November 9 - 16, 2014 - 6:00 pm | Bechara El Rahi Theater Notre Dame University-Louaize, Main Campus In Partnership with In Collaboration with With the Support of
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Welcome note 5 honoring duraid lahham 6 Lebanese Students shorts 8 Lebanese Independent shorts 34 International shorts 39 Special showcase 52 International Guests 59 Jury Members 73 NDU Cine-Club Upcoming Movies 86 Film Festivals at NDUIFF 88 NDUIFF’S MANAGEMENT 90 NDUIFF’S Team 92 Screening Program 94
5
Welcome to the 8th NDUISFF
At the dawn of this 21st century, I see fear in the eyes of all those who believe in “Beauty” and in its power to save the world. I see youth growing old in despair, afraid to dream, even afraid to pray, to love, to commit to another, to partake in joyful events, to live the simple, daily pleasures of life. Are they afraid that «Ugliness» may steal our lives from us? Today, I invite you all to believe in beauty again, to remember all the beautiful moments in our lives; the beauty of birth, the reincarnation of nature, the beauty of a loved one’s laugh, a kiss, the warmth of a hug, the beauty of the first raindrops in fall, of a blossoming flower, of the morning breeze on our faces, the beauty of washing away a tear and then sharing a smile. I invite you all to bring beauty back into our lives. NDU International Film Festival “The Power of Youth” believes in “Beauty”, preaches “Beauty” and works to spread “Beauty” all around us. Your Ideas, your vision, and your perseverance, all marked in your films participating today in the 8th NDU International Film Festival, are a part of this beautiful dream… 8th NDU International Film Festival “The Power of Youth”, reflects “The Power of Your Beauty” Beauty Will Save Sam Lahoud Founder, Director NDU International Film Festival the World - Fyodor Dostoyevsky Duraid Lahham was born and raised in Damascus in 1934. He grew up in relative poverty, and studied chemistry at Damascus University, which qualified him for a well-paying job as an instructor at the Chemistry Department. Lahham was always enchanted by the theatre, participating in several plays during high school and college, while playing the clarinet in the high school band. While teaching at university, he started to give dance lessons and befriended the artistic community in Syria. When Syrian Television was inaugurated in 1960, its director Sabah Qabbani hired Lahham to star in a mini-series called Sahret Dimashq (Damascus Evening) with the already established stage actor Nihad Qali. The two men created a duo called «Duraid & Nihad» and achieved dramatic success in the Arab World from 1960 until Qali retired from acting due to illness in 1976. From then on, Lahham acted, directed, and wrote the screenplay for all of his works, and continues to do so until the present. His theatre was always greatly and visibly influenced by the musicals of the Lebanese artist Asi al-Rahbani and his wife, the diva Fayruz. Political events influenced him greatly as well, transforming his career from that of a comedian, into a political satirist. He was shocked by the collective Arab defeat of 1967, and greatly disturbed by separate peace of Egypt with Israel in 1978. In the early 1960s, Lahham abandoned university teaching to devote his time fully to acting, although this was viewed, by the conservative society in Damascus, as un-wise, since teaching was a respectable and stable job, while actors were not highly respected, under-paid, and had an uncertain future. He later claimed that devoting his life to art was one of the wisest decisions he ever made, since he achieved more success as an actor than any other profession, including university instruction, would have provided. In 1976, President Hafez al-Asad decorated Lahham with the Medal of the Syrian Republic, Excellence Class. He was also given medals of recognition for his work by Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba, who gave him the same medal in 1979, and TRIBUTE Libyan leader Mu’ammar al-Qaddafi in 1991. Nine years later, Lebanese President Emile Lahhoud awarded Lahham the Order of Merit of the Lebanese Republic in a ceremony held at the American University of Beirut (AUB), granted through the Syrian Culture &HONOR Club at AUB. In 1997, in recognition of his two children’s productions, the movie Kafroun in 1990 and the play Al-Usfura al-Sa’ida (The Happy Bird) in 1992, he became the UNICEF representative in Syria for children’s affairs. He performed several television TO THE series aimed at increasing awareness of the problems of children. Then in 1999, he became UNICEF Ambassador for Childhood in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2004, he left his job at UNICEF after paying a visit to South Lebanon, to the districts liberated from Israeli occupation in 2000. At the Lebanese-Israeli border, he gave a press conference, criticizing George W. Bush LEGEND and Ariel Sharon, comparing both men to Hitler. The statement was published in Lebanon and re-published in Israel, causing Tel Aviv to protest to the UNICEF that its goodwill ambassador was using un-diplomatic language. The UNICEF asked him whether the statement was correct, and when he confirmed that it was, they sent him a letter, thanking him for his services since 1997. He considered this an indirect message, relieving him of his duties at UNICEF. Currently, Duraid Lahham still lives in Damascus, and is devoted to his family, spending a lot of his time with his children and grandchildren. His first wife May al-Husayni bore him two children, Tha›er and Abeer, while his second and current wife Hala al-Bitar bore him his youngest daughter Dina.
SHORTS SELECTION LEBANESE STUDENTS 9
IESAV AUT WITH THY DIRECTOR ON THE DIRECTOR KARIM Alexandra SPIRIT RAHBANI STREET Khoury N N O O FICTI FICTI
17 min. 10 min.
Cast: Josef Chemaly | Abd el Hady Assaf | Kamil Cast: Martine Bou Younes | Joseph Daou Youssef | Michel Adabachi Production: 2013 Production: 2014
Father Geryes, a priest leading a peaceful life within his When she was in the heart of Beirut down town, monastery in Lebanon finds himself involved in a tragic searching for a life sign to shoot her project entitled life in accident. Will he have enough courage and integrity to the city, Lama will meet Jad, a strange guy who will show face the consequences of his actions? Will he be able to her the real streets life and teach her a lot of things that tell his fellow priests about the incident? she ignored. But a weird thing will occur, leading Lama to change her entire story. 10 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
AKU UPA DIRECTOR THE LOST DIRECTOR VAK ELIE RABIH AL MEMA LETTER BITAR N N O O FICTI FICTI
10 min. 12 min.
Cast: Oumayya Lahhoud |Bayan Abou Chakra | Cast: Michel Bteich | Saydeh Akiki Ilyes Hayek | Loutfallah Bou Khazen Production: 2014 Production: 2014
VAK an Eight years old child, a very imaginative child. A After the loss of his younger brother in the Lebanese war, daydreamer - has his unique view and perception of the Tony lived his life taking good care of his family with deep outside world as unique and different with its own colors, sadness in his heart because of this loss. shapes, and emptiness. The film is somehow a journey A lost letter from his younger brother finally arrives to between the abstractness of the characteristics that Tony’s hands after his mother’s death. builds up the story, the realm and the roughness of his mystery. 11
LGU lu1 Ya shames DIRECTOR DIRECTOR CHRISTELLE nafas Farah Abou ya shamouseh NICOLAS Kharroub N N O O FICTI FICTI
12 min. 15 min.
Cast: Valentina Aoun | Abdallah Zeineddine | Cast: Rebecca Bitar Yehia Jaber | Amal Diab Production: 2014 Production: 2014
Judy is a little girl who lives with her grandmother. Nahlan is trying her best to break free from the walls that After she lost her first tooth, she thought that she the society built around her. After moving to the city, she started envying people and infecting them with her look follows her own dreams to become a successful model. especially after all the situations she went through. Her Through her journey, she meets so many people that grandmother is trying to convince her that she’s not in change her life. After her big accomplishment, she goes trouble. back to confront her parents. 12 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
ndu iesav DIRECTOR earthworm DIRECTOR galle Anthony Nadim Heneine season Hejeili N NTARY O E FICTI CUM O D
10 min. 16 min.
Cast: Christelle Chebli Cast: hiam abou chedid Production: 2014 Production: 2014
A father living abroad sends e-mails to his 12-year-old Having discovered my family archives, I try to understand daughter telling her stories about the many adventures the story behind it. A history unfolds, one of wars, fear & he had in the various cities of Sri Lanka. After 10 years, hiding; but also, one of children, family gatherings & rare she decides to relive his journey and visit all the places he occasions of happiness. My mother tells me the story, wrote her about. Her voyage ends in Galle where she last answering my questions, yet something seems to linger read from her father. behind. Untold memories & an unrevealed truth hide behind her testimony. 13
alba usek DIRECTOR DIRECTOR massoud tania Manuscript Mansour iskandar Aoun N O N O FICTI ANIMATI
4 min. 16 min.
Cast: Katerina Azzi Production: 2013 Production: 2014
Un Libanais, coincé dans un grand embouteillage à Katerina, a piansit and an actress, is asked to act in Beyrouth, décide de transformer sa voiture en un véhicule a lebanese feature film for Ghassan Azzi, as the role volant, qui lui permet de s’enfuir de ce cauchemar. of a pianisit who loses her ability to play due to a psychological probelm. The mental illness of the role gets into her hands and therefore makes her lose her musical ability herself. 14 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
alba UPA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR lovers Julien HABIS GEORGE Tavitian ABDO N NTARY O E FICTI CUM O D
12 min. 12 min.
Cast: JULIA EL RAMY | MILAD EL RAMY | CYNTHIA SAWMA | CHARBEL KAMEL Production: 2014 Production: 2014
In Beirut today, “there are as many kinds of love as there “Habis” caves are a result of a strong relation between are hearts”. earth and human beings since centuries, maybe decades. Leon TOLSTOY Many myths and secrets were inherited among generations. 15
lu2 ndu DIRECTOR DIRECTOR Smog Jad april Chantale Sleiman Hannouch N N O O FICTI FICTI
16 min. 22 min.
Cast: Celine Lahoud as Lithops | Sarah bitar as Cast: Robert Hannouch | Isabell Rabogliatti Miasma Production: 2014 Production: 2014
In the near future, Factories filled the planet and April is a short film about a young girl “April” and a intoxicated the Air, Humans started living in the deserted young man “Daniel” whose lives cross paths. April is waste where Smog covers the skies and hides the Sun. a dreamer and a believer of love while Daniel is a hard Lithops is a 12 year old little girl who is seeking the working realist. Together, they undergo a magical journey sunlight and is willing to let go of anything to reach it. that draws them closer to each other and each promptly teaches the other to see new things in life. 16 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
lgu ALBA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR Inclined Sami INTERSECTION MARC Naoum AOUN N O N O FICTI ANIMATI
6 min. 5 min.
Cast: Joanna Breidy | Joe Mrad Production: 2014 Production: 2013
They say early is on time and on time is late! Well late An injured young man wakes up in a broken car at the was a new beginning for the unexpected. bottom of a valley. Attracted by a distant voice, he follows a mysterious trail in the forest. 17
USEK ALBA DIRECTOR THE SHELTER OF DIRECTOR THE LIFE LAYALE NOUR EL EL ASMAR GRAPES OF WRATH HODA WAHID Y NTAR NTARY E E CUM CUM O O D D
12 min. 14 min.
Cast: Dunia Aoun Abi Abboud Production: 2014 Production: 2014
In this film , there are three stories: Qana, 18th April 1996. -there is one of Dunia. Israeli bombings of UN premises in south Lebanon. -there is one of Leila. -and there were somehow mine. 18 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
aut iesav Screaming DIRECTOR DIRECTOR Martin django Scarlett la Vilma Bou Younes Saad N N O O FICTI FICTI
15 min. 18 min.
Cast: Richard Mattar | Esther Campbell Cast: Django | Sami Daccache Production: 2013 Production: 2014
We do have the power to build or destroy. Django is a young gypsy guitarist who flees the gypsy We can begin, re-begin or end up things. camp to pursue his dream. After his disappearance, his We do have the ability to love or hate. family puts a spell on him. He reaches the city where He was the one to destroy, to hate and to end up things. he meets an evil manager who hires him in his jazz club: But through his love to her, she is the chance to build a “le cabaret”. He becomes famous, however the curse new nation. takes over and soon enough his fingers turn into stone. He returns home only to find an abandoned camp and his caravan burned. 19
lau ndu DIRECTOR today DIRECTOR hend Stephanie elie Bou Habib mother died khalil N O N O FICTI ANIMATI
14 min. 1 min.
Cast: JuliEn Farhat | Julia El Rami | Jessica Khalifeh Production: 2013 Production: 2014
Cherif has devoted his life to taking care of his ailing Ibrahim, a middle aged man, has just lost his castrating mother until, one night, he is confronted with a difficult mother. He will soon discover that her presence did not choice. really leave the house. 20 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
lgu lu2 home of DIRECTOR SILENCE DIRECTOR jad Rana hope moukarzel ÉQUILATÉRAL Maalouf N NTARY O E FICTI CUM O D
6 min. 20 min.
Cast: Caroline Hatem | Ricardo Traboulsi Production: 2014 Production: 2014
Kids have some big family problems or social imbalance, When Jad, 19 years old, living with his mother, meets passed their journey at Beyt El Rajaa, the house for the Yasmine, a married woman in her late thirties, it seems orphans. They treat them to feel like it’s their home. like he fell for her when he finds himself fascinated by her husband’s world, and moreover to find himself a male idol. Strange emotions overtake Yasmine who feels that her life is empty and senseless, but soon realizes that she got everything she needs. 21
ndu alba The Third DIRECTOR black DIRECTOR julien racha Bench kai yogurt taki N NTARY O E FICTI CUM O D
12 min. 13 min.
Cast: Samer Al Achy Production: 2014 Production: 2014
In a land that knows no time nor space, one man controls Aisha is a Syrian little girl living in one of Lebanon’s the fate of a train station and takes its passenger on a refugee camps. journey beyond what they have expected. Suffering from all kinds of inhuman conditions, she dares to dream like every other child. 22 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
usek usek stay a DIRECTOR DIRECTOR marwan hayda l loto antonios free man habaka chalfoun N O NTARY E CUM ANIMATI O D
2 min. 12 min.
Cast: abou imad Production: 2014 Production: 2014
What is life on its own? My story is about a man living the Docu.fiction reflecting the lottery in the context of Beirut good life until one day he finds himself being the only one and hope, led by an old man who roams around Beirut without a partner. People all around him having romantic trying to sell lottery to survive his redundancy. moments... everybody seems to be in love but him suddenly, lightning strikes and he is riding the love train but little did he know that this train is going to hit rock bottom at the end. 23
lau DIRECTOR alba WHERE THERE IS DIRECTOR khalil Hassan Julien NOTHING BUT WATER MOHAMED Chehouri SABBAH N N O O FICTI FICTI
20 min. 26 min.
Cast: Nasri Sayegh | Racha Baroud Cast: CAROLINE HATEM | MAJDI MACHMOUCHI Production: 2014 Production: 2014
Khalil is a middle-aged Lebanese man who leads a A family is getting disintegrated... simple life, however, he’s got a big addiction, a haunting A cancer, a loss of memory, a desire and a lot of obsession. He likes to see women in emotional pain. imagination... Upon realizing that his only friend Racha is going through Under the hypnosis of the song of mermaids... an emotional downfall, he takes advantage of her for his own benefit. 24 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
iesav aku cupid, DIRECTOR DIRECTOR therezia 5d hiam the angel of love chalouhi hilal N O N O FICTI ANIMATI
1 min. 13 min.
Cast: Charbel Sammour Production: 2014 Production: 2014
Cupid is the little angel of love who, with a shot of an arrow, Jack, an eighteen year old boy wakes up nervously in the gathers two distant people together, or possibly fix a fight. morning on the alarm, and while going back to bed he tramples on the eyeglasses and breaks them. He goes searching for an optic gallery to fix them. Therefore, he finds the gallery where weird events happen with the “5D” eyeglasses that transfer him to Hollywood’s world… Afterwards, we notice that the cinema surpassed the “3D” phase to reach the “5D” phase, which is living the film by using the five senses. 25
upa ndu cars DIRECTOR DIRECTOR rabih exit Salma & crash al bitar Dhaybi N N O O FICTI ANIMATI
3 min. 15 min.
Cast: Yara Fares | Hassan Mrad | Daniel Balabane Production: 2013 Production: 2014
Survive to win, that is the main race. They will have to do what Living in stillness of emotions and feelings of a failing they have to do and will never stop the motion. marriage, the wife engages in an “affair” with an outcast who shakes her world and brings it back to life. 26 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
aust upa DIRECTOR it’s my baby, DIRECTOR bmout Haissam sister! rebecca fik Fawzi rustom Masri N NTARY O E FICTI CUM O D
15 min. 26 min.
Cast: Rafka El Zir | Hiba Medjahdi | John Paul Cast: Nadim Khoury | Layal Syriani | Elie Eid | Semaan Leen Abou Shaheen Production: 2014 Production: 2014
Souad a 50 years old lady, doesn’t have children. Her A strange “love story” between a married woman and a young sister asks her to babysit her son Roudy. Dealing stranger she meets in a hospital; The struggle of Basma with Roudy was difficult, he cried, refused to take his with the cruelty of this man (Nadim Khoury) and what he milk... Souad had the idea to breastfeed him; Roudy forces her to do, may not end up simply. The desperate stops crying. Souad was surprised and amazed, she felt woman may not be able to keep him out of her life in something she never knew before, a maternety feeling. order to live in peace with her husband Karim and only Souad started to make bonds with Roudy… daughter Nay, especially after she discovers that he is her Cancer! 27
usek ndu DIRECTOR DIRECTOR image paula undefined rouhana layoun el hage N N O O FICTI FICTI
14 min. 13 min.
Cast: Christine Choueiri | Charles Cremona Cast: JuliEn Farhat | Wafa’a Halawi Production: 2014 Production: 2014
Mona, a former actress in her forties, gets the chance to Harvey is a successful man who owns one of the biggest perform again in a play. However, she is now afraid of her advertising agencies in the world. The world sees him as the new image. Ziad, a photographer comes and changes the “Perfect” man, but in reality he’s struggling with an eating way she perceives herself. disorder and clinical depression. Harvey receives an old canvas he painted when he was a child, and through this painting he realizes how distorted and painful his life has become… He challenges himself to create a new painting that will reveal what is missing in his life. 28 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
lau iesav DIRECTOR DIRECTOR ramadan amir kfarmatta maya haffar el dib Y NTARY NTAR E E CUM CUM O O D D
8 min. 19 min.
Cast: Hafez Gharib | Hassib Gharib | Chafik Gharib | Amin Khaddaj | Radwan El Dib Production: 2014 Production: 2013
Ages 5 years old, Ramadan is the world’s youngest Muay The film is about Kfarmatta, Druze and Christian’s village Thai player, on his hard road to becoming a champion. that has seen the fiercest fights in the civil war .The Christians where abandoned for 30 years. They returned in 2007 and began the quest for reconciliation. But the Druze have not forgotten the past. 29
aut lau DIRECTOR DIRECTOR tichitchi elsa The Eye’s Veil Firas Bou sawma Zeineddine N N O O FICTI FICTI
13 min. 17 min.
Cast: Nay Tabbara | Roger Ghanem Cast: Serj Pannosian Bashar Al Khoury Production: 2013 Production: 2013
A guy in his 20s has the chance to watch his Life The Eye’s Veil is based on a true story. Maha, a 17-year old girl is uncovered behind the scenes. alienated by her family and friends due to her unique ambitions and behavior. The people of her community consider her an outsider to their accepted social norms. A harsh car accident paralyzes her and causes the loss of her eyesight. To her, the aftermath sympathy of parents and friends is nothing but the persistence of their real initial blindness. Through her drawing, she expresses her belief that vision is not a physical ability. 30 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
upa usek DIRECTORs Mydeos DIRECTOR this is Jean-Claude Rediscovered hady not fairouz Boulos & chababy Joe Kazzi N O NTARY E CUM ANIMATI O D
3 min. 8 min.
Cast: Mostafa Hijazi Production: 2014 Production: 2013
Long ago, a thriving piece of heaven came under threat Abdo is a Lebanese journalist searching for Fairouz for an from an evil force. To preserve the city, a spell was cast to interview. He asks people what they know about her in hide it. Today, millenia later, our explorers find Mydeos. order to get to her 31
lu1 ndu DIRECTOR DIRECTOR Suspended a’oudi Nour moe survival Safieddine & swaid Rolande Issa N NTARY O E FICTI CUM O D
11 min. 15 min.
Cast: Mohammad Koteich | Najla Bazzi Cast: Ziad Seaibe Zahra Abdalla | Hussein Al-Sayyed Production: 2014 Production: 2014
Youssef, an architect, is still obsessed with his dead wife A shepherd, a sewing woman, a farmer and an investor, who tries getting her back through mutual activities they all are surviving in different ways their presence on the used to have. The feeling of regret, sin and shame end up Lebanese-Israeli border. by Youssef getting related insanely to his wife’s work and wardrobe. Later on, Youssef gets to know that the feel of guilt can’t be released and that regret will remain his partner. 32 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
lgu iesav DIRECTOR DIRECTOR life to tape nour the raisins raymond akiki aftimos N O N O FICTI ANIMATI
15 min. 17 min.
Cast: Nader Moussally | Jamale Abou Hamad | Cast: CHRISTINE CHOUEIRI Roula Khairallah Production: 2014 Production: 2013
Joe is a child with autism trying to share the bad behavior A poor, unsuspecting, nice and naïve young man who of his nanny with his mother Salma, busy preparing his works in a dry fruit and raisin store finds himself fired. birthday. Finally, Joe will communicate clearly with his But when the nearby sea offers him incredible gifts, his mother as well as she will observe the truth, however it perspective on life will change fiercely ... is all over. 33
LU2 ALBA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR Coup D’œil Celine afif Julien Moukarzel Kobersy N N O O FICTI FICTI
9 min. 15 min.
Cast: MURIELLE YAZBECK | JULIEN KOBERSY | ELIA EL Cast: Elie khater HADDAD | FAYEZ ABOU KHATER Production: 2014 Production: 2014
A clown living in his box watching the happy life of kids, Afif is fired from his work. With no place to stay, he feels motivated to get out and discover life. He regrets it sleeps at the beach. after finding an audience of grownups waiting for him to In the morning, he wakes up to find his destiny... always make them laugh and be their clown. SHORTS SELECTION LEBANESE independent 35
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR deep in Arwa honeymoon 58 Hady her mind Al-Jardaly Zaccak N O NTARY E CUM ANIMATI O D
6 min. 15 min.
Production: 2014 Production: 2013
She wakes up to enter her imaginary world to live a They met in 1955. She was his secretary. He was the boss. unique experience between logic and fantasy. They fell in love and got married in 1958. One honeymoon started while another one ended. Honeymoon 58, a never- ending Lebanese story of love and war. Based on the diary of the young bride and rare archive from Cinecitta in Rome, “Honeymoon 58” merges the personal love story with the collective History to resume a short forgotten rehearsal in 1958 for a long civil war that started 17 years later in 1975. 36 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR news marwan troubled toufic bullet-in kassis waters khreich N N O O FICTI FICTI
5 min. 25 min.
Cast: Chirine Aoun | Lynn Abou Aoun | Marwan Cast: Rodrigue Sleiman | Camille Salameh Kassis Production: 2013 Production: 2013
Through the eyes of a Syrian family living in Lebanon, Twenty-seven years away, Eskandar comes back. Once in the film shows in a dramatic way the reality of the media Beirut, he is haunted by his childhood memories, which war in the Middle East and its effect on innocent remote bounce him between the past and the present. The same control addicts. experiences that sent him away as a child, lead him back as an adult. 37
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR red white green tarek moneta Jad Dani raffoul Ali Hassan N NTARY O E FICTI CUM O D
9 min. 32 min.
Cast: Jihad Marhaba | Albert Kanaan Production: 2013 Production: 2014
A short documentary about a mother’s struggle, wanting A chronic alcoholic who constantly blacks-out investigates to find a better place for her 37 year old son with down an unusual micro-cassette to find out how he spent the syndrome, before it’s too late. The short documentary Piros last five hours leading up to Christmas. fehér zöld (Red white green) displays the tricky side of life, how it can force us play a double sided role even if it’s against our will. That is exactly what happened with Anna, the mother, who was forced to give him away to a home that would take care of him fearing that she would die anytime soon. 38 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
DIRECTOR the thorn clement vieu N O FICTI
13 min.
Cast: CLEMENT VIEU | YASMINA HATEM | JOSYANE BOULOS | TINO KARAM | LARA SAYEGH Production: 2014
A French journalist meets his first love in Beirut’s streets. In the same time, he feels a violent pain on his foot. A nostalgic postal card from Lebanon SHORTS SELECTION international 40 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
russia germany DIRECTOR wedding DIRECTOR shnir vitaly VIOLA suslin cake BAIER N O N O FICTI ANIMATI
10 min. 8 min.
Cast: Lashin Ivan Production: 2013 Production: 2013
Rural trip fall in love in beauty. Two marzipan figures come to life on top of a wedding cake and start to sculpt the perfect marriage out of cake icing. And success! Everything seems sweet and perfect. But discontent soon sours the atmosphere. At first, they manage to find compromises, but the more insignificant the disputes get, the less they are willing to compromise until nobody is willing to give in anymore. 41
Belgium DENMARK THE LOST & Iraq MINIYAMBA DIRECTOR VOICE DIRECTOR LUC Bavi Yassin PEREZ N O N O FICTI ANIMATI
19 min. 15 min.
Cast: Darina Al Joundi | Muhanad Mukhtar Production: 2013 Production: 2013
The film is about Salma, an Iraqi singer who supported Saddam Like thousands of people around the world who everyday Hussein’s regime with her ‘propaganda’ songs. She decides to leave their homeland, Abdu, a young Malian has decided leave her former life behind hoping to find a quiet and peaceful to reach Europe future in Europe. In her mind she’s still the beautiful diva she once was. When faced with a young Iraqi man in a Belgian refugee centre, Salma’s life is turned upside down. She is torn between the harsh reality of the refugee centre and the poetic images and thoughts of the desert that occupy her mind. 42 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
EGYPT Morocco A MAN SINCE DIRECTOR THANKS GOD & France DIRECTOR LONG TIME MAHMOUD IT’S FRIDAY Asmae El YOSSRY Moudir N O NTARY E CUM ANIMATI O D
17 min. 13 min.
Cast: Amro Okasha | Ahmed El Attar | Ahmed Cast: Asmae El Moudir Nabil | Mohamed Adel | Karim Galal Production: 2014 Production: 2012
A short documentary about sexual suppression problems In 1999, in the midst of the past, the present and the in Egypt. future, Asmae, a 10 years old girl, recalls scattered but Guys can’t make a relation because it is a great sin and coherent parts of her life, the life of her uncle Marzouk, shame in their culture and religion. At the same time they and the history of her country, Morocco. can’t marry easily, because marriage needs money and responsibility. 43
INDIA SERBIA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR AABIDA Maaria SHE IS I! Aleksandar Sayed Tokin N N O O FICTI FICTI
27 min. 9 min.
Cast: Lubna Salim | Siddharth Dudeja | Neha Cast: Aleksandra Bjelajac Singh | Dhananjay Singh Production: 2013 Production: 2013
A political yet intimate drama about a Muslim woman The film is inspired by love verses from the poem dealing with life on different levels after she loses her “The Gardener“ by Rabindranath Tagore. husband, a police inspector in the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. The events unfurl in a day as Aabida finds her present life free of the influence of her chauvinist husband while she recalls her past through a press interview with journalists. But will society ever allow her this sense of freedom? 44 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
AUSTRIA SAUDI ALWAYS ON DIRECTOR ARABIA EYE & MERMAID DIRECTOR MY MIND HELEN SHAHAD PARKES AMEED N N O O FICTI FICTI
8 min. 14 min.
Cast: Susanne Gschwendtner | Rainer Cast: Rashid Al-Sheeb | Sarah Dorani | Nadine Zoffmann Fadayel | Baseema Hajjar Production: 2014 Production: 2013
In this dark comedy, a young woman tells the story about Ten-year-old Hanan lives in a fishing village on the coast of the man in her life: he wears a dark suit and carries an the Arabian Peninsula. She has always wanted to join her umbrella, he never says a word, and has never left her father on his night time fishing trips, but he doesn’t want side in four years. And then of course, there’s that little her to come along. In the morning, he always returns habit of his… In the beginning, it almost drove her insane. with wonderful black pearls, but where do they come But as we all know, there are some things in life that are from? Does he harbour a secret? ‘Eye and Mermaid’ is an simply here to stay -or at least so we think, or in some unsettling reminder that the lovely things in life may come cases, we even hope. at a hefty cost - one we are not prepared to acknowledge. 45
TUNISIA DENMARK DIRECTOR Seven Minutes in DIRECTOR GET MARRIED Ismahane Johan Lahmar the Warsaw Ghetto Oettinger N O N O FICTI ANIMATI
18 min. 7 min.
Cast: Fathi Haddaoui | Lotfi Ebdelli | Fatma Ben Cast: Vibe Lilmoes | Ene Oster Bendtsen Saidane Production: 2012 Production: 2013
Neila, an ugly Tunisian woman, wants to get married The Warsaw Ghetto, 1942. Samek, an eight year old boy at any price. She pays Cupidland a special Agency to who is naughty and full of life, peeks through a hole in the take care of her future. Cupidland guarantee the perfect ghetto wall and sees a carrot lying on the sidewalk just on wedding to their clients after 2 months of an intense and the other side. He tries to pull the carrot through the hole weird internship. with a piece of wire, unaware that two SS men are posted “Get Married” is a satire on Tunisian bourgeoisie under nearby and are following his every move. the Ben Ali’s presidency. 46 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
IRan netherlands DIRECTOR behind the & lebanon THE SUNBURNED Bahram & DIRECTOR Bahman smoke screen Rami el Harayri Hajaboullou & Niels de Groot N NTARY O E FICTI CUM O D
15 min. 17 min.
Cast: Ali Qsemi Cast: Steven Sonneveld Production: 2013 Production: 2013
The sunburned it’s a narrative about a lonely and Steven is one of the four hundred adopted children disgruntle man who takes care of sun flowers. due to who were smuggled into the Netherlands during the his jealous of sun he takes sun flowers to a dark place Lebanese Civil War in 1975. Until this day, the trace to but under some circumstance he himself felt captive in their biological parents remains a path of unanswered darkness. Finally man comes back to farm again, however questions. The more Steven is seeking for answers about this time he conflicts with a mouse and put that mouse in his roots and identity, the more he is facing lies and cage. obstacles. 47
Croatia & ireland lilly on Macedonia DIRECTOR DIRECTOR mama’s boy Sarah the moon DOROTEA Lafferty VUCˇ IC´ N N O O FICTI FICTI
14 min. 11 min.
Cast: REBEKA CULJˇ AK | KREŠIMIR MIKIC´ | ANITA Cast: Steve Harris | Breid Morris | MATIC´ - DELIC´ Frank Lahiffe Production: 2013 Production: 2013
Lilly is no ordinary girl. Her nights are filled with horror. Gabe and Angela have a very strange mother-son Each night the Monster comes into her room and she relationship. They are incredibly co-dependent but each can’t tell her parents about it. She can only take refuge in of them is hiding a secret from the other. Angela has a her imaginary world where there is a Girl just like her, who boyfriend and Gabe is a violent killer. What will happen can help her shed the light on the Monster when their secrets collide? 48 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
ireland CZECH DIRECTOR SPLIT REPUBLIC Complicit DIRECTOR gavin STRUCTURE Kristyna hoffman Bartosova N O N O FICTI ANIMATI
4 min. 7 min.
Cast: Shane Connelly | Jorden-Lee Mc Grath Cast: Helena Št´ávová | Monika Cásˇ tková Production: 2013 Production: 2013
A man is seeking help to come to terms with his past Me and my second Me. Inner dialogue. Dance film. actions. He is haunted by what he has been a part of and opens up about the nature of his complicity. However time is running out to make things right. Complicit is a film exploring the consequences of our actions. 49
jordan DIRECTOR slovakia woman from DIRECTOR 3:30 Hussen Ibraheem the past Csaba Ibraheem Molnár N N O O FICTI FICTI
14 min. 14 min.
Cast: Ahmad Massad | Peeka emna Bin Rajab | Cast: Éva Bandor | Géza Benko Jebril mohamad | Abdulellah jawarneh Production: 2013 Production: 2012
A robbery by three men and a woman. Due to a lack of Frank is living his everyday life, as a husband of a beautiful trust between each of them their plan ends up in a fiasco. woman and a father of an adult son, when suddenly a mysterious woman shows up at his door, claiming that Frank is her long lost true love. The film is an adaptation of Roland Schimmelpfennig’s drama Woman from the past, shot on a mobile phone as the mysterious woman’s video-diary. 50 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
germany england DIRECTOR DIRECTOR hArald Moritz the three of us james Schneider fox N O N O FICTI ANIMATI
6 min. 13 min.
Cast: Gareth Cooper | Oliver Wilkinson | Gemma Paget Production: 2013 Production: 2014
Harald is a wrestler and the whole pride of his ambitious Anthony, the best man, is hopelessly in love with Elaine, mother. But his true love are flowers.H is mother fears the bride, but is all hope lost when Anthony receives an her son could become a pantywaist and collects all of his instant message from Elaine asking him to come over the flowers. Standing next to the rig during the fights, she day before the wedding... Have Anthony’s dreams come threats Harald with lacerating the flower.O ne night Harald true? makes a plan: a plant stronger than his mother must be raised. Even if he loves her, he has to get rid of his mother, making his own decisions for the first time in his life. 51
CZECH austria DIRECTOR Army Forest REPUBLIC salvation Mark DIRECTOR Gerstorfer and Estates Jan Kacena N NTARY O E FICTI CUM O D
29 min. 8 min.
Cast: Daniel Helmer | Sarah Klein | Klemens Marschall Production: 2012 Production: 2014
Salvation portrays the post-pubertal interlude of three Documentary about inhabitants of Czech Army area in young adults as a wasteland of squandered time, a Doupov mountains. All the property there belongs to day-to-day life drifting between nonsense, disco and Army, not to the people, who live and work there. Few fatality, conveyed through videos personally filmed by the people, living in this huge space, are huntsmen, soldiers protagonists. and forest workers. The film is taken within one day, during the huntsmen’s celebration. special showcase 53
SYRIA LEBANON & DIRECTOR CINE-JAM CZECH REPUBLIC Al-Hodoud th DIRECTOR Duraid 4 BATCH 8 Talents from Lahham FAMU-Prague
99 min. 45 min.
Cast: Duraid Lahham | Sabah Al-Salem | Rashid Assaf | Mohammed El Akkad Production: 2013 Production: 1984
A traveler between two countries metaphorically named 8 Emotions, 8 Films, 8 Artists. “Easternstan” and “Westernstan” loses his passport and A Muriel Aboulrouss Workshop, in collaboration with identity papers. Stuck between the two countries he can FAMU Film School (Czech Republic). neither cross the frontiers nor get back to where he came Cine-Jam was created by Muriel Aboulrouss in 2012 from. He’s forced to camp in the neutral area between where the only rule to follow is authenticity in cinema as the two countries, facing a lot of funny situations while in life. there. The movie satirizes the ideology of Arab unity and cooperation at the state level. 54 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
MOROCCO LEBANON DIRECTOR & UAE ZYARA Muriel Sotto Voce DIRECTOR Aboulrouss Kamal Kamal
21 min. 94 min.
Cast: Ahmed Benaissa | Khaled Benaissa Jihane Kamal Production: 2014 Production: 2013
Zyara is a web-series that depicts intimate portraits of Algeria border is obstructed by the Morice line, a 430-mile individuals sharing their stories and experiences. Zyara long belt that is electrified and heavily mined. Moussa, a underlines our uniqueness through its visual poetic Moroccan friend of the revolution, helps refugees across expression. It promotes oneness by exploring universal the mountains. However, he finds out that the path human emotions, away from anything that separates he usually takes is no longer safe. Hans, a Communist human beings. Zyara is an act of love towards Mankind militant of the GDR, loses a leg on the way, while trying to with only one rule: authenticity in art as in life. Departure remove a mine from a passageway… point: Beirut city! 55
USA & IRAN Videoinsight® Room Fish DIRECTOR ® and Cat Shahram by Videoinsight ITALY Mokri Foundation
134 min. 121 min.
Cast: Abed Abest | Mona Ahmadi Ainaz Azarhoush Production: 2013
A number of students have traveled to the Caspian region Videoinsight Special Screening for the Promotion of the in order to participate in a kite-flying event during the Well-Being. winter solstice. Next to their camp is a small hut occupied by three cooks who work at a nearby restaurant. 56 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
USA USA DIRECTOR Ode to DIRECTOR Agency Georges Georges Chamchoum My Mother Chamchoum
8 min. 55 min.
Cast: Angela Withworth | Cliffton Hall | Chris Cast: Rana Zaarour | Prince Gharios of Manitius |Christpopher Kriesa | Matthias Hues Ghassan Al-Nu’man VIII Production: 2014 Production: 2014
After losing an aging top client at a powerful talent Tahra Abdul Hafiz Al-Siba’i was an acclaimed Saudi Agency, two desperate agents see a young vulnerable Arabian artist, author, poet and mother. She bucked all actress as the last chance they have to save their job. It traditions, leaving Mecca in her 20s taking her young could happen children from the Middle East to Africa to Europe for a good education, where she transformed herself from an unschooled matriarch to book author and regarded icon in the world of fashion. Ode to My Mother is an intimate portrait of Tahra’s rise against all odds.
international guests 60 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Delwyn Carla James Mooney Mooney IReland IReland
Delwyn Mooney, Irish producer, director, writer, graduated with a Born and living in Ireland, graduated with a BA in International Degree in Advertising & Art Direction from Istituto Europeo di Design Business and French, having studied in Ireland and France. Barcelona and from St Kevin’s College Dublin, with a BTEC Higher Member of the Irish Film & Television Academy, Screen National Diploma in Media Production (Moving Image) & Journalism Producers Ireland & studied at the Irish Film Actors Studio. in 2005. She is Board Member for Film Offaly film commission in Ireland and Notre Dame Student International Film Festival Delwyn has worked in various departments from editor, director, in Lebanon. She has extensive experience as a producer, writer, producer to script supervisor. He has worked on many director, actress including theatre, short films, music videos, features and award winning shorts around the world, Iran, Philippines, international documentaries and television productions. She is Canada, France, England, Spain and Ireland. He set up a production co-founder and director of the Irish Production Company, Cardel company called Cardel Entertainment and produced two international Entertainment and Gudwrk Agency, a creative transmedia documentary productions. Most recently forming a branding agency agency. In March 2013, she co-founded and is director of Silk Gudwrk Agency and digital camera equipment company Digital Road Film Festival in Dublin, Ireland, which aspires to continue Negative. He is also a founder and director of Silk Road film Festival. the Silk Road cultural heritage by facilitating international Delwyn is currently developing and packaging a slate of films with dialogue, understanding and cultural integration between Cardel Entertainment. filmmakers and filmgoers. 61
Thomas Steinar Ennis Oli Ireland Jonsson Iceland
Thomas’ background was in Economics and most recently a Steinar studied Information Technology & Multimedia Studies in management role in the private healthcare sector. He has now Reykjavík Technical College, switched his primary focus to scriptwriting and production with Cardel Entertainment. Recently active on developing Iceland’s capital for three years before relocating to Barcelona projects with Iranian as well as Lebanese partners to generate where he graduated with a Degree in Advertising & Art coproduction opportunities as well as developing original Irish Direction from Istituto Europeo di Design Barcelona. Working based work with a view to bringing contemporary Irish voices as a creative Director with nectar agency in Barcelona for to the screen. two years before moving to Ireland to set up a creative agency (Gudwrk Agency) dealing with branding, commercials, Besides involvement with productions he is also writing his film packaging, transmedia, mobile applications and web own original work as well as co-writing some of the proposed development. Steinar has vast experience working as a productions. creative, having packaged and marketed films through different platforms in development stages to Marketing and Distribution Also involved in the Silk Road Film Festival, Ireland as a creative (film360), web, poster, film investment presentations, online, director seeking and reviewing submissions from filmmakers social media presence. Founder and director of Silk Road film and also engaging with potential sponsors both local and Festival and works with Cardel Entertainment in implementing overseas. the design of packages and marketing tools for film. 62 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Olga Irina Podluzhnaya Engelis Russia Russia
Multi-talented Olga Podluzhnaya is a world renowned Throat Irina Engelis , organizer and coordinator of the Yakutsk Singer and Musician. Plays the khomus or Jew’s Harp and the International Film Festival. Sakha Ritual Tambourine. very early on her interest was singing and playing the Khomus - and is the first Musician to ever Born in 1980 in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Graduated combine folk & Traditional Yakut Music with Modern Rock, Club from St. Petersburg State University of culture and arts as and Western Music. She has been performing from Norway to a Culturologist. Worked as the assistant of rector of the Kazakhstan to Japan and all over the Russian Republics. Arctic state institute of arts and cultures. From 2007, she is She is the recipient of all-Russia National Piano Competition working as the chief specialist of department of cinema and and Festival. Has won numerous awards in several Regional & development of multimedia technologies of the Ministry of International Music Competitions. Her goal is to put on the map Culture and spiritual development of the Republic of Sakha Sakha Music - and to keep on experimenting new sounds with (Yakutia). Engelis was the curator and the organizer of cultural her Khomus and deep Throat Singing! programs of Yakutia in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Italy, Mexico and China.
Author of the main prize “Snow Glasses” of the Yakutsk International Film Festival.
Assistant to the director of the movie “By the will of Genghis Khan”, coauthor of the screenplay of the movie “Leaving Hong Kong”. 63
Tatiana Ilyana Leganteva Pavlova Russia Russia
Tatiana Leganteva, born in the south of the Republic of Sakha Ilyana Pavlova, theater, cinema and television actress. Was (Yakutia), is a theater, cinema and television actress. Honored born in the north of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Graduated art worker of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). from the Highest Theatrical School (institute) named after Mikhail Schepkin at the State academic Maliy Theater of Russia Graduated from the Highest Theatrical School (institute) named (Moscow) as an actress of theater and cinema drama. after Mikhail Schepkin at the State Academic Maliy theater of Russia (Moscow) as an actress. Since 2002 works in the Sakha Academic Theater named after Worked since 2002 in the Sakha Academic Theater Platon Platon Oyunsky (Yakutsk) Oyunsky (Yakutsk). In 2014 on the II Yakutsk International Film Festival she won Participated in Republican entertaining TV-projects of which Audience Award “Best Actress in Yakut films” for Elvira’s role in “Two stars”, “Clean Town”, “No Exit”, etc. Played in different the movie “Aiyy Uola”. films like “Heart of a She-Bear”, “While the Wind Blows”, “Unexpected”, “Moth”, “Outlaw” and “August”. Participated in different films; H“ eart of a she-bear”, “Manchaary - Bahylay” “Куоратчыт/ Towner “, “Father”, “By the Will of Genghis Khan”, “Leaving Hong Kong”, “Aiyy Uola”. 64 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Amin Rebecca MousSalli Russo Nigeria Italy
Engineer Amin Moussalli holds the GROUP MD of AIM Group Ltd., President of Videoinsight® Foundation, Director of Videoinsight® which he co-founded with Chairperson, Arc. Saada Elias Moussalli. Center, Founder of Videoinsight® Advanced Course Degree at AIM Group comprises AIM Consultants Ltd., Narelli International Ltd, the University of Bologna, Faculty of Medicine. Researcher, STEAM Broadcasting and Communications Ltd. powering CoolFMs Philantropist, Writer, Art Collector, Russo holds Ph.D in and CoolTV, Globe Broadcasting and Communications. The Group Relational and Systemic Psychotherapy. Her Videoinsight® operates 11 FM radio stations and 2 TV stations in Lagos, Abuja, Port- Collection’s curatorial line is based on selecting contemporary Harcourt and Kano. Art that contains a high Psychological impact and offers a real Psycho-diagnostic and Psycho - therapeutic potential. Amin holds a B.E Degree from American University of Beirut, and two She created Videoinsight® Method, Concepts and Formats: Master’s Degrees in Mechanical and Civil Engineering from Texas A Videoinsight’s Rooms in Hospitals, Corners in Emergency, Art & M University. for Care Project, Collecting Room, Prize, Channel in Hotel, Word, Sport, Training, World, Walk, Interpretative Museum. The Moussalli holds a National Merit Award in the rank of “Member of the Videoinsight® Method has been tested since 2012 in Medicine Federal Republic of Nigeria” conferred to him by President Olusegun Orthopedics in Scientific Ethic Researches at University Obasanjo in 2001, a Chieftaincy title from Anambra State presented Hospitals. Results have been published on international by Ex-Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a higher National Award of magazines and presented in many lectures in international “Officer of theO rder of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” conferred to congress in the world. him by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2014. 65
Zuzana Hermann Bartosova Florin Slovakia Germany
Zuzana Bartošová studied film production at the Academy of Founder and managing director of Florin Film and Feine Filme GmbH Performing Arts,Bratislava. She absolved one term of Erazmus based in Berlin and Cologne, as well as Benrae Florin Films Limited in program at FAMU International. She has worked on many Ireland. short student movies, commercials, 9 documents portraits of scientists, festivals, Visegrad Film Forum-production and Hermann produced Conor McDermottroe’s award winning feature film finance department, BHS-Bratislava music festival; she debut “Swansong”, which garnered a runner up for Best Irish Film at attended Le festival International du Film d´amour de Mons in the 2009 Galway Film Fleadh and an IFTA for Best Leading Actor 2011. Together with UFA Cinema, Hermann produced successful German Belgium-young jury member, Midpoint workshop 2014 (prize for family fare “Hanni and Nanni 1”, “2” and “3”which sold more than Best short film project). millions of tickets in German speaking territories. In addition to “Halal Daddy”, Hermann is developing the comedy As a director of Áˇcko student film festival in 2013 Zuzana and “Wanderers”, and producing the award-winning script “Katte” by her festival crew managed to invite students from 4 European Johannes Reben, planned for autumn. film schools situated inL ondon, Brussels, Budapest and Zlín to screen their students´ work and present their universities. Hermann worked on this film with screenwriter Christoph Silber and writer/director Sandra Nettelbeck. This new feature film “I’m Off Then” will be directed by Julia von Heinz. Herman taught at film schools in Berlin and Hamburg, is decision maker at EAVE, and a member of the German and European Film Academies. 66 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Milena Marija Nicolic Milovanovic Austria Austria
Milena Nikolic studied Theatre, Film and Media Science at the Marija Milovanovic is program coordinator and board member University of Vienna. Is board member and head of festival production at VIS Vienna Independent Shorts, Austria’s biggest short film at VIS Vienna Independent Shorts, Austria’s biggest short film festival, which she works for since 2008. She is in charge festival. She has been working for the festival since 2009 and is also of international collaboration and head of the international a member of the selection team for the international competition competition “Fiction & Documentary“. She is working for “Fiction & Documentary“. Milena also works as head of festival various other Austrian film festivals like Diagonale (Festival of production for the /Slash Filmfestival. Austrian Film) and /Slash. Marija studied theatre, film and media science at the University of Vienna. 67
Susanne Julia Gschwendtner Fabrik Austria Austria
Susanne is based in Vienna and London. She studied at East 15 Julia Fabrick works as a curator and is member of the program Acting School. After working with Ken Campbell and completing department of VIS Vienna Independent Shorts, Austria’s biggest various theatre works across the UK, she moved to the Middle international short film festival. She has studied at the Institute East, where she focused on international film and music of Theater, Film and Media Science at Vienna University and production. In 2011 she moved back to Vienna, where she wrote her thesis about the political forms of a festival, using developed her own one-woman-show “The Photographer”. the example of the Viennale, Austrias biggest and oldest international film festival. Since 2008 she works for VIS and Susanne is best known for her role as Queen Ralia in “The has presented several programs. One of the most popular Quest”, a new TV series by the producer of The Lord of the venues, which she established at the festival, is “PopPorn - Rings. She recently performed in the critically acclaimed play Vienna’s most exciting porn night”. In her work as a curator The Flood by Badac Theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe 2014. she tries to create awareness for physicality in media and film. Her programs also deals with radical and critical realities of our society.
She is in charge of national collaborations and head of the Vienna Shorts Agency, which tries to enhance the promotion of short films year round. Besides that she works for filmdelights, which is a world sales for Austrian films. 68 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Ferial Sergey Masry Shirinsky USA Russia
Ferial Masry, born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, ran for a seat in the Born on June 1, 1991, in Moscow. In 2014 graduated from California State Assembly. All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after Sergey Gerasimov, scriptwriters department. She is recognized as someone who is trying to break new Works as a Program director of VGIK International Student ground and break down barriers. The mother of a U.S. Festival since 2010. soldier who served in Iraq, she has been an inspiration to people from all backgrounds as she pursues public office in Prizewinner of festivals, including 32d VGIK IFF, 23d Open California. She is also the author of the Book “Running for all documentary festival “Russia”, “Saint Anna” Festival in 2011, the Right Reason” , Documentary Producer, Chairperson of 2012 and 2013, 12th Kansk Int. Video festival as a short films Education Committee for the National Council on US- Arab scriptwriter and producer of the films “2 in 1”, “Kardo”, “Not Relation, Cultural Consultant for the L.A. Board of Education With Us” directed by Svetlana Sigalaeva. for two years, holding workshops, organizing conferences, lecturing, and sharing input on intercultural topics, Creator and coordinator of the Arab Children’s Cultural Exhibit for the Children’s Museum of L.A. 1992. The State Department Bureau of International Information Programs, called Ferial Masry “Saudi-American Woman Champions Democracy.” 69
Marc Tahar Anthony Houchi Rome Switzerland Switzerland
Marc Anthony Rome is a painter and installation artist, having Tahar Houchi holds a BA French and Linguistics (University trained at the Cardiff School of Art, Wales, UK (BA Hons) in the of Algiers), a Diploma in Development Studies (University of early 1990’s. Geneva), and a Postgraduate Degree in Language, Literature and Civilization French (University of Lyon II). He is currently undertaking another Masters course in socially engaged art practice at the Art School (LIT) in Limerick, Ireland. Journalist and film critic, he is a member of the Swiss Association Journalists (ASJS) and the Swiss Association of His previous undertakings amongst many, have seen him as a Film Journalists (ASJC). public art consultant, founder of a chain of art studios across the UK (Yazeni-kylo), co-founder of an independent record label Founder and Artistic Director of the International Eastern Film in Wales (FF Vinyl), independent film maker in Zambia, Africa; Festival, Geneva, he has made two movies: “Yidir” first part of BBC trained digital cameraman, co-founder and co-director of a trilogy about childhood, which has been selected in more than Simple Galerie, Gstaad, Switzerland and presently director of 15 festivals, and “Koceila” second part of the trilogy, followed both Wandelbar Art International and the Gstaadfilm festival. by “Dihya” which will close the trilogy.
* International Fiction Films Jury at the 8th NDUIFF 70 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Agnes Jihane Logina Kamal Latvia Morocco
Program director at “Riga International Film Festival” Latvia. Jihane Kamal is an actress from Morocco, daughter of the Film Agnese Logina has been studying film and working with film Director Kamal Kamal, started acting in films since the age since the age of 13. So far, she has been a translator, festival of 8; known for The Moroccan Symphony (2006) and volunteer, film critic, theoretician, archivist, festival producer, Sotto voce (2013) on-set assistant and curator. At the moment she is working as a coordinator of special screenings of special short films in Latvia. 71
Charafa Asia Cherif El Rayan Haouat NETHerland Morocco
Charafa Cherif Haouat, is a Moroccan retired teacher of history Dutch Writer and a Journalist, Born in Damascus Syria, Director and geography with passion to cinema; she founded a Cine of the Arab Women’s Film Festival in the Hague, and Public Club in Rabat, active since 1970; Charafa visits all Moroccan Relations and Communications Manager at the Arab House of Film Festivals and Arab Film Festivals to promote cinema Arts in The Hague, the Netherlands from 2011 Beside being a culture and good young independent filmmakers, and to speak co-founder of both organizations. about the Moroccan cinema. She is the First Arabic Female Film Festival Director in Europe. She has been appointed as a jury president for the Long Feature Charafa is also an activist in human rights and women rights, Film Competition at the 12th edition of Arab Film Festival in member of “SOS Femme Battus” and of “Organisation Rotterdam 2012, a jury member for the at the 4th edition of El Marocaine du Droit de l’Homme” Dakhla Film Festival in Morocco 2013 and at the 3rd edition of Malmo Arab Film Festival in Sweden 2013, a Women’s Film Panorama Director “Film Competition & Conference” and as a jury member at the 8th edition of Muscat International Film Festival in Oman 2014, a Film Selection Committee Member at the 12th edition of Al Ard Doc Film Festival on Italy 2014. She has published numerous stories, articles and interviews in newspapers and magazines. A member of the Short Story Club in Cairo since 1982, and the Dutch El Hizjra literature Club since 1998. 72 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Khashayar William Mahmoodabadi Andreas IRAN Wivel Denmark
Director and writer, Born in Esfahan, Iran in 1978. Attended the William Andreas Wivel is Head of Program at the Copenhagen Esfahan Cinema School. Directed several short films, that were Short Film Festival. After a longer spell in Brazil, William, stud. awarded several national and international prizes in festivals mag in Film Science, is now working in Denmark as a film around the world. writer at the Danish Association of Cinematographers and works at the biggest film festival for children in Denmark - “There behind the Window”, won best film in the Iranian Buster Film Festival. In Brazil, William worked at the Danish Youth Cinema Film Festival 2001 and was in competition at the Cultural Institute in Rio de Janeiro with state projects like Cannes Film festival in 2001. Worked as an assistant director Cinema Para Todos and made film programs for Centro Cultural with several famous Iranian directors, like Ramin Farooghi São Paulo and some other of the biggest cultural centers in the and Ali Rafiei. In 2008, a move to the Phillipines where he country. He founded the short film festival Hemisfério in Rio completed another degree at the IAFT and made more than with Brazilian curators before graduating from film school in São 20 shorts & documentaries. Mahmoodabadi has worked on Paulo in 2014. TV series, video clips, theatre productions and taught cinema as well. He wrote and directed his first feature documentary film in 2010 about the famous Persian carpet maker Master Haghighi. Jury Members 74 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Emile Nadine Chahine Labaki Head of Lebanese the Jury Fiction Films Jury
Emile Chahine was born in Lebanon in 1942. He was involved Nadine Labaki was born on February 18, 1974 in Beirut, in cinema by correspondence studies, trainings, seminars Lebanon. She is an actress and writer, known for Caramel and festivals, after a Masters degree in Economics from the (2007), Where Do We Go Now? (2011) and Rio, I Love University of Saint Joseph – USJ. You(2014).
He wrote cinema reviews and analysis in addition to weekly articles for several Lebanese and European magazines; he created and presented television programs, he was the cinematic advisor for LBC and Tele Liban networks for several years. He founded many Cine Clubs around Lebanon; currently he animates a weekly Cine Club at NDU. Chahine is a cinema professor at NDU, ALBA and previously at LAU and INBA; he teaches Comparative Cinema, Art of the Film and world Cinema Survey. He is a co-founder of the NDU International Film Festival and Head of the Jury in Cinema’yat short Film Festival, in addition to his participation in several local and international Film Festivals juries. Chahine is also a member of the Ministry of Culture’s supporting scripts Jury 75
Georges Nasri Khabbaz Brax Lebanese Lebanese Fiction Fiction Films Jury Films Jury
Georges Khabbaz is a television, theater and cinema actor in Nasri Brax has a diploma in high studies in theatre and a addition to being a director and producer and music composer. Bachelor Degree in Law, both from Lebanese University, he taught law and acted and directed many plays and wrote Georges has participated as the main actor in more than 25 several feature films and documentaries as “GBARA” a 4 Parts television shows out of which he was the script writer and feature Documentary film. director of three sitcoms which were ranked as the most viewed. He won 4 Murex D’Or and Roter Dame Film Festival He is a member of the Cinema Committee in the Prize as Best Actor for his role in the film “Under the Bombs” Lebanese Ministry of Culture.
For the last 9 years, he has produced, directed and starred in nine plays, each of which was attended by an audience of more than 100,000 spectators.
He was the main actor in”Under the Bomb”, “Silina” and he was the writer and lead actor of a new Lebanese movie “Ghadi” released in 2013. 76 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Camille Takla Salameh Chamoun Lebanese Lebanese Fiction Fiction Films Jury Films Jury
Actor,writer and director since 1972. Takla Chamoun graduated from the Lebanese University with Actor: Leading roles in Theatre, Tv and Cinema such as:Sane3 a diploma of high studies in theater. Acted in more than 8 ela7lam ,10abid zghar ,Ghadi ,Satble Unstable..and many more. feature films including “Stray Bullet” by George Hachem, and Writer and Director of several Plays such as Ammoura ,Torra more than 10 theatrical plays including “Araneb wa Quiddisine” Nackcheh, Kif hattemsil ma3ak, etc. Writer of many tv series by Shakib Khoury winning the best play in Cartage Festival, best sush as Beit Khelty ,Niyyel el Beit ,Ktebli Ossa, etc actress for “Ma Yoshbi Kossat Hobb” in Casablanca, and the Professor at the Fine Arts Institute –Lebanese University 1986- Murex D’or for outstanding TV and Film acting of the decade. 2005.. Takla also acted in dozens of TV series. One of the pioneers in introducing theater activities in Lebanese schools since 1973 77
Mohamad Ghida Hijazi Majzoub Lebanese Lebanese Fiction Fiction Films Jury Films Jury
Art critic in many written platforms (Beirut, Kuwait, UAE) Graduated from the Lebanese American University (L.A.U) a veteran broadcaster in Radio Liban since 1977. Cultural editor with a degree Communication Arts/ Radio-T.V- Film. Ghida has in Al Mayadin Television, he attended training courses in Radio been a main anchor in the daily morning show “Alam Sabah”, and Television in the International Press Institute in Paris 1985. conducting interviews with political, medical and social figures in the Arab society. She has also been producing and presenting He has been covering regional film festivals in Cairo, Damascus, a segment called “Cinema” about the new releases in the Cartage, Doha, Dubai and Algeria in addition to international movies and on DVD and covering all the major cinematic events festivals like Cannes and Venice. A member in the Lebanese and festivals in the world. She interviewed the great tenor Actors Syndicate. Luciano Pavarotti, Hollywood star Cuba Gooding Jr., Mario Kassar, Elie Samaha, producer Malek Moustapha El Akkad, Hollywood stars Malcolm Mc Dowell, Tyler Mane, Danny Treho , Director Youssef Chahine, Adel Imam, Youssra, Leila Elwy, Loublouba, Ahmad Ezz, Mona Zaki, Hind Sabri, as well as Lebanese director Nadine Labaki, Romeo Lahoud, as well as many major Lebanese stars like Adel Karam and Nour, and many others. 78 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Fadi Rose- Helou Marie Lebanese Chahine Fiction Lebanese Films Jury Fiction Films Jury
Dental surgeon, implantology, esthetic dentistry, graduated Doctor in philosophy, psychotherapist and professor of from USJ Beirut and Garanciere - Pitie Salpetriere Paris. philosophy and psychology at the Faculty of Letters and Human Founder of Murex D’or award festival since 2000. Founder of Sciences at the Lebanese University from 1988 to date. Ourjouan Lions club since 1997. Member of many juries (Miss USEK - Miss Universities - Lions events and many others ). Lecturer in the Faculty of Arts of USJ 1980-1990. Attended many international festivals (Cannes - Damascus Film In charge of a course on the Psychology of the actor at the Festival - Adonia - Cairo...). Attended many local and Lebanese National Institute of Fine Arts (UL) from 1985 to 2005. festivals (NDU International Film Festival - Beirut Film Festival - Cine club ....) Editor in the journal “Psychological Culture” published by Dar al Nahda from 1994-2012.
Vice-President of the Lebanese Association for Psychological Culture.
Co-founder of the Association Famiglia for the reconciliation of troubled couples.
Author of several studies and articles, a book on personality and character with a study applied to literary characters. 79
Mansour Georges Hojaili Chamchoum Lebanese Lebanese Fiction Fiction Films Jury Films Jury
Mansour Hojaili holds a Higher Studies Certificate CES in Emmy and Multiple Award-winning Film Director & Producer pediatric from Lyon, France. born in Niger, West Africa of Lebanese origin. Entered film industry in 1968 after graduating from Conservatoire du His passion for cinema grew up with him as he was a child; he Cinema Francais (Paris). Directed & Produced over 40 features has in his memory thousands of films, journals, and books on between Europe, Africa, Middle East & the USA. Jury Delegate cinema. Dr. Hojaili had many appearances on television where all through the 80’s for Le Festival du Film Fantastique et de he gave his critics on movies. He held many conferences Science Fiction de Paris. Board Member of Francophone Film in medicine, pollution, children rights, adolescent rights and Festival and Pan Pacific Film Festival (Los Angeles). From education. Dr. Hojaili is a member founder and member of CA 2007-2013 was Executive & Program Director of The Monaco of Sesobel, previous member of Higher National Committee of Charity Film Festival. Founder of the International Film Festival Caritas. Member founder of “Em el Nour” . previous executive in Lagos (Nigeria). Currently International Director of the member of the National Order of Medicine in Lebanon, previous Yakutsk International Film Festival (Yakutia, Sakha Republic) honorary president of “Friends of NDU”. & International Relations Executive for Notre Dame University Student Short Film Festival (Lebanon). 80 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Christine Hady Choueiri Zakkak Lebanese Lebanese Fiction Fiction Films Jury Films Jury
Everyone has a path, the most important thing when you find it, Hady Zakkak holds a Diploma in Audiovisual Studies and a is to walk it with passion… Mine was to be an actress against Masters in Cinema Studies/Film Directing from IESAV Film all odds… School (Saint-Joseph University/ Beirut). He took part in workshops for film directing, editing and production at FEMIS From the first feature film “The Report” passing by “In the (Paris-1996), INSAS (Brussels-1999) and HFF Konrad Wolf Shadow of the City” until “Ghadi” the last one; my path was (Potsdam-2007). filled with wonderful projects. Recently I collaborated with the students in many short films; their stories go beyond what Wrote and directed more than 20 documentaries, awarded we’ve been seeing on TVs lately. To mention some: “Regarde in several film festivals worldwide. Wrote a book in French moi”, “Tajalli”, “Hanine”, “Soura”, “27”, “Habibi”, “Christine”, about the history of Lebanese cinema “Le Cinema Libanais: and “Life to Tape”, not to mention many TV series in Lebanon Itinéraire d’un Cinéma Vers l’Inconnu”. He received multiple and abroad, as “Bein Beirut and Dubai”, “Rasa’el Hob wa awards from FIPRESCI, Dubai International Film Festival, Harb”, “Nizar Kabbani” and “Tawk”… And finally my leitmotiv AlJazeera Documentary Channel Award, AlJazeera International in life a citation by St Augustine “He who loses himself in his Documentary Festival, Arab Cinema-Nabeuland Monaco Charity passion is less lost than he who loses his passion” . Film Festival, etc. Zaccak is a professor at IESAV Beirut. He gives courses in film writing and directing, history of cinema and film genres. He also gives workshops on documentary and cinema culture in several Arab countries. 81
Joseph Bahij Houssni Hjeij Lebanese Lebanese & Fiction International Films Jury Documentary Films Jury
Joseph Houssni teaches film history, theory and aesthetics as Bahij Hojeij studied Philosophy and Theater at the Lebanese well as documentary film at USEK (University of Saint-Esprit of University, and Cinema in France (Ecole Nationale Supérieure Kaslik) since 1999. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the San Louis Lumière- Université Paris 8 – Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Francisco State University –USA, a Maitrise in Art (Cinema Sciences Sociales). Studies) from the University of Paris 7-Denis Diderot, a Master Since 1990 Bahij is a Professor of cinema at the Institute of Fine in Theatrical Studies and a PhD in Cinema from USEK-Lebanon. Arts (Lebanese University). He produced and directed several independent documentaries “Beirut, Ruins Talk”, “The National Museum, a Challenge to Forget”, “Kidnapped”… He also produced and directed two feature films: “Zennar El Nar “(Ring of Fire) and “Chatti Ya Dini” (Here comes the rain). 82 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Carmen Khalil Labaki Zaarour Lebanese & Lebanese & International International Documentary Documentary Films Jury Films Jury
Carmen Labaki is a movie director & Producer. She has a Khalil Zaarour is an award-winning screenwriter/director/lecturer. Master in Communication Art studies from the Sorbonne Zaarour pursued his MFA in Filmmaking ; the year 2006 marks (Paris). She also got a Master in Journalism – French language. the birth of his career with his short film “The Window” that She fluently masters French, Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish and won the best film award at the 13th European Film Festival. English. Zaarour crafts films combining artfulness with audience appeal through working spatially and temporally with his characters She started her career in the French and Brazilian televisions. without neglecting the emotional atmosphere. In 2011, his Carmen Labaki is the winner of the Best Documentary film career moved to a new frontier with his award-winning Film Award 2005 at the “Arpa International Film Festival” documentary “Malaki Scent of an Angel”. The film skillfully in Hollywood, for directing and producing “Armenians of portrays the humane side of the mothers whose sons were Lebanon”. abducted for more than 20 years.
She also produced & directed social, cultural and artistic documentaries & reports during her stay in Brazil (1997 -2000) & then in Lebanon and other countries (Mexico, USA, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Mongolia, Armenia, UAE…). Her new release is “I Knocked on the Temple’s Door” a documentary about Freemasonry in the world. 83
Jaime Hoda Jacobsen Maalouf Lebanese & Lebanese & International International Documentary Animation Films Jury Films Jury
Jaime Jacobsen’s documentary work has taken her to areas Hoda Maalouf received the Diploma of Eng. in Electrical of Sub-Saharan Africa, where she produced and directed “The Engineering from Ecole Superieure d’Ingenieurs de Beyrouth, Water Carriers” for Engineers Without Borders, which won a Lebanon, in 1987, the M.Sc. degree in Communications and Silver Telly Award. She also produced and directed “Homefront: Signal Processing, in 1990, and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical United or Divided”, MontanaPBS’ companion program to Ken Engineering, in 1998, both from Imperial College, London, UK. Burns’ “The War”, which was nominated for a Regional Emmy She worked as a research assistant at Imperial College between Award. Her MFA thesis film “Montana Fare” won a Cine 1990 and 1995. She joined Notre Dame University in 1999 as Golden Eagle and a College Emmy. Her additional credits an assistant professor and chaired the Department of Computer include work for The Discovery Channel, Yellowstone National Science between Oct. 2001 and Mar. 2006 and from Oct 2010 Park, Mercury CSC, The Montana Office of Tourism, erra,T till Present. In addition to her interest in scientific research, Dr. Untamed Science, Pearson Education and award nominations Maalouf has always been interested in mixing art and science, from the Mountain Film Festival and Montana Cine International so she opened the undergraduate program in Computer Film Festival. Jacobsen has also taught film, writing and Graphics and Animation (CGA) in Fall 2002 and contributed communication courses at Montana State University, and led greatly to the success of this program. Documentary On-Assignment Teams to Australia and Tanzania for National Geographic Student Expeditions. 84 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Amin Jacqueline Dora Soghman Lebanese & Lebanese & International International Animation Animation Films Jury Films Jury
A celebrated director and visual artist, Amin graduated with Jacqueline Soghman has been teaching the multimedia honors from ALBA, where he currently teaches. Dora won an courses at Notre Dame University -Louaize (NDU) for the past International Digital Emmy Award for directing “Shankaboot”, years. While pressing her MFA from Savannah College of Art the world’s first Arabic web drama series. His career began and Design, she has worked as a senior broadcast designer with the short stop-animation “Greyscale”, which received in Washington DC and previously was head of the design many awards in National and International festivals such as the department in a web design firm. Her main interests International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Bilbao. are 2D animation, motion graphics and web design. He is also distinguished in the advertising industry by his creative approach and his love of trying out new communication styles. Dora directed the most successful viral video in the Middle East, showcasing a flash mob TVC for Beirut Duty Free in 2011. His quest for contemporary ways of directing has also led him to start Beirutvisuals, along with a collective of visual artists with whom he created live visual performances locally and Internationally. “Ghadi” is Dora’s first feature film. 85
Najwa Mallah Lebanese & International Animation Films Jury
Holds a B.A. in Visual Arts/Multimedia from Université Saint Esprit- Kaslik (USEK), and is currently completing an M.A. in Design at Notre Dame University -Louaize (NDU). Najwa has worked as an interactive designer and graphics animator in a leading web design firm inL ebanon, and gave several Multimedia workshops with different institutions. She is currently the Graphics and Multimedia Coordinator at the Division of Audio Visual Arts at Notre Dame University -Louaize. NDU Cine-Club Upcoming screenings Pierre Abou Khater Auditorium NDU Main Campus, Zouk Mosbeh
Monday Nov. 17, 2014 Monday Nov. 24, 2014 Monday Dec. 1, 2014 | 7:00 pm | 7:00 pm | 7:00 pm The Shining Forrest Gump “Oci ciornie” Stanley Kubrick – USA 1980 Robert Zemeckis – USA 1994 Dark Eyes Nikita Mikhalkov – USA 1987
In collaboration with Emile Chahine Foundation Monday Dec. 8, 2014 Monday Dec. 15, 2014 Monday Dec. 22, 2014 Monday Jan. 5, 2014 | 7:00 pm | 7:00 pm | 7:00 pm | 7:00 pm Persona Goodfellas Alice “Il capitale umano” Ingmar Bergman – USA 1996 Martin Scorsese – USA 1990 Woody Allen – Argentina Human Capital 1990 olo Virzì– Italy 2013 film festivals at NDUIFF
Silk Road Film Vienna Independent Famufest Festival Shorts Czech Republic Ireland Austria
VGIK Short Film Acko Film Festival International Festival Slovakia Oriental Film Russia Festival of Geneva Switzerland Riga International Arab Women Yakutsk Film Festival Film Festival International Latvia Netherlands Film Festival Russia
Gstaad Short Copenhagen Short Film Festival Film Festival Switzerland Denmark 90 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
NDUIFF’S MANAGEMENT
Sam Lahoud is a scriptwriter, a director, a producer and a script consultant. He has written, directed and produced theater plays, short films, and PSA’s. Lately finished his first independent feature film as a producer “Waynon” (Void). The Film was in Official Selection at the Dubai International Film Festival 2013, Nominated for the Golden Arab Muhr Award. And it was awarded the Best Feature Film at the Silk Road Film Festival 2014 in Dublin, Special Jury Award in Alexandria Film Festival in Egypt, Best Screenplay at Malmo Arab Film Festival. Currently working on producing his second feature film project, a co- production between Lebanon, Germany and Ireland. He is currently the Director of Communication Strategy at Notre Dame University – Louaize (NDU), where he served as chairperson of the Department of Media Studies from 2012 till 2014 and founded and headed of Division of Audio Visual Arts from 2006 until 2011. He is the founder and director of the NDU International Film Festival, a founding member of the Emile Chahine Foundation for Cinema Culture, and of Film Festivals Cinergy; and serves as jury member in various local and international film festivals. He holds a MA in Media Studies - Electronic Journalism and Public Sam Lahoud Relations from NDU, a MA in Scriptwriting from Université Saint NDUIFF Founder, Director, Joseph (IESAV) and a BA in Communication Arts, Radio, Television Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Member and Film from NDU. Mr. Lahoud has organized, participated and presented workshops and seminars on film, directing, acting, scriptwriting and sacred drama. Since 1996 he taught music, photography, and arts education. He currently teaches courses in scriptwriting, directing actors, directing techniques, and media laws and ethics. 91
Nicolas Khabbaz is a film and theater producer, writer and director; Nicolas Khabbaz as of 2005 and till present, in television and theater; he has co- NDUIFF Co-Founder, Program and Artistic Director, produced 11 theater plays, by the renowned Lebanese actor/ Lebanese and International Fiction Films Jury Member director Georges Khabbaz, and lately, produced and co-wrote his first independent feature film “Waynon” (Void); The Film was in Official Selection at the Dubai International Film Festival 2013, Nominated for the Golden Arab Muhr Award. And it was awarded the Best Feature Film at the Silk Road Film Festival 2014 in Dublin, Special Jury Award in Alexandria Film Festival in Egypt, and Best Screenplay at Malmo Arab Film Festival. Credited in the Feature film “Ghadi” as project developer and currently working on producing his second feature film project, a co-production between Lebanon, Germany and Ireland. Dr. Khabbaz is currently the Director of the Division of Audio Visual Arts at Notre Dame University – Louaize since 2011. He is the Co-Founder and Program & Artistic Director of NDU International Film Festival since 2007, and serves as jury member in various local and international film festivals. He also is the founding member of the Emile Chahine Foundation for Cinema Culture, and of Film Festivals Cinergy. 92 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
NDUIFF’S Team PHOTOGRAPHERS Gilbert Mhanna Ghassan Bazzal Natalie Nasr Hady Fahed Gilbert Mhanna Abdo Bejjani Hisham Charafeddine Joyce Chamoun Sam Lahoud, Founder, Director Lynn Dagher Jane Zeinoun Judy Jalkh Nicolas Khabbaz, Co-Founder, Program & Artistic director John Richard Tabbah Khoder Nabouch Kassandra Abdo Marie-Joe Campbell Emile Chahine, Co-Founder, Head of Juries AUDIO VISUAL TECHNICIAN Katya Shouccair Murielle Hebbo Georges Chamchoum, International Relations Executive Charbel Francis Luciana Boulos Natasha Hamod Georges Khabbaz, Creative Consultant Milo Ghanem Lynn Kakhia Omar Dilati Najwa Mallah, Creative Supervisor Marie Therese Ghorayeb Peter Geagea Andre Fahed, Director of Design and Brand Guardian Office LIGHTING DESIGN Marriane Ghorayeb Rita Bassil Cherine Keyrouz, Festival Host Julien Kai Mohammed Salameh Sandra Aad Samer El Achy, Video Production Coordinator Robin Touma Nadim Khairallah Serge Majdalani Nathalie Moussa Vicky Baz Naoum Abi Adam, Social Media Coordinator DESIGN TEAM Nicholas Toubia Rania Saadeh Zeidan, Logistics Coordinator Rachel Shoucair Ornella Maalouf NDUIFF Board Georges Tarabay, Program Coordinator Riwa Zouein Rafah Nakib Sam Lahoud Manon Nammour, Project Coordinator Rawad Sabbagh Nicolas Khabbaz Jocelyne Issa, Sponsorship Coordinator Volunteers Rawad Hachem Emile Chahine Tatiana Rouhana Bou Hadir, Press Attaché Amin Rhayyem Samar El Hitti Carol Ann Goff Kfouri Andy El Khawly Sami Nassour Georges Chamchoum Christine Dagher, Media Relations Carlo Chedid Sara Dunya Georges Khabbaz Reine Semaan, Volunteers Coordinator Charbel Dahdouh Serge Majdalani Carla Mooney Sarah Hassoun, Guests Coordinator Clara Atallah Siraj Sarieddine Najwa Mallah Tarek Korkomaz, Festival’s Promo Director Daniel Seif Tina Obeid Nasri Brax Edwin Beaino, Radio Promo Elias Nicolas Vivian Marquez Marie-Therese Maalouf Ralph Matar, Backstage Manager Elige Merza Jad Beyrouthy Tarek Korkomaz Sahar Abou Khalil, Choreographer Elissa Caracalla Dancers Fabienne Daghfal Alexandra Bajin Mazen El Hage, Special Effects Gaelle Farah Christy Khoury
94 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 95
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