second collaboration with British-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi.
It previously distributed her Oscar-nominated and Bafta-winning short film The Present, selling it to streaming giant Netflix prior it buzzy 2021 awards season run.
The Teacher is produced by Sawsan Asfari (Huda’s Salon), Osama Bawardi and Nabulsi.
Saleh Bakri (The Blue Caftan) stars as a Palestinian school teacher, struggling to reconcile his life-threatening commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students and the chance of a new romantic relationship with a British volunteer worker, played by Imogen Poots.
The film was shot entirely in the West Bank in the city of Nablus.
The acquisition marks the company’s second collaboration with British-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi.
It previously distributed her Oscar-nominated and Bafta-winning short film The Present, selling it to streaming giant Netflix prior it buzzy 2021 awards season run.
The Teacher is produced by Sawsan Asfari (Huda’s Salon), Osama Bawardi and Nabulsi.
Saleh Bakri (The Blue Caftan) stars as a Palestinian school teacher, struggling to reconcile his life-threatening commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students and the chance of a new romantic relationship with a British volunteer worker, played by Imogen Poots.
The film was shot entirely in the West Bank in the city of Nablus.
- 9/12/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Teacher” opens with text informing the viewers that the film was “Inspired by True Events.” Most obviously, this refers to the case of Gilad Shalit, an Israel Defense Forces soldier whose imprisonment by Palestinian militants and 2011 release in exchange for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners is lightly fictionalized during the movie. But more broadly, it speaks to the film’s commitment to portraying the struggles of living in Palestine in a time of perpetual strife, where violence and displacement is a constantly looming threat and justice feels constantly out of reach.
Although Shalit’s capture and release inspired the backbone of Farah Nabulsi’s debut feature, his counterpart in the film, Nathanial Cohen, is a mere plot device spoken about more than he’s glancingly seen. Our protagonist is instead completely fictional Basem, a Palestinian man who teaches English at a small boys school. At his job he’s stern but gentle,...
Although Shalit’s capture and release inspired the backbone of Farah Nabulsi’s debut feature, his counterpart in the film, Nathanial Cohen, is a mere plot device spoken about more than he’s glancingly seen. Our protagonist is instead completely fictional Basem, a Palestinian man who teaches English at a small boys school. At his job he’s stern but gentle,...
- 9/10/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Writer-director Farah Nabulsi brilliantly showcased the abject futility of living under occupation with her Oscar-nominated short The Present a couple years ago. By taking the seemingly mundane act of going shopping for an anniversary gift and portraying how cruelly impossible it can become when people with guns take it upon themselves to make it so, she evoked the tired frustration and unavoidable rage that Palestinians must endure on a daily basis. It should come as no surprise, then, that her feature debut The Teacher would follow suit, mirroring the additional runtime with a much more robust example.
Yet there’s the immediate sense of too many subplots bouncing around at the start. Between the drama surrounding the harassment of brothers Adam (Muhammad Abed Elrahman) and Yacoub (Mahmoud Bakri), then the story segues into their teacher/neighbor Basem El-Saleh’s (Saleh Bakri) past, the addition of a London-born volunteer social worker...
Yet there’s the immediate sense of too many subplots bouncing around at the start. Between the drama surrounding the harassment of brothers Adam (Muhammad Abed Elrahman) and Yacoub (Mahmoud Bakri), then the story segues into their teacher/neighbor Basem El-Saleh’s (Saleh Bakri) past, the addition of a London-born volunteer social worker...
- 9/10/2023
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Three years ago, Farah Nabulsi’s short film “The Present” landed an Oscar nomination and won a BAFTA Award by stripping down the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis on the West Bank to a father and daughter’s simple quest to buy an anniversary present. Nabulsi, who was born in London to Palestinian parents, returns to that region and conflict with her feature debut, “The Teacher,” but there’s nothing simple about the morass into which her filmmaking plunges us this time around.
Inspired by true events, the film is set among Palestinians on the West Bank, and like “The Present” it’s a portrait in futility. “The Teacher,” which had its world premiere on Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival, sometimes feels as if it’s hammering away at the same points without getting anywhere, but you could argue that’s an entirely fitting way to depict the conflicts in that area.
Inspired by true events, the film is set among Palestinians on the West Bank, and like “The Present” it’s a portrait in futility. “The Teacher,” which had its world premiere on Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival, sometimes feels as if it’s hammering away at the same points without getting anywhere, but you could argue that’s an entirely fitting way to depict the conflicts in that area.
- 9/10/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Few filmmakers have to experience the very real thing they’re dramatising on camera actually happening around their set. But then few films are set and shot in the Occupied West Bank.
As Farah Nabulsi recalls, while making The Teacher around the city of Nablus, she witnessed the forced demotion of a Palestinian home by Israeli forces and settlers torching Palestinian olive trees, both of which take place in her film.
“On my way to set at five in the morning, by the side of the road was a Palestinian family, a couple with six young children, standing in front of the rubble of their freshly demolished house,” she says. “So yeah, this harsh reality is unfolding around you.”
Premiering in Toronto on Sept. 9, the film follows a school teacher (Palestinian acting royalty Saleh Bakri) precariously trying juggling his dangerous involvement in the resistance movement with his position as a...
As Farah Nabulsi recalls, while making The Teacher around the city of Nablus, she witnessed the forced demotion of a Palestinian home by Israeli forces and settlers torching Palestinian olive trees, both of which take place in her film.
“On my way to set at five in the morning, by the side of the road was a Palestinian family, a couple with six young children, standing in front of the rubble of their freshly demolished house,” she says. “So yeah, this harsh reality is unfolding around you.”
Premiering in Toronto on Sept. 9, the film follows a school teacher (Palestinian acting royalty Saleh Bakri) precariously trying juggling his dangerous involvement in the resistance movement with his position as a...
- 9/9/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When British-Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi was watching the UK media coverage of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange in 2011, it had a profound impact on her. At the time, Shalit was an Israeli soldier who had been abducted in 2006 by Palestinians (the first Israeli soldier to be captured by Palestinians since 1994). Shalit was eventually released five years later in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including hundreds of which were women and children.
“I remember thinking at the time that this was such a huge imbalance in the value for human life,” Nabulsi tells Deadline over a Zoom interview from Egypt, where she is attending her stepdaughter’s wedding. “One person in exchange for one thousand others! But I also remember thinking about that on an individual level and that, to that soldier’s parents and loved ones, he would be worth hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives.”
This observation,...
“I remember thinking at the time that this was such a huge imbalance in the value for human life,” Nabulsi tells Deadline over a Zoom interview from Egypt, where she is attending her stepdaughter’s wedding. “One person in exchange for one thousand others! But I also remember thinking about that on an individual level and that, to that soldier’s parents and loved ones, he would be worth hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives.”
This observation,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
The social drama is set to debut at this year’s Toronto film festival.
Goodfellas has unveiled the first English-language trailer for Ladj Ly’s Les Indésirables (Bâtiment 5) set to world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival tonight (September 8).
Watch the trailer above.
The social drama follows a young woman (newcomer Anta Diaw) deeply involved in the life of her community, who discovers a redevelopment plan for her neighbourhood calling for the demolition of the block where she grew up and led behind closed doors by a young doctor thrust into the role of mayor (Les Misérables’ co-writer and star...
Goodfellas has unveiled the first English-language trailer for Ladj Ly’s Les Indésirables (Bâtiment 5) set to world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival tonight (September 8).
Watch the trailer above.
The social drama follows a young woman (newcomer Anta Diaw) deeply involved in the life of her community, who discovers a redevelopment plan for her neighbourhood calling for the demolition of the block where she grew up and led behind closed doors by a young doctor thrust into the role of mayor (Les Misérables’ co-writer and star...
- 9/8/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
The social drama is set to debut at this year’s Toronto film festival.
Goodfellas has unveiled the first English-language trailer for Ladj Ly’s Les Indésirables (Bâtiment 5) set to world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival tonight (September 8).
Watch the trailer above.
The social drama follows a young woman (newcomer Anta Diaw) deeply involved in the life of her community, who discovers a redevelopment plan for her neighbourhood calling for the demolition of the block where she grew up and led behind closed doors by a young doctor thrust into the role of mayor (Les Misérables’ co-writer and star...
Goodfellas has unveiled the first English-language trailer for Ladj Ly’s Les Indésirables (Bâtiment 5) set to world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival tonight (September 8).
Watch the trailer above.
The social drama follows a young woman (newcomer Anta Diaw) deeply involved in the life of her community, who discovers a redevelopment plan for her neighbourhood calling for the demolition of the block where she grew up and led behind closed doors by a young doctor thrust into the role of mayor (Les Misérables’ co-writer and star...
- 9/8/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Variety is debuting an exclusive clip from Farah Nabulsi’s thriller “The Teacher,” starring Imogen Poots (“The Father”) and Saleh Bakri. The film will have its world premiere on Saturday at the Toronto Film Festival in the Discovery section.
The film is Nabulsi’s feature debut following her Oscar-nominated and BAFTA award-winning short “The Present,” which also starred Bakri.
“The Teacher” follows Palestinian schoolteacher Basem (Bakri), who acts as a father figure to two of his students, Yacoub and Adam (Muhammad Abed Elrahman), amidst turmoil in the West Bank. Upon meeting British volunteer worker Lisa (Poots), Basem struggles to reconcile his life-threatening commitment to political resistance and his emotional support for Yacoub and Adam with the chance of a new romantic relationship.
The story – based on true events – takes place against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, offering insight into the lives of the people living in the region from all religious and cultural backgrounds.
The film is Nabulsi’s feature debut following her Oscar-nominated and BAFTA award-winning short “The Present,” which also starred Bakri.
“The Teacher” follows Palestinian schoolteacher Basem (Bakri), who acts as a father figure to two of his students, Yacoub and Adam (Muhammad Abed Elrahman), amidst turmoil in the West Bank. Upon meeting British volunteer worker Lisa (Poots), Basem struggles to reconcile his life-threatening commitment to political resistance and his emotional support for Yacoub and Adam with the chance of a new romantic relationship.
The story – based on true events – takes place against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, offering insight into the lives of the people living in the region from all religious and cultural backgrounds.
- 9/7/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Next Goal Wins (Taika Waititi, 2023).The lineup is being unveiled for the 2023 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, starting with 60 selections from the Gala and Special Presentations programs. The festival takes place from September 7–17, 2023.Gala PRESENTATIONSConcrete Utopia (Um Tae-Hwa)Dumb Money (Craig Gillespie)Fair Play (Chloe Domont)Flora and Son (John Carney)Hate to Love: Nickelback (Leigh Brooks)Lee (Ellen Kuras)Next Goal Wins (Taika Waititi)Nyad (Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin)Punjab ’95 (Honey Trehan)Solo (Sophie Dupuis)The End We Start From (Mahalia Belo)The Movie Emperor (Ning Hao)The New Boy (Warwick Thornton) The Royal Hotel (Kitty Green)The Holdovers.Special Presentationsa Difficult Year (Éric Toledano, Olivier Nakache)A Normal Family (Hur Jin-ho)American Fiction (Cord Jefferson)Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet)Close to You (Dominic Savage)Days of Happiness (Chloé Robichaud)The Rescue (Daniela Goggi)Ezra (Tony Goldwyn)Fingernails (Christos Nikou)Four Daughters (Kaouther Ben Hania...
- 8/14/2023
- MUBI
Toronto — The Toronto International Film Festival® is thrilled to announce the 2023 selections for the Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes. The infamous Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, 7 of which are World Premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily boasts World and International Premieres, includes 26 titles. Notably, 13 female filmmakers representing 50% of the total programme are featured in this year’s Discovery programme.
Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favourite, iconoclastic programme highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery programme offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.
“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.
Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favourite, iconoclastic programme highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery programme offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.
“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.
- 8/3/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
The Toronto International Film Festival lineup keeps rolling in, with Midnight Madness, Discovery, and Platform programs being unveiled this week. Leading the pack is the North American premiere of Harmony Korine’s infrared action feature Aggro DR1FT, while new films from Tarsem, Larry Charles, Patricia Arquette, Molly Manning Walker, and more were also added.
“Sides will be split — both figuratively and literally (on screen) — as Midnight Madness returns to the Royal Alexandra Theatre with another stimulating concoction of unpredictable shock and ‘y’arr!’ cinema,” said Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer, Midnight Madness. “Featuring two timely satiric provocations from Saudi Arabia (Naga) and Serbia (Working Class Goes to Hell) — nations that are making their section debut — this year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!
“Sides will be split — both figuratively and literally (on screen) — as Midnight Madness returns to the Royal Alexandra Theatre with another stimulating concoction of unpredictable shock and ‘y’arr!’ cinema,” said Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer, Midnight Madness. “Featuring two timely satiric provocations from Saudi Arabia (Naga) and Serbia (Working Class Goes to Hell) — nations that are making their section debut — this year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!
- 8/3/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl and Larry Charles’ Dicks: The Musical open the sections.
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the titles in its Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes, with the line-ups including Harmony Korine’s Aggro Dr1ft, Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl and Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex.
The Discovery line-up, designed to open a window on contemporary international cinema with first and second features from new filmmakers, comprises 26 titles from 25 countries, most of them world or international premieres.
As well as Arquette’s directing debut Gonzo Girl, with the actor also starring alongside Willem Dafoe,...
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the titles in its Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes, with the line-ups including Harmony Korine’s Aggro Dr1ft, Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl and Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex.
The Discovery line-up, designed to open a window on contemporary international cinema with first and second features from new filmmakers, comprises 26 titles from 25 countries, most of them world or international premieres.
As well as Arquette’s directing debut Gonzo Girl, with the actor also starring alongside Willem Dafoe,...
- 8/3/2023
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
The Toronto International Film Festival announced the 2023 selections for the Discovery and Midnight Madness program this morning. The Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, seven of which are World Premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily boasts World and International Premieres, includes 26 titles. Notably, 13 female filmmakers representing 50% of the total are featured in this year’s Discovery program.
Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favorite, iconoclastic program highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery program offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.
“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness program for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.”
Midnight...
Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favorite, iconoclastic program highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery program offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.
“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness program for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.”
Midnight...
- 8/3/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
New films from Patricia Arquette, Larry Charles, Harmony Korine and Finn Wolfhard will screen in the Midnight Madness and Discovery sections of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced on Thursday.
Korine’s “Aggro DR1FT” and Charles’ “Dicks: The Musical” will screen in the Midnight Madness section, along with eight other films that also include Jason Yu’s “Sleep” and Wolfhard and Billy Bryk’s “Hell of a Summer.”
“Dicks: The Musical,” which TIFF Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky called “bonkers and bawdy” in the press release announcing the lineups, will open the Midnight Madness section, while Weston Razooli’s “Riddle of Fire” will be the closing-night attraction.
The Discovery section will showcase 26 films from up-and-coming directors around the world. It will open with Arquette’s “Gonzo Girl,” which stars Willem Dafoe and Camilla Morrone (“Daisy Jones & the Six”) and is one of many TIFF titles from actors who have turned to directing.
Korine’s “Aggro DR1FT” and Charles’ “Dicks: The Musical” will screen in the Midnight Madness section, along with eight other films that also include Jason Yu’s “Sleep” and Wolfhard and Billy Bryk’s “Hell of a Summer.”
“Dicks: The Musical,” which TIFF Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky called “bonkers and bawdy” in the press release announcing the lineups, will open the Midnight Madness section, while Weston Razooli’s “Riddle of Fire” will be the closing-night attraction.
The Discovery section will showcase 26 films from up-and-coming directors around the world. It will open with Arquette’s “Gonzo Girl,” which stars Willem Dafoe and Camilla Morrone (“Daisy Jones & the Six”) and is one of many TIFF titles from actors who have turned to directing.
- 8/3/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Toronto International Film Festival has today announced the lineup for two of its more unpredictable and interesting sections: Discovery and Midnight Madness. Billed as “the infamous,” this year’s Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, seven of which are world premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily includes world and international premieres, includes 26 titles.
Per TIFF, both “Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favorite, iconoclastic program highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery program offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.” The festival’s announcement also notes that 13 female filmmakers, representing 50 percent of the total program, are featured in this year’s Discovery lineup.
Those films include new offerings from Harmony Korine and Larry Charles, plus — as Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer, Midnight Madness,...
Per TIFF, both “Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favorite, iconoclastic program highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery program offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.” The festival’s announcement also notes that 13 female filmmakers, representing 50 percent of the total program, are featured in this year’s Discovery lineup.
Those films include new offerings from Harmony Korine and Larry Charles, plus — as Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer, Midnight Madness,...
- 8/3/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Finn Wolfhard, Larry Charles, Harmony Korine Films Set for Midnight Madness at Toronto Film Festival
The Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness sidebar will open with Borat director Larry Charles’ latest movie Dicks: The Musical getting a world premiere.
Charles’ latest film, from A24 and in theaters from Sept. 29, stars Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, Bowen Yang as God and Nathan Lane, as the comedy duo of Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp (who also wrote the film’s script) play self-obsessed businessmen who discover they’re long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric and divorced parents.
“This year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!” Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International programmer of Midnight Madness, said in a statement on Thursday.
The latest additions to the Toronto Film Festival also include the lineup...
Charles’ latest film, from A24 and in theaters from Sept. 29, stars Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, Bowen Yang as God and Nathan Lane, as the comedy duo of Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp (who also wrote the film’s script) play self-obsessed businessmen who discover they’re long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric and divorced parents.
“This year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!” Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International programmer of Midnight Madness, said in a statement on Thursday.
The latest additions to the Toronto Film Festival also include the lineup...
- 8/3/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Palestinian-British filmmaker Farah Nabulsi’s upcoming drama “The Teacher,” which is shot and set in Palestine’s West Bank, has been acquired by top Italian indie distributor Eagle Pictures just as Vincent Maraval’s Goodfellas launches sales on the timely title in Cannes.
Goodfellas, formerly known as Wild Bunch, on Thursday will be presenting to buyers the almost completed film that takes its cue from a real prisoners swap that took place in 2011 when Israel freed more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one soldier who had been kidnapped by Palestinian militants.
In “The Teacher” a Palestinian school teacher played by Saleh Bakri struggles to reconcile his commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students. There is also a subplot involving his romantic relationship with a British volunteer worker, played by Imogen Poots (“The Father”).
“It takes place at a moment where an Israeli-Jewish-American soldier...
Goodfellas, formerly known as Wild Bunch, on Thursday will be presenting to buyers the almost completed film that takes its cue from a real prisoners swap that took place in 2011 when Israel freed more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one soldier who had been kidnapped by Palestinian militants.
In “The Teacher” a Palestinian school teacher played by Saleh Bakri struggles to reconcile his commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students. There is also a subplot involving his romantic relationship with a British volunteer worker, played by Imogen Poots (“The Father”).
“It takes place at a moment where an Israeli-Jewish-American soldier...
- 5/18/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Wild Bunch International (Wbi) has boarded sales on buzzy Portuguese director, artist and producer Gabriel Abrantes’ upcoming English-language feature Amelia’s Children.
The film is among half a dozen new titles being launched by Wbi at the EFM, alongside a raft of previously announced upcoming films, including Cannes hopefuls such as Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s Monster.
The company is also handling Berlinale Competition selections, Philippe Garrel’s The Plough and Makoto Shinkai’s hotly awaited anime Suzume, and the Panorama title Heroic, which world premiered at Sundance.
Abrante’s psychological thriller Amelia’s Children is his solo feature debut and his first feature since his 2018 Cannes Critics’ Week winner Diamantino (co-directed with Daniel Schmidt).
The film reunites him with its star Carloto Cotta. Other key cast members are Brigette Lundy-Paine (Atypical) and Alba Baptiste (Warrior Nun).
Cotta plays a man whose search for his biological family leads him and his...
The film is among half a dozen new titles being launched by Wbi at the EFM, alongside a raft of previously announced upcoming films, including Cannes hopefuls such as Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s Monster.
The company is also handling Berlinale Competition selections, Philippe Garrel’s The Plough and Makoto Shinkai’s hotly awaited anime Suzume, and the Panorama title Heroic, which world premiered at Sundance.
Abrante’s psychological thriller Amelia’s Children is his solo feature debut and his first feature since his 2018 Cannes Critics’ Week winner Diamantino (co-directed with Daniel Schmidt).
The film reunites him with its star Carloto Cotta. Other key cast members are Brigette Lundy-Paine (Atypical) and Alba Baptiste (Warrior Nun).
Cotta plays a man whose search for his biological family leads him and his...
- 2/2/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: There will be plenty of promising acquisition titles at Venice and Toronto, but here’s an intriguing one that wrapped too late for festival consideration that will be introduced to buyers in the fall market by CAA Media Finance.
The Teacher is a drama inspired by true events, set and shot in Palestine. The film marks the feature debut of British-Palestinian writer-director Farah Nabulsi, who was Oscar nominated and won the BAFTA for her short The Present. She didn’t choose an easy path for her first feature, which she scripted and which stars Imogen Poots, Saleh Bakri, Stanley Townsend, Paul Herzberg and Andrea Irvine. One to watch is Palestinian newcomer Mohamed Abdel Rahman.
Devastated by the loss of his teenage son, The Teacher follows a Palestinian school teacher Basem El-Saleh (Bakri) who struggles to reconcile his risky commitment to political resistance with the chance of a new relationship...
The Teacher is a drama inspired by true events, set and shot in Palestine. The film marks the feature debut of British-Palestinian writer-director Farah Nabulsi, who was Oscar nominated and won the BAFTA for her short The Present. She didn’t choose an easy path for her first feature, which she scripted and which stars Imogen Poots, Saleh Bakri, Stanley Townsend, Paul Herzberg and Andrea Irvine. One to watch is Palestinian newcomer Mohamed Abdel Rahman.
Devastated by the loss of his teenage son, The Teacher follows a Palestinian school teacher Basem El-Saleh (Bakri) who struggles to reconcile his risky commitment to political resistance with the chance of a new relationship...
- 8/30/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The eighth edition of the annual talent incubator takes place online from March 18-23.
The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) has unveiled the 45 projects that will participate in the eighth edition of its annual talent incubator Qumra, taking place online March 18-23.
The event is running as a virtual edition for the third year due to ongoing health concerns and travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The selection spans 28 features, 11 shorts and 6 series in different stages of development and production from 21 territories.
Features in development include Oscar-nominated Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi’s debut feature The Teacher and Syrian director Anas Khalaf...
The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) has unveiled the 45 projects that will participate in the eighth edition of its annual talent incubator Qumra, taking place online March 18-23.
The event is running as a virtual edition for the third year due to ongoing health concerns and travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The selection spans 28 features, 11 shorts and 6 series in different stages of development and production from 21 territories.
Features in development include Oscar-nominated Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi’s debut feature The Teacher and Syrian director Anas Khalaf...
- 3/2/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The eighth edition of the annual talent incubator takes place online from March 18-23.
The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) has unveiled the 48 projects that will participate in the eighth edition of its annual talent incubator Qumra, taking place online March 18-23.
The event is running as a virtual edition for the third year due to ongoing health concerns and travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The selection spans 28 features, 11 shorts and 6 series in different stages of development and production from 21 territories.
Features in development include Oscar-nominated Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi’s debut feature The Teacher and Syrian director Anas Khalaf...
The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) has unveiled the 48 projects that will participate in the eighth edition of its annual talent incubator Qumra, taking place online March 18-23.
The event is running as a virtual edition for the third year due to ongoing health concerns and travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The selection spans 28 features, 11 shorts and 6 series in different stages of development and production from 21 territories.
Features in development include Oscar-nominated Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi’s debut feature The Teacher and Syrian director Anas Khalaf...
- 3/2/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The ninth edition of Doha Film Institute’s youth and family-focused festival ran November 7-13.
Egyptian director Ali El Arabi’s coming-of-age documentary Captains Of Zaatari has won the top prize at the ninth edition of Doha Film Institute’s Ayjal Film Festival which took place in Qatar from November 7-13.
Captains Of Zaatari won the best feature film award in the Hilal category, chosen by a jury aged 13 to 17 years. It follows two young Syrian refugees living in a camp in Jordan as they pursue their dreams to become professional soccer players.
In a surprise announcement, it was revealed the film’s young subjects,...
Egyptian director Ali El Arabi’s coming-of-age documentary Captains Of Zaatari has won the top prize at the ninth edition of Doha Film Institute’s Ayjal Film Festival which took place in Qatar from November 7-13.
Captains Of Zaatari won the best feature film award in the Hilal category, chosen by a jury aged 13 to 17 years. It follows two young Syrian refugees living in a camp in Jordan as they pursue their dreams to become professional soccer players.
In a surprise announcement, it was revealed the film’s young subjects,...
- 11/17/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Doha Film Industry has supported more than 640 films from 70 countries since it began.
UK-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi, who was Oscar-nominated this year for her debut short The Present, has secured the backing of the Doha Film Institute (Dfi) for her upcoming first feature The Teacher.
It is one of 32 projects hailing from 13 territories to receive funding from the Qatari institution in its spring 2021 grants round.
According to a logline provided by the Dfi, it follows “a Palestinian teenage boy who discovers his teacher is involved with the darker side of resistance and feels emboldened to seek revenge for the death...
UK-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi, who was Oscar-nominated this year for her debut short The Present, has secured the backing of the Doha Film Institute (Dfi) for her upcoming first feature The Teacher.
It is one of 32 projects hailing from 13 territories to receive funding from the Qatari institution in its spring 2021 grants round.
According to a logline provided by the Dfi, it follows “a Palestinian teenage boy who discovers his teacher is involved with the darker side of resistance and feels emboldened to seek revenge for the death...
- 6/9/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
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