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
On Oct. 7, when the Israel-Hamas war broke out, Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir was just one week away from starting principal photography in Bethlehem, 45 miles from Gaza, on “All Before You.”
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker’s long-gestating project reconstructs the 1936 farmer-led revolt against British colonial rule and the influx of Jewish settlements in Palestine that has been at the root of the conflict. The latest outbreak of violence came after a Hamas-led terror attack that left about 1,200 Israelis dead while 250 were taken hostage, with more than 100 believed to still be held by Hamas.
Now Jacir, who is based in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinian Authority, is anxiously waiting for a cease-fire that will put an end to the death and destruction and allow her to go back and shoot the drama. “It’s more important than ever to tell this largely forgotten story,” she says.
As hopes of...
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker’s long-gestating project reconstructs the 1936 farmer-led revolt against British colonial rule and the influx of Jewish settlements in Palestine that has been at the root of the conflict. The latest outbreak of violence came after a Hamas-led terror attack that left about 1,200 Israelis dead while 250 were taken hostage, with more than 100 believed to still be held by Hamas.
Now Jacir, who is based in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinian Authority, is anxiously waiting for a cease-fire that will put an end to the death and destruction and allow her to go back and shoot the drama. “It’s more important than ever to tell this largely forgotten story,” she says.
As hopes of...
- 3/29/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best International Feature Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’
Weekly Commentary: The United Kingdom is poised to win its first Academy Award with Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and what a deserved win it will be.
But while I have the floor: it’s time for the...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best International Feature Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’
Weekly Commentary: The United Kingdom is poised to win its first Academy Award with Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and what a deserved win it will be.
But while I have the floor: it’s time for the...
- 3/7/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The world premere of Irish director Ross Killeen’s Don’t Forget To Remember scooped the audience award as the 22nd Dublin International Film Festival (Diff) drew to a close on Saturday (March 2).
The Irish documentary is a collaboration with artist Asbestos, and explores the lived experience of Alzheimer’s, and the fragility and fortitude of memory.
Scroll down for the full list of Diff winners
“Although it’s a very personal film, Don’t Forget To Remember holds universal themes of love and loss, but most importantly, it’s about how we remember and shows how fragile those memories can be,...
The Irish documentary is a collaboration with artist Asbestos, and explores the lived experience of Alzheimer’s, and the fragility and fortitude of memory.
Scroll down for the full list of Diff winners
“Although it’s a very personal film, Don’t Forget To Remember holds universal themes of love and loss, but most importantly, it’s about how we remember and shows how fragile those memories can be,...
- 3/4/2024
- ScreenDaily
Fatma Al-Remaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute (Dfi), has today called for a ceasefire to bring an end to the “genocide in Gaza”, in her speech to open Qumra, the Dfi’s project and talent lab.
Addressing the 200 Qumra attendees at Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art, Al-Remaihi said, “While we celebrate the progress we have made, we are also confronted with a genocide in Gaza; and the ongoing attempts in silencing the voices crying out against it.
“It’s extremely frustrating and disappointing to see creative spaces, once considered safe havens for free expression, become oppressive. This cultural...
Addressing the 200 Qumra attendees at Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art, Al-Remaihi said, “While we celebrate the progress we have made, we are also confronted with a genocide in Gaza; and the ongoing attempts in silencing the voices crying out against it.
“It’s extremely frustrating and disappointing to see creative spaces, once considered safe havens for free expression, become oppressive. This cultural...
- 3/1/2024
- ScreenDaily
Live from a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, California, it’s the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards! This year’s ceremony, which kicked off this afternoon, was hosted by “Saturday Night Live” alum Aidy Bryant and feted the best in indie film and TV.
This year’s pack of nominees included a slew of Oscar contenders and a number of indie gems, all competing for the biggest prizes in the indie sphere.
Celine Song’s “Past Lives” won Best Feature (which the filmmaker picked up just minutes after winning Best Director as well), while “The Holdovers” and “American Fiction” also enjoyed multiple wins, including a Best Performance win for “American Fiction” star Jeffrey Wright and Best Screenplay for writer Cord Jefferson, and a Best Supporting Performance win for “The Holdovers” standout Da’Vine Joy Randolph and a Breakthrough Performance win for newbie Dominic Sessa.
Thanks to the Spirits’ various TV categories,...
This year’s pack of nominees included a slew of Oscar contenders and a number of indie gems, all competing for the biggest prizes in the indie sphere.
Celine Song’s “Past Lives” won Best Feature (which the filmmaker picked up just minutes after winning Best Director as well), while “The Holdovers” and “American Fiction” also enjoyed multiple wins, including a Best Performance win for “American Fiction” star Jeffrey Wright and Best Screenplay for writer Cord Jefferson, and a Best Supporting Performance win for “The Holdovers” standout Da’Vine Joy Randolph and a Breakthrough Performance win for newbie Dominic Sessa.
Thanks to the Spirits’ various TV categories,...
- 2/25/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Gold Derby is backstage at the 39th Annual Indie Spirit Awards on the beach in Santa Monica, CA on Sunday, February 25, hosted by comedian, actress and “SNL” alumnus Aidy Bryant. We’ll bring you all of the up-to-date details on the presenters, nominees and winners. (See the complete winners list here.) Read on for the 2024 Spirits live blog.
The kudofest is streaming live on IMDb’s YouTube Channel as well as Film Independent’s YouTube and Twitter accounts starting at 2 p.m. Pst/5 p.m. Est.
On the film side, the nominations were dominated by “American Fiction,” “Past Lives” and “May December,” which picked up five nods apiece. Those three films are up for Best Feature along with “All of Us Strangers,” “Passages” and “We Grown Now.” Since 2012, Film Independent and the Spirits have forecast 7 of 12 Best Picture winners at the Academy Awards, including “The Artist” (2012), “12 Years a Slave...
The kudofest is streaming live on IMDb’s YouTube Channel as well as Film Independent’s YouTube and Twitter accounts starting at 2 p.m. Pst/5 p.m. Est.
On the film side, the nominations were dominated by “American Fiction,” “Past Lives” and “May December,” which picked up five nods apiece. Those three films are up for Best Feature along with “All of Us Strangers,” “Passages” and “We Grown Now.” Since 2012, Film Independent and the Spirits have forecast 7 of 12 Best Picture winners at the Academy Awards, including “The Artist” (2012), “12 Years a Slave...
- 2/25/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
The 39th Independent Spirit Awards will stream live on Film Independent and IMDb’s YouTube channels on Sunday, February 25. Scroll down to see our official odds in all 12 film categories (with our predicted winners highlighted in gold) and be sure to make or update your own predictions while there’s still time.
Heading into the ceremony, which will be hosted by comic actress Aidy Bryant, “American Fiction,” “May December,” and “Past Lives” stand as the year’s nominations leaders with five apiece. They will all face off in the top category of Best Picture, along with “Passages” (four total bids), “All of Us Strangers” (three), and “We Grown Now” (three).
Last year’s Spirit Awards previewed the Oscars success of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which left both ceremonies with seven wins including Best Picture. Over the years, only eight recipients of the academy’s highest honor have first clinched the corresponding Spirit Award,...
Heading into the ceremony, which will be hosted by comic actress Aidy Bryant, “American Fiction,” “May December,” and “Past Lives” stand as the year’s nominations leaders with five apiece. They will all face off in the top category of Best Picture, along with “Passages” (four total bids), “All of Us Strangers” (three), and “We Grown Now” (three).
Last year’s Spirit Awards previewed the Oscars success of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which left both ceremonies with seven wins including Best Picture. Over the years, only eight recipients of the academy’s highest honor have first clinched the corresponding Spirit Award,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Specialist UK distributor Tape has acquired Lina Soulem’s feature documentary Bye Bye Tiberias which it will release in UK and Ireland cinemas on June 28.
Soualem, the daughter of actress Hiam Abbass, explores her Palestinian family history in Bye Bye Tiberias which won the BFI London Film Festival’s Grierson award for best documentary in 2023.
Bye Bye Tiberias was the Palestinian entry for this year’s Academy Awards and is sold internationally by Swiss-French sales agency Lightdox.
The documentary premiered in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori in 2023, followed by its North American premiere in Toronto. It has since had an...
Soualem, the daughter of actress Hiam Abbass, explores her Palestinian family history in Bye Bye Tiberias which won the BFI London Film Festival’s Grierson award for best documentary in 2023.
Bye Bye Tiberias was the Palestinian entry for this year’s Academy Awards and is sold internationally by Swiss-French sales agency Lightdox.
The documentary premiered in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori in 2023, followed by its North American premiere in Toronto. It has since had an...
- 2/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Cph: Dox, Copenhagen’s International Documentary Festival, has set the full lineup for its 2024 edition, including 84 world premieres, 32 international premieres, and 9 European premieres.
Running March 13-24, the festival will feature six competition categories: Dox: Award, F: Act Award, Nordic: Dox Award, Next: Wave Award, New: Vision Award, and the new Human: Rights Award.
Musician Pete Doherty will attend the festival for a screening of Peter Doherty: Stranger in My Own Skin. The event will take place on March 18 at Bremen Theater, when he and the film’s director Katia de Vidas – who became Doherty’s wife over the ten years she followed him with her camera – openly discuss the substance abuse that has shadowed his entire career. After the screening, Doherty will give an acoustic concert. Other high-profile titles include Lana Wilson’s Look Into My Eyes, Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s Gaucho Gaucho, Carla Gutierrez’s Frida, Yance Ford’s Power,...
Running March 13-24, the festival will feature six competition categories: Dox: Award, F: Act Award, Nordic: Dox Award, Next: Wave Award, New: Vision Award, and the new Human: Rights Award.
Musician Pete Doherty will attend the festival for a screening of Peter Doherty: Stranger in My Own Skin. The event will take place on March 18 at Bremen Theater, when he and the film’s director Katia de Vidas – who became Doherty’s wife over the ten years she followed him with her camera – openly discuss the substance abuse that has shadowed his entire career. After the screening, Doherty will give an acoustic concert. Other high-profile titles include Lana Wilson’s Look Into My Eyes, Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s Gaucho Gaucho, Carla Gutierrez’s Frida, Yance Ford’s Power,...
- 2/21/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Gordon Main’s apartheid-era documentary “London Recruits” has been tapped as the opening film at the sixth Joburg Film Festival, which takes place Feb. 27 – March 3 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The film sheds light on a pivotal moment in South Africa‘s history, when the struggle against the apartheid government in South Africa developed a new secret weapon. Oliver Tambo hatched a plan to infiltrate young British activists into the country, posing as tourists. Their mission, in the face of brutal lockdown by the racist regime, was to help inspire ordinary South Africans to join a liberation movement that would never give up till freedom was won.
The film is produced by Jacintha de Nobrega (“Deep End”), Robyn Slovo, Geoff Arbourne, Colin Charles (“The Surveyor”), James Barrett (“A Change in the Weather”) and Felix Gill (“78/52″). As Variety previously reported, XYZ Films is repping the doc’s North American sales.
Earlier this week,...
The film sheds light on a pivotal moment in South Africa‘s history, when the struggle against the apartheid government in South Africa developed a new secret weapon. Oliver Tambo hatched a plan to infiltrate young British activists into the country, posing as tourists. Their mission, in the face of brutal lockdown by the racist regime, was to help inspire ordinary South Africans to join a liberation movement that would never give up till freedom was won.
The film is produced by Jacintha de Nobrega (“Deep End”), Robyn Slovo, Geoff Arbourne, Colin Charles (“The Surveyor”), James Barrett (“A Change in the Weather”) and Felix Gill (“78/52″). As Variety previously reported, XYZ Films is repping the doc’s North American sales.
Earlier this week,...
- 2/14/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
1992 archival footage of Palestinian lake Tiberias opens this feature documentary from Lina Soualem. The images, although mundane, have a very specific function. They link the viewer to the world which is no more. The story of the director's family serves as a lens through which a tale of war-torn country is told.
In theaters in NYC January 12 and Los Angeles January 19
Hiam Abbass, most widely known as a recent “Succession” alumni, moved from Palestine to Paris over 30 years ago to pursue her career in acting. The decision to leave had large repercussions on her life, and alienated her from the town she was raised in. Most importantly, the actress had to practically cut her ties with the rest of her estranged family. In “Bye Bye Tiberias” director Lina Soualem (also Abbass' daughter) triggers a trip down memory lane by confronting the protagonist with old photograph albums, encounters with family members...
In theaters in NYC January 12 and Los Angeles January 19
Hiam Abbass, most widely known as a recent “Succession” alumni, moved from Palestine to Paris over 30 years ago to pursue her career in acting. The decision to leave had large repercussions on her life, and alienated her from the town she was raised in. Most importantly, the actress had to practically cut her ties with the rest of her estranged family. In “Bye Bye Tiberias” director Lina Soualem (also Abbass' daughter) triggers a trip down memory lane by confronting the protagonist with old photograph albums, encounters with family members...
- 1/14/2024
- by Olek Młyński
- AsianMoviePulse
As awards season switches up a gear, with the handing out of the Golden Globes and the publication of the Bafta shortlists, one major title stands out in the International categories of both: Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall. It would be a reasonable bet for the Oscar win in any year — if it were actually eligible. In lieu of Triet’s film, which fell well within Academy rules in terms of the amount of English spoken, the French selection panel opted instead for period gourmet drama The Taste of Things to do battle for the country’s honor, a move that is sure to cause a lot of confusion in the coming weeks.
Otherwise, the release of the international shortlist came with very few surprises this year, but perhaps chief among them was an unexpected snub for the Palestinian entry Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soulem.
Otherwise, the release of the international shortlist came with very few surprises this year, but perhaps chief among them was an unexpected snub for the Palestinian entry Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soulem.
- 1/11/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Every year since its creation in 1956, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) invites the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The category was previously called the Best Foreign Language Film, but this was changed in April 2019 to Best International Feature Film, after the Academy deemed the word “Foreign” to be outdated.
The award is presented annually by the Academy to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue. For the 96th Academy Awards, the submitted motion pictures must be first released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline for submissions to the Academy was October 2, 2023, and 92 countries submitted a film. The 15-film shortlist will be announced on December 21, 2023, followed by the official nominations on January 23, 2024.
Here are this edition's Asian Submissions for Best International Feature Film.
The award is presented annually by the Academy to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue. For the 96th Academy Awards, the submitted motion pictures must be first released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline for submissions to the Academy was October 2, 2023, and 92 countries submitted a film. The 15-film shortlist will be announced on December 21, 2023, followed by the official nominations on January 23, 2024.
Here are this edition's Asian Submissions for Best International Feature Film.
- 12/11/2023
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Exclusive: New York-based Women Make Movies has acquired U.S. rights for Palestinian Oscar entry Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soualem.
The intimate work sees Soualem accompany her Palestinian-French actress mother Hiam Abbass back to the Arab village within Israeli borders, which she left in the 1980s to pursue her acting career in Europe.
There, they reflect on her past as well as the lives of Abbass’ mother and grandmother in a powerful work exploring themes of displacement, identity and survival across four generations of women.
Wmm executive director Debra Zimmerman said the film was a “perfect fit” for the label, which aims to put spotlight on the work of female filmmakers.
“It is a beautiful film about four generations of Palestinian women,” she said. “I am thrilled that we have the opportunity to have this film seen widely right now by the diverse audiences that need and deserve to see it.
The intimate work sees Soualem accompany her Palestinian-French actress mother Hiam Abbass back to the Arab village within Israeli borders, which she left in the 1980s to pursue her acting career in Europe.
There, they reflect on her past as well as the lives of Abbass’ mother and grandmother in a powerful work exploring themes of displacement, identity and survival across four generations of women.
Wmm executive director Debra Zimmerman said the film was a “perfect fit” for the label, which aims to put spotlight on the work of female filmmakers.
“It is a beautiful film about four generations of Palestinian women,” she said. “I am thrilled that we have the opportunity to have this film seen widely right now by the diverse audiences that need and deserve to see it.
- 12/8/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
After “Their Algeria,” a well-received documentary from 2020 about the parents of her actor father Zinedine Soualem, France-born filmmaker-performer Lina Soualem turns her camera on her maternal relatives in “Bye Bye Tiberias,” in particular her mother, the Palestine-born actress Hiam Abbass. By telling their story, she hopes to reclaim and question the personal, historical and visual legacies she inherited and to answer the question “How does a woman find her place when caught between worlds?” a question that applies equally to her and her mother. After its world premiere at the Venice Film Fest, the essay film, with its mix of the personal and the political, has been a festival favorite, going on to win the Grierson award for best documentary in London and the jury prize ex aequo in Marrakech. It represents Palestine in the Oscar international feature competition.
The title gives a clue to what Soualem considers the critical...
The title gives a clue to what Soualem considers the critical...
- 12/8/2023
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Shortlist of 15 films to be announced December 21, nominations out on January 23, 2024.
The Academy has announced eligible features in the categories of international feature film, animation, and documentary for the 96th Academy Awards on March 10, 2024.
The shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 21, and the nominations announcement is January 23, 2024.
International
Eighty-eight countries or regions have submitted films eligible for consideration in the international feature film category. An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes long) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track. Namibia is a first-time entrant.
Academy members...
The Academy has announced eligible features in the categories of international feature film, animation, and documentary for the 96th Academy Awards on March 10, 2024.
The shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 21, and the nominations announcement is January 23, 2024.
International
Eighty-eight countries or regions have submitted films eligible for consideration in the international feature film category. An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes long) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track. Namibia is a first-time entrant.
Academy members...
- 12/7/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The Academy has revealed the list of eligible films for consideration in best animated, documentary and international feature of the year, encompassing a broad range of blockbusters and critically acclaimed titles.
GKids’ “The Boy and the Heron,” Pixar’s “Elemental,” Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” are among the 33 animated films in the running. This is up from 27 in 2023, when “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” took home the prize.
The eventual five nominees are determined by members of the shorts and animation branch, and any Academy members outside the branch who wish to participate. The number of outside members who opt in is unknown. All films submitted for animated feature also qualify for the Academy Awards in other categories, including best picture.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
There are 88 films representing their countries for the international feature Oscar,...
GKids’ “The Boy and the Heron,” Pixar’s “Elemental,” Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” are among the 33 animated films in the running. This is up from 27 in 2023, when “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” took home the prize.
The eventual five nominees are determined by members of the shorts and animation branch, and any Academy members outside the branch who wish to participate. The number of outside members who opt in is unknown. All films submitted for animated feature also qualify for the Academy Awards in other categories, including best picture.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
There are 88 films representing their countries for the international feature Oscar,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The 2024 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations — see the full list below — were unveiled on Tuesday, December 5, crowning the past year’s achievements in indie film. The actual awards ceremony, taking place on February 24, 2024 in the usual tent on the beach in Santa Monica, is a little less than three months away, but the films nominated today will carry new momentum into the rest of awards season, including the Oscar race. Joel Kim Booster (“Fire Island”) and Natalie Morales (“No Hard Feelings”) were the presenters of the nominees.
“American Fiction,” “May December,” and “Past Lives” led the Indie Spirits noms with five each, including each of them getting a nod for Best Feature. Todd Haynes for “May December” and Celine Song for “Past Lives” also received Best Director nods. Natalie Portman for “May December,” Greta Lee for “Past Lives,” and Jeffrey Wright for “American Fiction” also received Best Lead Performance nods.
“American Fiction,” “May December,” and “Past Lives” led the Indie Spirits noms with five each, including each of them getting a nod for Best Feature. Todd Haynes for “May December” and Celine Song for “Past Lives” also received Best Director nods. Natalie Portman for “May December,” Greta Lee for “Past Lives,” and Jeffrey Wright for “American Fiction” also received Best Lead Performance nods.
- 12/5/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Film Independent announced the 2024 Spirit Award nominees in all the film and TV categories on Tuesday, Dec 5. Only American productions with budgets of less than $30 million were eligible for consideration in the film races. Winners will be revealed on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, at a ceremony hosted by Aidy Bryant.
Last year, these kudos eliminated the four gendered acting awards and replaced them with just two prizes: lead and supporting performances (each has 10 nominees). It also added a new category, Best Breakthrough Performance, which has five contenders.
See the full list of 2024 Spirit Awards nominations for film and TV below.
Film
Best Picture
“All of Us Strangers”
“American Fiction”
“May December”
“Passages”
“Past Lives”
“We Grown Now”
Best Director
Andrew Haigh, “All of Us Strangers”
Todd Haynes, “May December”
William Oldroyd, “Eileen”
Ira Sachs, “Passages”
Celine Song, “Past Lives”
Best Lead Performance
Jessica Chastain, “Memory”
Greta Lee, “Past Lives”
Trace Lysette, “Monica”
Natalie Portman,...
Last year, these kudos eliminated the four gendered acting awards and replaced them with just two prizes: lead and supporting performances (each has 10 nominees). It also added a new category, Best Breakthrough Performance, which has five contenders.
See the full list of 2024 Spirit Awards nominations for film and TV below.
Film
Best Picture
“All of Us Strangers”
“American Fiction”
“May December”
“Passages”
“Past Lives”
“We Grown Now”
Best Director
Andrew Haigh, “All of Us Strangers”
Todd Haynes, “May December”
William Oldroyd, “Eileen”
Ira Sachs, “Passages”
Celine Song, “Past Lives”
Best Lead Performance
Jessica Chastain, “Memory”
Greta Lee, “Past Lives”
Trace Lysette, “Monica”
Natalie Portman,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Further winners included Kamal Lazraq’s ‘Hounds’ and Lina Soualem’s ‘Bye Bye Tiberius’.
Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother Of All Lies won the top award at the 20th Marrakech International Film Festival (Fifm) on Saturday, marking the first time a Moroccan film has ever received the coveted Etoile d’Or.
The hybrid documentary recalls the bread riots that shook the working-class Casablanca neighbourhood of director Asmae El Moudir in 1981 and features members of the filmmaker’s family “acting” as themselves. They include her feisty grandmother Zahra, who attended the gala screening of the film.
The feature premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes,...
Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother Of All Lies won the top award at the 20th Marrakech International Film Festival (Fifm) on Saturday, marking the first time a Moroccan film has ever received the coveted Etoile d’Or.
The hybrid documentary recalls the bread riots that shook the working-class Casablanca neighbourhood of director Asmae El Moudir in 1981 and features members of the filmmaker’s family “acting” as themselves. They include her feisty grandmother Zahra, who attended the gala screening of the film.
The feature premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes,...
- 12/3/2023
- by E. Nina Rothe
- ScreenDaily
Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir has made history at the 20th edition of Morocco’s Marrakech Film Festival as the first local director to win its top prize with her hybrid documentary The Mother Of All Lies.
Inspired by the bread riots in El Moudir’s home city of Casablanca in 1981, the work uses a replica of the neighborhood where it happened and figurines to explore the lasting trauma of the event.
The film world premiered at Cannes this year, where it shared the Golden Eye prize for the Best Documentary with Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters.
Morocco has since submitted the work as its candidate for Best International Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
In other Marrakech awards, the Jury Prize was shared by Moroccan director Kamal Lazraq’s kidnapping thriller Hounds and French-Palestinian-Algerian filmmaker Lina Soualem’s Bye Bye Tiberias, revisiting the story of her...
Inspired by the bread riots in El Moudir’s home city of Casablanca in 1981, the work uses a replica of the neighborhood where it happened and figurines to explore the lasting trauma of the event.
The film world premiered at Cannes this year, where it shared the Golden Eye prize for the Best Documentary with Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters.
Morocco has since submitted the work as its candidate for Best International Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
In other Marrakech awards, the Jury Prize was shared by Moroccan director Kamal Lazraq’s kidnapping thriller Hounds and French-Palestinian-Algerian filmmaker Lina Soualem’s Bye Bye Tiberias, revisiting the story of her...
- 12/2/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Asmae El Moudir’s “The Mother of All Lies” won top honors at the Marrakech Film Festival on Saturday, marking festival history as the first Moroccan film to claim the top trophy, while adding Marrakech’s Étoile d’Or to a list of accolades that also includes best director from Cannes’ Un Certain Regard and best film from the Sydney Film Festival.
El Moudir’s hybrid feature — which is also Morocco’s Oscar submission — finds the filmmaker and kin using dioramas and figurines to recreate and reenact painful memories set against the backdrop of the 1981 Casablanca Bread Riots, with the unsparing doc serving as art therapy exercise, family exposé and evocation of national trauma.
“Every society has a truth that’s been buried, burned, redacted and erased,” said jury president Jessica Chastain upon announcing the top prize. “But by a collective remembrance, we preserve the stories that cannot be undone…...
El Moudir’s hybrid feature — which is also Morocco’s Oscar submission — finds the filmmaker and kin using dioramas and figurines to recreate and reenact painful memories set against the backdrop of the 1981 Casablanca Bread Riots, with the unsparing doc serving as art therapy exercise, family exposé and evocation of national trauma.
“Every society has a truth that’s been buried, burned, redacted and erased,” said jury president Jessica Chastain upon announcing the top prize. “But by a collective remembrance, we preserve the stories that cannot be undone…...
- 12/2/2023
- by Ben Croll and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Martin Scorsese will no longer attend nor participate in the Marrakech Film Festival’s Atlas Workshops, citing personal reasons.
The award-winning filmmaker was slated to serve as artistic godfather for Marrakech’s industry arm, which spotlights development titles and works-in-progress from dynamic new talents from across the Mena world. Lending his name to this year’s class, Scorsese planned to mentor the selected filmmakers, offering one-on-one artistic and strategic advice for each and every project.
Unable to travel due to personal reasons, and preferring to engage with workshop participants in a more direct way, the filmmaker will take a rain check, promising to return, in person, for a subsequent edition. News broke from sources close to the Atlas team, while neither festival nor filmmaker are expected to make a formal statement.
Despite this recent turn, event organizers promise no further changes to a program that has quickly become a leading incubator for eye-turning fare.
The award-winning filmmaker was slated to serve as artistic godfather for Marrakech’s industry arm, which spotlights development titles and works-in-progress from dynamic new talents from across the Mena world. Lending his name to this year’s class, Scorsese planned to mentor the selected filmmakers, offering one-on-one artistic and strategic advice for each and every project.
Unable to travel due to personal reasons, and preferring to engage with workshop participants in a more direct way, the filmmaker will take a rain check, promising to return, in person, for a subsequent edition. News broke from sources close to the Atlas team, while neither festival nor filmmaker are expected to make a formal statement.
Despite this recent turn, event organizers promise no further changes to a program that has quickly become a leading incubator for eye-turning fare.
- 11/25/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
The Atlas Workshops feature the participation of Martin Scorsese as its first patron this year.
Hédi Zardi, a film programmer, producer and founder of Paris-based sales company Luxbox, is the head of Atlas Workshops, the talent development programme of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which starts today (Novemberr 24).
During the past five editions of the Atlas Workshops, initiated in 2018, a total of 111 projects have participated, including 48 from Morocco. Several have gone on to screen at top international festivals. This year, four Atlas alumni were featured at Cannes, among them Asmae El Moudir’s feature documentaryThe Mother Of All Lies, and Kamal Lazraq’s Hounds.
Hédi Zardi, a film programmer, producer and founder of Paris-based sales company Luxbox, is the head of Atlas Workshops, the talent development programme of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which starts today (Novemberr 24).
During the past five editions of the Atlas Workshops, initiated in 2018, a total of 111 projects have participated, including 48 from Morocco. Several have gone on to screen at top international festivals. This year, four Atlas alumni were featured at Cannes, among them Asmae El Moudir’s feature documentaryThe Mother Of All Lies, and Kamal Lazraq’s Hounds.
- 11/24/2023
- by E. Nina Rothe
- ScreenDaily
The Atlas Workshops feature the participation of Martin Scorsese as its first patron this year.
Hédi Zardi, a film programmer, producer and founder of Paris-based sales company Luxbox, is the head of Atlas Workshops, the talent development programme of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which starts today (Novemberr 24).
This year the Atlas Workshops feature the participation of Martin Scorsese as its first patron.
During the past five editions of the Atlas Workshops, initiated in 2018, a total of 111 projects have participated, including 48 from Morocco. Several have gone on to screen at top international festivals. This year, four Atlas alumni were featured at Cannes,...
Hédi Zardi, a film programmer, producer and founder of Paris-based sales company Luxbox, is the head of Atlas Workshops, the talent development programme of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which starts today (Novemberr 24).
This year the Atlas Workshops feature the participation of Martin Scorsese as its first patron.
During the past five editions of the Atlas Workshops, initiated in 2018, a total of 111 projects have participated, including 48 from Morocco. Several have gone on to screen at top international festivals. This year, four Atlas alumni were featured at Cannes,...
- 11/24/2023
- by E. Nina Rothe
- ScreenDaily
Mstyslav Chernov’s unflinching account of the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine wins the public vote at the documentary festival
Mstyslav Chernov’s unflinching account of the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 20 Days In Mariupol, has won the Npo IDFA Audience Award at International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
The €5,000 prize was awarded at the Royal Theater Tuschinski in Amsterdam on Saturday night, (November 18) followed by a special screening of the film. The award is based on votes by festival visitors who rate the films directly following their screenings via a Qr code.
Mstyslav Chernov’s unflinching account of the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 20 Days In Mariupol, has won the Npo IDFA Audience Award at International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
The €5,000 prize was awarded at the Royal Theater Tuschinski in Amsterdam on Saturday night, (November 18) followed by a special screening of the film. The award is based on votes by festival visitors who rate the films directly following their screenings via a Qr code.
- 11/20/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
IDFA Winner Mohamed Jabaly, Director of ‘Life Is Beautiful,’ Reflects on Events in Home City of Gaza
Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly, who won the best director award at documentary festival IDFA on Thursday for “Life Is Beautiful,” has expressed his sense of helplessness amid the rising death toll in Gaza, where he was born.
On Oct. 7, Hamas – a terrorist organization that has ruled Gaza since 2006 – launched coordinated attacks in Israel, killing over 1,200 civilians, and taking over 240 civilian hostages. Israel responded with air strikes on Gaza and has launched a ground offensive. More than 11,500 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Jabaly told Variety: “I have so much pain inside me, I don’t know how I am even able to speak these words.”
“If the whole world can’t stop what’s happening, to make a ceasefire…it’s just a feeling of being trapped,” said Jabaly. “Even walking in the street is really difficult these days. Just knowing that [loved ones] have been under the bombs for over a month,...
On Oct. 7, Hamas – a terrorist organization that has ruled Gaza since 2006 – launched coordinated attacks in Israel, killing over 1,200 civilians, and taking over 240 civilian hostages. Israel responded with air strikes on Gaza and has launched a ground offensive. More than 11,500 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Jabaly told Variety: “I have so much pain inside me, I don’t know how I am even able to speak these words.”
“If the whole world can’t stop what’s happening, to make a ceasefire…it’s just a feeling of being trapped,” said Jabaly. “Even walking in the street is really difficult these days. Just knowing that [loved ones] have been under the bombs for over a month,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Richard Linklater’s action comedy “Hit Man” is set to open the Marrakech International Film Festival, which has announced its lineup of more than 70 films mixing known titles and fresh fare.
The fest is forging ahead with its 20th edition, which will run Nov. 24- Dec.2 in the ancient Moroccan city despite the Israel-Hamas conflict that has caused cancellations of several other fests in the region, as well as the earthquake that hit the country in September.
“Hit Man,” for which organizers declined to specify whether talent will attend, will screen as part of Marrakech’s red carpet gala screenings. Italian director Matteo Garrone is expected to make the trek for the gala of his Venice prizewinning immigration drama “Io Capitano” and Michel Franco will be coming to present another Venice prizewinner, “Memory,” starring Jessica Chastain, who is presiding over the fest’s main jury.
Also expected on hand for...
The fest is forging ahead with its 20th edition, which will run Nov. 24- Dec.2 in the ancient Moroccan city despite the Israel-Hamas conflict that has caused cancellations of several other fests in the region, as well as the earthquake that hit the country in September.
“Hit Man,” for which organizers declined to specify whether talent will attend, will screen as part of Marrakech’s red carpet gala screenings. Italian director Matteo Garrone is expected to make the trek for the gala of his Venice prizewinning immigration drama “Io Capitano” and Michel Franco will be coming to present another Venice prizewinner, “Memory,” starring Jessica Chastain, who is presiding over the fest’s main jury.
Also expected on hand for...
- 11/2/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The 20th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival has announced its selection, opening with Richard Linklater’s comedy Hit Man.
The event, running from November 24 to December 24, will unfold two months after the devastating earthquake in the nearby Atlas Mountains in September, which killed more than 2,000 people.
The management team has decided to push on with the event to support Marrakech, which suffered very little damage and relies heavily on tourism for its livelihood.
Hit Man will play as part of the festival’s six picture red carpet Gala selection which also includes Matteo Garrone’s Italian Oscar entry Me Captain and Michel Franco’s Memory.
Previously announced high-profile guests due to attend this year include Martin Scorsese, who will act as a mentor to emerging filmmakers attending the industry-focused Atlas Workshops, and Jessica Chastain as president of the jury.
She will be joined by Iranian actress and director Zar Amir,...
The event, running from November 24 to December 24, will unfold two months after the devastating earthquake in the nearby Atlas Mountains in September, which killed more than 2,000 people.
The management team has decided to push on with the event to support Marrakech, which suffered very little damage and relies heavily on tourism for its livelihood.
Hit Man will play as part of the festival’s six picture red carpet Gala selection which also includes Matteo Garrone’s Italian Oscar entry Me Captain and Michel Franco’s Memory.
Previously announced high-profile guests due to attend this year include Martin Scorsese, who will act as a mentor to emerging filmmakers attending the industry-focused Atlas Workshops, and Jessica Chastain as president of the jury.
She will be joined by Iranian actress and director Zar Amir,...
- 11/2/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Some European crew evacuated in wake of Israel-Hamas conflict.
Filming on Palestinian-American filmmaker Cherien Dabis’ upcoming feature All That’s Left Of You has been disrupted by the ongoing conflict in the region.
Dabis was on a tech recce in Jaffa for her third feature, a historical drama chronicling one Palestinian family over three generations, when the October 7 Hamas attacks took place, sparking Israeli retaliation in Gaza.
“We had to evacuate all of our foreign crew,” Dabis told Screen. “We were hearing bombs and fighter jets overhead. The tensions were really high for the first days we stayed there before evacuating.
Filming on Palestinian-American filmmaker Cherien Dabis’ upcoming feature All That’s Left Of You has been disrupted by the ongoing conflict in the region.
Dabis was on a tech recce in Jaffa for her third feature, a historical drama chronicling one Palestinian family over three generations, when the October 7 Hamas attacks took place, sparking Israeli retaliation in Gaza.
“We had to evacuate all of our foreign crew,” Dabis told Screen. “We were hearing bombs and fighter jets overhead. The tensions were really high for the first days we stayed there before evacuating.
- 10/16/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
The 2023 BFI London Film Festival came to a close on Sunday night in the British capital with the world premiere of The Kitchen, Netflix’s dystopian thriller co-directed by Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya in the actor’s feature debut behind the camera.
The film, set in a rundown housing project in a near-future London and tapping into themes of gentrification and inequality, follows Izi (Top Boy star Kane Robinson) as he attempts to escape the estate only to find his life become entangled with teen Benji (newcomer Jedaiah Bannerman).
“I realized that you have to be very, very specific to be universal,” said Kaluuya as he introduced the film. “So this film is very, very London and very, very British and very, very global. I believe in my heart that we have every right to be as unapologetic and as unashamedly ourselves and tap into universal themes, stories and...
The film, set in a rundown housing project in a near-future London and tapping into themes of gentrification and inequality, follows Izi (Top Boy star Kane Robinson) as he attempts to escape the estate only to find his life become entangled with teen Benji (newcomer Jedaiah Bannerman).
“I realized that you have to be very, very specific to be universal,” said Kaluuya as he introduced the film. “So this film is very, very London and very, very British and very, very global. I believe in my heart that we have every right to be as unapologetic and as unashamedly ourselves and tap into universal themes, stories and...
- 10/16/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist” was named the best film in the official competition at this year’s BFI London Film Festival Awards.
“Paradise Is Burning” by Mika Gustafson received the Sutherland Award in the first feature competition, while Lina Soualem’s “Bye Bye Tiberias” took home the Grierson Award in the documentary competition and “The Archive: Queer Nigerians” directed by Simisolaoluwa Akande won the short film competition.
The jury presidents for this year’s awards included Amat Escalante (official competition), Raine Allen-Miller (first feature competition), Rubika Shah (documentary competition) and Charlotte Regan (short film competition).
In its official statement on selecting “Evil Does Not Exist” as best film, the jury said: “Subtle, cinematic and underscored by fully realised performances, Hamaguchi’s assured drama supersedes the sum of its parts. It is both a lyrical portrait of family and community, and a nuanced consideration of the ethics of land development.
“Paradise Is Burning” by Mika Gustafson received the Sutherland Award in the first feature competition, while Lina Soualem’s “Bye Bye Tiberias” took home the Grierson Award in the documentary competition and “The Archive: Queer Nigerians” directed by Simisolaoluwa Akande won the short film competition.
The jury presidents for this year’s awards included Amat Escalante (official competition), Raine Allen-Miller (first feature competition), Rubika Shah (documentary competition) and Charlotte Regan (short film competition).
In its official statement on selecting “Evil Does Not Exist” as best film, the jury said: “Subtle, cinematic and underscored by fully realised performances, Hamaguchi’s assured drama supersedes the sum of its parts. It is both a lyrical portrait of family and community, and a nuanced consideration of the ethics of land development.
- 10/15/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Voting for audience awards is now open.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s environmental drama Evil Does Not Exist has won the best film award in official competition at the BFI London Film Festival (Lff), which closed today (October 15).
A statement from the competition jury read, “Subtle, cinematic and underscored by fully realised performances, Hamaguchi’s assured drama supersedes the sum of its parts.
“It is both a lyrical portrait of family and community, and a nuanced consideration of the ethics of land development. Amidst a strong competition the jury is unanimous in our admiration!.”
Scroll down for the full list of winners...
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s environmental drama Evil Does Not Exist has won the best film award in official competition at the BFI London Film Festival (Lff), which closed today (October 15).
A statement from the competition jury read, “Subtle, cinematic and underscored by fully realised performances, Hamaguchi’s assured drama supersedes the sum of its parts.
“It is both a lyrical portrait of family and community, and a nuanced consideration of the ethics of land development. Amidst a strong competition the jury is unanimous in our admiration!.”
Scroll down for the full list of winners...
- 10/15/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Predicting the eventual five Oscar nominees for Best International Feature is made difficult by the three-step process that begins after the October 2, 2023 deadline for countries to submit entries. To be part of the selection process for this category, which was called Best Foreign Language Film before 2020, requires a great deal of dedication. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2024 Oscars Best International Feature predictions.)
In the days following the deadline for submissions, the academy determines each film’s eligibility. Then the several hundred academy members who serve on the International Feature screening committee are divided into groups and required to watch all their submissions over a six-week period that ends in early December. Their top 15 vote-getters will make it to the next round. That list of semi-finalists will be revealed on December 21, 2023.
These 15 films will be made available to the entire academy membership who can cast ballots for the final five...
In the days following the deadline for submissions, the academy determines each film’s eligibility. Then the several hundred academy members who serve on the International Feature screening committee are divided into groups and required to watch all their submissions over a six-week period that ends in early December. Their top 15 vote-getters will make it to the next round. That list of semi-finalists will be revealed on December 21, 2023.
These 15 films will be made available to the entire academy membership who can cast ballots for the final five...
- 9/25/2023
- by Paul Sheehan and Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Prior selections Close, Drive My Car, The Worst Person In The World all garnered international feature film Oscar submissions.
Aki Kaurismäki’s Cannes jury prize winner Fallen Leaves and Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s About Dry Grasses starring Cannes best actress winner Merve Dizdar – both Oscar submissions this year – are among the international line-up at the upcoming 59th Chicago International Film Festival (October 11–22).
Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera and Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Pictures Of Ghosts are two other Cannes selections to feature in the roster, while Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist and Lina Soualem’s Bye Bye Tiberias both launched in Venice.
Aki Kaurismäki’s Cannes jury prize winner Fallen Leaves and Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s About Dry Grasses starring Cannes best actress winner Merve Dizdar – both Oscar submissions this year – are among the international line-up at the upcoming 59th Chicago International Film Festival (October 11–22).
Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera and Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Pictures Of Ghosts are two other Cannes selections to feature in the roster, while Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist and Lina Soualem’s Bye Bye Tiberias both launched in Venice.
- 9/14/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Palestinian-French actress Hiam Abbass and her filmmaker daughter Lina Soualem touch down at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday with documentary Bye Bye Tiberias.
The intimate work takes the mother and daughter back to the Arab village, situated within Israeli borders in the Lower Galilee, which Abbass left behind in the early 1980s to pursue her acting dreams in Europe.
There, they explore the lives and legacies of four generations of women, all marked in different ways by the consequences of the first generation being expelled from the long-time family home city of Tiberias in 1948, on the eve of the creation of Israel.
Abbass’s near-100 credits have included Tunisian drama Red Satin, Moroccan hit Rock The Casbah, Israeli productions The Syrian Bride and Lemon Tree; Syria civil war-set Insyriated, Palestinian dramas Degradé and Gaza Mon Amour as well as parts in Steven Spielberg’s Munich and Jim Jarmusch’s The Limits Of Control.
The intimate work takes the mother and daughter back to the Arab village, situated within Israeli borders in the Lower Galilee, which Abbass left behind in the early 1980s to pursue her acting dreams in Europe.
There, they explore the lives and legacies of four generations of women, all marked in different ways by the consequences of the first generation being expelled from the long-time family home city of Tiberias in 1948, on the eve of the creation of Israel.
Abbass’s near-100 credits have included Tunisian drama Red Satin, Moroccan hit Rock The Casbah, Israeli productions The Syrian Bride and Lemon Tree; Syria civil war-set Insyriated, Palestinian dramas Degradé and Gaza Mon Amour as well as parts in Steven Spielberg’s Munich and Jim Jarmusch’s The Limits Of Control.
- 9/11/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
As you read this, new titles from filmmakers of Tunisian, Moroccan and Franco-Palestinian-Algerian heritage are making their mark at the Venice Film Festival, while Toronto Film Festival will premiere a trio of first features from Saudi Arabia, along with discoveries from the UAE and Palestine, plus a handful of Arab titles screened at Cannes and Venice. Those in the know say that the annual number of Arab films produced has increased along with the emergence of new filmmakers, and that fall festivals such as El Gouna, Marrakech, Cairo and Red Sea will be chockablock with fresh regional titles.
Last year, Venice boasted a remarkably large crop of Arab-language features, but a strong Cannes 2023 selection of Arabic cinema that claimed kudos in various sections of the French fest left the Biennale with a picked over selection. Nevertheless, Venice can claim credit for nurturing this year’s Cannes Critics’ Week prize-winner “Inshallah a Boy...
Last year, Venice boasted a remarkably large crop of Arab-language features, but a strong Cannes 2023 selection of Arabic cinema that claimed kudos in various sections of the French fest left the Biennale with a picked over selection. Nevertheless, Venice can claim credit for nurturing this year’s Cannes Critics’ Week prize-winner “Inshallah a Boy...
- 9/4/2023
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
To find her voice as a filmmaker, Paris-based documentarian Lina Soualem had to first look to the past.
The daughter of French actor Zinedine Soualem and Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass — seen recently as the Machiavellian Marcia Roy in HBO’s “Succession” — Soualem used her directorial debut, “Their Algeria,” to tell the story of her paternal grandparents’ decision to separate after more than 60 years of marriage. Now she returns with another intimate family portrait, “Bye Bye Tiberias,” which premieres Sept. 3 at the Venice Film Festival. Lightdox is handling world sales.
Soualem’s sophomore effort is an emotional journey that sees the filmmaker and her mother return to the family’s ancestral village in Palestine, which Abbass left in her early twenties to pursue her dream of becoming an actress in Europe. In the process, she left behind her mother, grandmother and seven sisters, along with questions that haunt the actress to this day.
The daughter of French actor Zinedine Soualem and Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass — seen recently as the Machiavellian Marcia Roy in HBO’s “Succession” — Soualem used her directorial debut, “Their Algeria,” to tell the story of her paternal grandparents’ decision to separate after more than 60 years of marriage. Now she returns with another intimate family portrait, “Bye Bye Tiberias,” which premieres Sept. 3 at the Venice Film Festival. Lightdox is handling world sales.
Soualem’s sophomore effort is an emotional journey that sees the filmmaker and her mother return to the family’s ancestral village in Palestine, which Abbass left in her early twenties to pursue her dream of becoming an actress in Europe. In the process, she left behind her mother, grandmother and seven sisters, along with questions that haunt the actress to this day.
- 9/3/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Lina Soualem’s docmentary features her mother, actor Hiam Abbass.
Switzerland’s Lightdox has acquired world sales rights to Lina Soualem’s Bye Bye Tiberias ahead of the documentary’s world premiere in the special events sidebar of Venice parallel section Giornate degli Autori.
Soualem’s feature captures the stories passed on by four generations of daring Palestinian women in her family, one of whom is her mother Hiam Abbass, the celebrated actor whose credits include Succession, Inheritance, and Munich.
Soualem accompanies her mother and questions her choices as Abbass returns to the native Palestinian village 30 years after she left...
Switzerland’s Lightdox has acquired world sales rights to Lina Soualem’s Bye Bye Tiberias ahead of the documentary’s world premiere in the special events sidebar of Venice parallel section Giornate degli Autori.
Soualem’s feature captures the stories passed on by four generations of daring Palestinian women in her family, one of whom is her mother Hiam Abbass, the celebrated actor whose credits include Succession, Inheritance, and Munich.
Soualem accompanies her mother and questions her choices as Abbass returns to the native Palestinian village 30 years after she left...
- 8/24/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
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