Grants Catalogue 2017 Table of Contents Message from the CEO

Grants Programme Team

Feature Narrative

Feature Documentary / Feature Experimental or Essay

Short Narrative / Short Experimental or Essay Film Funding Seven years since its inception, the Doha Film Institute’s Grants Iceland, the diversity of cinematic voices in these cycles’ selection is truly Doha Film Institute Grants Programme continues to be an unparalleled source of support for emerging distinct. For the first time, we have projects by filmmakers from Bahrain, Programme filmmakers from the Arab world and beyond, and an important tool Somalia, Indonesia, Hungary and Iceland. that contributes to the development of the regional film industry. It is a All the chosen projects bring powerful tales to the fore – stories of hope, 2017 manifestation of a joint vision, ours and that of the filmmakers we support, to self-discovery, women empowerment, tales of family and of life in conflict tell bold stories through films that present compelling insights on humanity. zones – which present new and seldom-heard perspectives. The cultural Identifying and supporting emerging talents from across the world, and diversity that these projects highlight is matched with an amazing presence particularly voices from the Arab region, is central to our commitment to of 38 women filmmakers among the grantees, making up more than half of nurturing the next generation of filmmakers and contributing to the culture 2017’s pool. of storytelling. We support filmmakers from Qatar and the wider Arab region By covering all genres and experimenting with narrative forms, the DFI to highlight our distinct voices and cultural identity, and celebrate our values Grants Programme recipients continue to push cinematic boundaries, and our shared commonalities. contributing to the diversity of global cinema. It gives us a sense of pride to be able to say that over the years we have Through our Grants Programme, we are empowering talented young supported 379 films representing 61 countries. We are humbled to have the filmmakers from our region and beyond, to help fulfill their creative Institute’s name associated with an outstanding list of grantee alumni, whose aspirations. We are proud to be supporting the next generation of Arab and works portray important issues with a strong directorial vision, and earned international film talents, and we are delighted to see their numbers continue critical acclaim and numerous awards at leading global film events. to grow every year. In 2017, the DFI Grants Programme added new members to our I welcome the new Grantees to the DFI family and wish them all the best. community of alumni with a carefully curated selection of 64 projects from 22 countries – by first and second-time filmmakers, as well as three established directors from our region: Merzak Allouache, Annemarie Jacir and – Fatma Al Remaihi Mohamed Zineddaine whose works inspire new talents. CEO, Doha Film Institute I am delighted that this year includes eight new grants awarded to Qatari directors; a testament to the growth of young talents here, who are determined to make meaningful and quality films that add to the pride of our nation. The diversity of submissions for the 2017 cycles has been exceptional, and we selected these 64 projects for their ability to engage with audiences anywhere in the world. With projects from Algeria to Somalia and Chile to Doha Film Institute Hanaa Issa, Director of Strategy and Development Grants Team Khalil Benkirane, Head of Grants

Meriem Mesraoua, Grants Senior Coordinator

Eliza Subotowicz, Grants Senior Coordinator

Vanessa Paradis, Grants Coordinator

Wesam Said, Grants Assistant Feature Narrative

Abou Leila Ava Beneath the Dunes The Blessed The Day I Lost My Shadow Days of Grace Dead Dog (working title) Disappearance Divine Wind Don’t Tell a Soul The Healer Joint Possession Late to Die Young The Load Noura Dreams Our Madness Papicha Saffron’s Land The Seen and Unseen Sofia The Translator The Unknown Saint Wajib Weldi Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Abou Leila The Algerian civil war of the 1990s Amin Sidi-Boumédiène was Set up in January 2010, Thala Films Spring Grants 2017 claimed thousands of victims born in France in 1982. In 2005, he is a film production company based Algeria, France, Qatar / Arabic and has traumatised the Algerian obtained his film-directing diploma in Algiers. Its ambition is above all people as a whole. This period from the Conservatoire libre du to take an active part in promoting Runtime: 120 is essential to me and to my cinema in Paris. He returned to and preserving Algerian culture. Amin Sidi-Boumédiène Genre: Drama, Road Trip, Thriller generation because it constitutes Algeria in 2008, where he worked Thala Films has produced two full- Director / Screenwriter the unsurpassable background as a director’s assistant, then in length documentary features to Algeria, March 1994. Childhood friends S. and Lotfi travel through the of our youth. To understand the 2010 he directed his first short film, date, as well as six short films that Algerian desert looking for Abou Leila, a dangerous terrorist on the foundations of this tragedy, which ‘Tomorrow, Algiers?’, which was have garnered numerous awards run. are also the foundations of the selected for a dozen festivals around at national and international film violent events in history, we have the world. His second short film, festivals. to go beyond particular debates ‘The Island’, was filmed in Algiers to embrace the root causes of this in 2012. His short film ‘Serial K.’ violence – which we got up close to (2014) screened at several festivals. Fayçal Hammoum and which, because of the trauma Currently, Sidi-Boumédiène is Producer caused, has contaminated all of us preparing his first feature-length in one way or the other. ‘Abou Leila’ film, ‘Abou Leila’. is not a film about the Algerian Civil War; rather, it is about the fragility of a man lost in a violent world.

Algeria, 1994. Terrorist attacks have ravaged the north of the country for the past two years. Childhood friends S. and Lotfi travel through the Algerian desert looking for Abou Leila, a dangerous terrorist on the run. Their search seems absurd, given that the Sahara has not been affected by the wave of murders and bomb attacks that have been sweeping through the rest of the country. Lofti has only one priority: to keep S. as far from the capital as possible, knowing his friend is too fragile to face more bloodshed. As they approach the supposed hideout of Abou Leila, they learn of the mysterious Contact plight in a nearby village, where three youths have been killed under terrible Thala Films and suspicious circumstances. The Touareg inhabitants of the village believe Fayçal Hammoum the killer is a djinn, a desert spirit that ceaselessly roams the dunes. To S. the [email protected] demon is Abou Leila. Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Ava ‘Ava’ is a female-driven coming-of- Sadaf Foroughi is an Iranian- Sweet Delight Pictures (SDP) Spring Grants 2017 age drama, which has the cinematic born, Montreal-based filmmaker. is a Montreal-based company Iran, Canada, Qatar / Persian / 2017 aesthetic of a country in which She began her artistic career in founded by Kiarash Anvari and there are restrictions on portraying 2003, creating and producing short Sadaf Foroughi. Since 2001, Runtime: 102 women. The film tells the story films, documentaries and video SDP has produced short films, Sadaf Foroughi Genre: Coming of age, Drama, Social Issues, Women’s Issues, Youth of a teenage girl who is banished art. Foroughi participated in the documentaries and video art pieces, Director / Screenwriter / Producer from all social institutions simply Berlinale Talent Campus, where she which have been showcased at Iranian seventeen-year-old Ava challenges the strict rules of her because she wants to be different. was selected to participate in the various film festivals and cultural traditional upbringing and learns that her mother broke the rules as a My main inspiration in making ‘Ava’ ‘Why Democracy?’ short film project. venues around the world, among young woman as well. is to examine the role and influence Her short documentary ‘Féminin, them the Oberhausen Kurzfilmtage, of women in society. In this respect, Masculin’ (2007) was nominated the Witte de With Centre for my point of departure is a mother for the Best Non-European Film Contemporary Arts in Rotterdam, and a daughter in a small society Award at the Grand Off-European and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de called home. Mistrustful and often Off Film Awards in Warsaw, and Nantes. The first feature-length Kiarash Anvari overprotective, Ava’s conservative won the Best Short Film award at film produced by SDP, ‘The Pot and Producer mother exerts a lot of influence the Oxford Brooks University Annual the Oak’, had its world premiere at over the burgeoning young woman Film and Music Festival. She co- the 2017 International Film Festival as she attempts to pass her firmly wrote, co-produced, and appeared Rotterdam in the Bright Future held traditions down. Written in Kiarash Anvari’s feature-length Competition. ‘Ava’ is SDP’s second and directed in the form of a film ‘The Pot and the Oak’ (2017), feature-length film. Sweet Delight musical variation, ‘Ava’ pictures which had its world premiere in Pictures was nominated for the the possibilities in a society where the Bright Future Competition best Canadian Emerging Producer external determination has become Section of the International Film Award at the 2017 Canadian Media Ava’s first visit to the gynaecologist with her mother is a traumatic experience so overwhelming that the inner- Festival Rotterdam. Sadaf’s debut Producers Association (CMPA) Indie for the young woman. Trauma gives way to anger when Ava discovers her motive forces have lost their weight.. feature film ‘Ava’ had its premiere Screen Awards. mother’s dishonesty and learns of the rules she broke when she was the at the Toronto International Film age Ava is now. Bewildered and enraged, Ava attempts to commit suicide Festival in 2017 where it received at school. To avoid being expelled, she accepts a deal to snitch on her an honourable mention as the classmates, but a guilty conscience is a heavy burden. Misunderstood by her best Canadian debut feature film parents and tormented by school, Ava decides on a third way forward. and awarded the Discovery Section FIPERSCI Prize. Foroughi graduated Contact with an MA in Film Studies Sweet Delight Pictures from the University of Provence, Kiarash Anvari and obtained a degree in Film [email protected] Production from the New York Film Academy. Sadaf Foroughi [email protected] Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Feature Narrative Beneath the Dunes This film is intended to be a study Mohammed Al Ibrahim’s 2010 Fall Grants 2017 of the human condition after narrative short ‘Land of Pearls’ Qatar / Arabic the occurrence of a traumatic screened at a number of events, incident. The desolate lawlessness including the Gulf Film Festival, Runtime: 100 of the desert is the setting, and DTFF, and ADFF. He also wrote and Mohammed Al Ibrahim Genre: Drama, Social Issues the vulnerability arising from the directed the short film ‘Bidoon’ in Director / Screenwriter differing ideologies of the characters 2013, winning best short narrative When two cousins venture the landscape of the Inland Sea to escape become our test subjects. at ADFF and GCC Film Festival. He the city, they come across a car echoing screams from the inside. The Just as the grains of sand that lie is a Film & Media graduate from the rescue mission changes their lives. on the surface of a sand dune are University of California, Irvine. susceptible to being blown away from the ‘whole’ that is the dune, so too are the inhabitants of trauma susceptible to being cut off from Bassam Al Ibrahim their moral compasses, into a state Producer of moral ambiguity. The question becomes: Can love prevail over hatred? Each is plausible. Each has its justifications. Each leads to a specific set of consequences; guided from above, directed by those below.

Khalifa and Nasser are two cousins who have one bonding ritual: they camp out every weekend at the Inland Sea; scouring the desert, day and night, acting as a rescue team for anyone in need of help. When they come across an old four-wheel drive nestled deep beneath a dune with screams echoing out of it, the duo finds themselves becoming more of a source of trouble than a source of help. What begins as a rescue mission to save a woman’s life spirals into a dangerous feat of survival that will change the lives of everyone involved. Contact Mohammed Al Ibrahim +974 66090510 [email protected]

Bassam Al Ibrahim +974 77088077 [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative The Blessed I could not picture the civil war that Born in Oran, Sofia Djama Ever since Liaison Spring Grants 2017 hit us. I couldn’t even tell precisely moved to Algiers to complete her Cinématographique was founded in ‘Les bienheureux’ / Algeria, France, Belgium, Qatar / Arabic, French / 2017 the date it began or ended. People Bachelor’s degree in Literature. 2003, the company has committed have trouble saying the words In the early 2000s, she began itself to developing an eclectic Runtime: 100 “civil war”, they call it “national writing a collection of short stories editorial line, favoring singular, Sofia Djama Genre: Drama tragedy” or “black decade”. Instead, in which Algiers serves as the diverse cinematic approaches, and Director / Screenwriter whenever they use the word “war”, main protagonist of each plot. combining artistic ambition and Algiers, a few years after the civil war. Amal and Samir have decided they do it reluctantly, almost timidly, ‘Limply One Saturday Morning’, an potential in the marketplace. For to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary at a restaurant, but the as though they were afraid to talk adaptation of one of these stories, this, Liaison Cinématographique mood turns dark and becomes more volatile as the night wears on. about it, afraid to remember the was her first short film. It won wide turned very early on to European dead. But war is on everyone’s acclaim and received two awards co-productions, which has opened mind; everyone was affected by it at the 2011 Clermont-Ferrand up a new window of opportunities one way or another, whatever our International Short Film Festival. for financing and distribution. social background. My desire was to This encouraged Djama to pursue Serge Zeitoun, Patrick Quinet represent on screen this post-war her ambitions in the film industry. Producers state of mind, to observe how this From then on, she has devoted conflict has built our perception, herself to writing her first feature transformed our expectations, and film, ‘The Blessed’. influenced our sense of priorities. In the film, it takes shape through several protagonists, from different generations and social origins. All of whom paint a portrait of a Algiers, a few years after the Civil War. Amal and Samir have decided to country frozen in a disconcerting celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in a restaurant. While on route immobilism. For me, Algiers is to their destination, they trade their views on Algeria: Amal speaks of lost the central character of the film illusions and Samir about the need to cope with them. Meanwhile, the hence the strolls through those couple’s son Fahim and his friends are wandering about in a hostile Algiers, crazy narrow streets, the shots of the city that is about to steal their youth. buildings that crush the characters with their overflowing history.

Contact Liaison Cinématographique [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative The Day I Lost My This film was written in a country Soudade Kaadan studied theatre KAF is a Syrian production Fall Grants 2017 where tomorrow is an unimaginable criticism at the Higher Institute house, founded in late 2008 thought. What is tomorrow if you of Dramatic Arts in Syria, and by Amira Kaadan and Soudade Shadow are living under constant bombing? graduated from Institut d’études Kaadan, specialized in fiction and Alternating between the relief to scéniques, audiovisuelles et documentary films. The company Soudade Kaadan ‘Yom Adaatou Zouli’ / Syria, France, Qatar / Arabic / 2018 be missed by the falling missiles cinématographiques (IESAV), at was born, on the one hand, from Director / Screenwriter and the grief it fell on someone Saint Joseph University, Lebanon. the necessity to make creative Runtime: 100 else. That’s why the film doesn’t She has received international documentaries and fiction in a Genre: Drama, Politics, Roadtrip, War, Women try to predict or talk about the awards for her documentaries, country where most production future. It limits itself to three days including the Martine Filippi Award houses concentrate mainly on Syria 2012; Sana takes a day off from her job to search for a gas of Sana’s life, in a precise moment - URTI Grand Prix for Author’s television series. On the other hand, cylinder. She is swept away in the war for two days and when she of Damascus’ history. The film Documentaries, Monte-Carlo it was crafted from the sisterhood returns home, finds she has lost something of herself. represents a woman’s point of view Television Festival, and the Muhr and friendship of both founders of the war, away from orientalist Arab Documentary Award in DIFF. and their desire to produce free, Amira Kaadan clichés. They are neither saints, Her latest documentary ‘Obscure’ creative cinema. KAF has produced Producer nor an object of desire. When men premiered at the 2017 CPH:DOX documentary films like ‘Two became soldiers, activists and Festival. Soudade is currently in Cities and a Prison’, and was the prisoners, they left empty houses; post-production of her first feature executive producer for Al Jazeera women were alone facing security fiction film, ‘The Day I Lost My Documentary Channel for films like agents, death and bombing. They Shadow’. ‘Looking for Pink’ and ‘Damascus became strong and took decisions Roof and Tales of Paradise’. they never dared to take before. These productions have received When men come back, their homes international awards and have been won’t be the same. We all changed aired on numerous TV channels. in this collective experience and lost Sana is a young mother struggling to raise her eight-year-old child in war- a lot, but in Syria, we are now used torn Syria in 2012. Between water outages and power cuts, she decides to to losing a shadow every day. take a day off work to go in search of a place to buy a gas cylinder. Along the way, she meets Jalal and his sister Reem, who are also looking for gas, and they agree to share a taxi for the trip. At a checkpoint, the soldiers suspect Contact their driver to be an activist. Fearing arrest, he takes off running, abandoning KAF his passengers in a small village on the outskirts of Damascus. There, Sana Amira Kaadan discovers that it is normal for people to lose their shadows every day, as if +961 7603 4782 they lose something of themselves once they experience the war. [email protected] Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Days of Grace ‘Days of Grace’ arose out of my Considered one of the most Tharwa Productions is an Spring Grants 2017 desire to highlight a human story promising talents to come out of independent film production ‘Ayam Min Al Na’aeem’ / Bahrain, Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic away from the usual politics and the Gulf, Saleh Nass makes his company based in Dubai. Tharwa war. In Beirut – the city that has feature writing and directing debut focuses on telling stories for today’s Runtime: 90 taken in the most Syrian refugees with ‘Days of Grace’. A graduate market in unique ways, and on Saleh Nass Genre: Drama who have fled their country – a in Television Production from the collaborating with like-minded Director / Screenwriter heavy burden comes with dreams Bournemouth Media School, his creative partners worldwide. Tharwa A young Syrian man has only a few days left in Beirut to find a way to of a better life for the immigrants. award-winning shorts ‘Game’ (2012), is owned and managed by Paul avoid a dangerous journey back to a war zone. Beirut is not a destination – just a ‘Central Market’ (2014) and ‘Pick Up’ Baboudjian, a film and television half-way stopover, an impermanent (2014) have been Official Selections producer who has been working place. But while they are there only at more than 50 festivals worldwide. between Europe and the Middle temporarily, who knows for how East since 2002. Baboudjian long? On a human level, sometimes has produced short and feature- we want things to happen, but they length fiction films and creative Paul Baboudjian often don’t – or, rather, they don’t documentaries within the Arab Producer come about the way we expect world. them to, and it’s only through severe trials that we can hope to be led to safety. Our characters have dreams and ambitions but go through hell to try and achieve them. A young Syrian man is faced with a dilemma: he has only a few days to leave Beirut to go abroad or must face a difficult existence in the city, with the ever- present threat of being deported to Syria hanging over his head. Challenged by problems at every turn, will Alaa do anything to leave a city that has taken in more refugees than it can afford?

Contact Tharwa Productions Paul Baboudjian +97150456841 [email protected] Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Dead Dog Emigration has been the fate of Sarah Francis grew up in Beirut Footnote Productions was founded Fall Grants 2017 many Lebanese families throughout and graduated from IESAV at Saint in Beirut, and is dedicated to generations. In many cases, the Joseph University. Since 2005, producing films from the region (working title) man works abroad, while the rest she has worked as a freelance that reflect the diversity of human of the family stays in the country. director and has participated in experiences and explore the Sarah Francis ‘Al Kalbou Mat’ / Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic As years go by, he often ends up several workshops and labs. Her boundaries of cinematic language Director / Screenwriter / Producer living a strange double life; never feature-length documentary ‘Birds and craftsmanship. Among our first Genre: Drama, Family, Immigration, Romance really gone, never really here. I have of September’ (2013) screened at projects, currently in development, been living with the characters numerous international festivals is the feature-length narrative ‘Dead When Farid, a 60-year-old man living abroad visits his wife, he learns in my mind for quite some time and museums, and won several Dog’ (working title). that his beloved dog had died. Tensions arise and Farid confesses he’s now, I have wondered how they awards. Her work also includes returning home for good. experienced their successes and short videos. She is currently failures. To which extent are we developing a project with the When Farid, a 60-year-old man living abroad visits his wife, he learns capable of reinventing ourselves support of the Asian Cinema Fund. that his beloved dog had died. Tensions arise and Farid confesses he’s at their age, and what role does With ‘Dead Dog’, her upcoming returning home for good. memory play in everyday life? What fiction project, she was a participant kind of images, often fixed in time of Cinephilia Bound in collaboration or preserved by distance do we with La Maison des scénaristes at rely on to construct our lives? I am the Festival de Cannes in 2017, and interested in observing areas of is also attending other major film fragility and areas of strength, as labs. well as to explore the notion of identity in the broader sense.

When Farid, a 60-year-old man who lives abroad, visits his wife in their Lebanese mountain home, he learns that their 16-year-old dog died – but no one informed him. When the couple visits the location where the dog was supposedly buried, they discover the hill has become a granite quarry. Tensions soon arise as the old dynamics of the couple resurface, and Farid confesses he is returning home for good. When a boy helps him find the Contact remains of his dog, he buries them in the garden. In the following days, Aida Sarah Francis learns that Farid is planning to sell their main residence in Beirut due to Footnote Productions financial problems. The couple explores their relationship for the first time in +961 379 7545 years, and Aida confronts her husband, not intending to let their city house [email protected] go. Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Disappearance In this film, I wish to show a Ali Asgari is an Iranian filmmaker Three Gardens Film is a young Spring Grants 2017 picture of the younger people of who studied cinema in Italy. An Tehran-based production company ‘Napadid Shodan’ / Iran, Qatar / Persian / 2017 a semi-traditional society who alumnus of the Berlinale Talent owned by Pouria Heidary Oureh, are struggling hard to obtain their Campus 2013, his short films who is also a filmmaker. The Runtime: 88 identity. Through a simple but ‘More than Two Hours’ (2013) and company started its activity by Ali Asgari Genre: Drama, Youth, Social Issues intense story, I seek to demonstrate ‘The Silence’ (2016) were both in producing independent short and Director / Screenwriter how family can impose limitations competition for the Palme d’Or feature-length films and has to One cold night in Tehran, a young couple go from one hospital and may, sometimes, be even at the Festival de Cannes, and date produced three feature-length to another in search for help. Soon, they will need to face the more dangerous and perilous both screened at the Ajyal Youth and three short films, all of which consequences of their careless mistakes. than we might expect. Nowadays Film Festival in Doha, while ‘The have seen success on the festival the majority of older Iranians are Baby’ competed at the Venice Film circuit. In association with Sana respectful of tradition, while at Festival 2014. His films have been Sound Studio, Three Gardens Sound the same time the majority of the screened at more than 500 festivals Studio has provided sound design, youth are trying to pass over these around the world, and have won editing and mix for a number of Farnoosh Samadi traditions. The differences between more than 100 awards. Currently, films and television series. Three Screenwriter these points of view create a lot of Asgari is working on his first feature- Gardens has also provided technical conflict and stories that have always length film, ‘Disappearance’, which support, professional cameras and been important for me to talk about, was developed at the Cinéfondation film equipment to more than 100 especially because I myself have Résidence, under the umbrella of projects in Iran. experience of this situation. In my the Festival de Cannes. previous short films, I tried to tell some of these stories; some of the characters in my short films are still On a cold winter’s night in Tehran, a couple of young lovers run into a serious Pouria Heidary Oureh, alive, their stories as yet unfinished problem, and they have just a few hours to come up with a solution. They Ali Sadraei in my mind. I would like to explore go from hospital to hospital in search for help, but none of the hospital Producers them further. authorites will admit the young woman to provide her with the medical attention she desperately requires. While they try hard to find a way to stop the woman’s haemorrhage, they have to hide what is happening from their parents. Moreover, their relationship is facing a crisis.

Contact Three Gardens Film Pouria Heidary Oureh [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Divine Wind In my latest films, I have been Merzak Allouache was born Les Asphofilms was founded in Fall Grants 2017 dealing with the scourge of violence, in Algeria in 1944. He studied October 2015 in Paris, by the ‘Rih Rabani’ / Algeria, France, Qatar / Arabic / 2018 corruption, prostitution, drug filmmaking in Algiers at the filmmaker Bahia Allouache. It is a abuse and radical Islamism. In the Institut National du Cinéma and production company which stands Runtime: 96 film ‘Rih Rabani’ (‘Divine Wind’), I subsequently at IDHEC in Paris. In up for an open-minded cinema Merzak Allouache Genre: Drama continue my observation of Algerian 1976, he directed his first feature, d’auteur rooted in current affairs, Director / Screenwriter society and the emergence of a ‘Omar Gatlato’. Since then, he has paying close attention to social Nour and Amine plan to launch an attack against an oil refinery in the new generation of radicalized been directing films in France and issues and still aiming at high Algerian Sahara, but things do not turn out as they expected. young people, feeding the terrorist Algeria, and his films are frequently cinematographic quality for its maquis in certain regions of selected in prestigious international productions. ‘Tahqiq Fel Djenna’ the country; young people who festivals such as the Festival (feature documentary) and ‘Divine openly claim to be an ‘Islamist de Cannes, Venice and Berlin Wind’ (feature) are the first internationale’ led by ISIS. The International Film Festivals. two films co-produced by Les recent discoveries of numerous Asphofilms. Bahia Allouache weapons caches in southern Algeria, Producer spectacular operations against oil bases (takeover of Tiguentourine hostages, the rocket attack on In Salah gas, etc.) are evidence of sustained activity by Islamist terrorist groups that move easily and cross the borders of the Sahel Nour and Amine don’t know each other. They meet in a house, near the city countries. Through the portrait of of Timimoun, in the Algerian Sahara. They are supposed to launch an armed two characters: Nour and Amine, action against an oil refinery. But things don’t turn out quite as they expected. two young jihadists on the eve of a suicide operation, I try once again to film the psychology of despair that leads to the switch to fanaticism.

Contact Les Asphofilms Bahia Allouache [email protected] Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Don’t Tell a Soul This provocative thriller follows an Tipped as a future star on BBC’s With over ten years’ experience Spring Grants 2017 Arab man thrown into chaos and talent hotlist, award-winning in the industry, award-winning Lebanon, UK, Qatar / English his journey of discovering that his filmmakerNour Wazzi has worked filmmaker Nour Wazzi set up UK- wife is not who he thought she in the industry for over ten years, based Panacea Productions with Runtime: 90 was. Seen through a racially biased collaborating on and developing the intention of making distinctive, Nour Wazzi Genre: Thriller lens, the film unfolds against the short and feature-length films. She thought-provoking and compelling Director / Screenwriter / Producer backdrop of a small, predominantly has won awards for a number of films with strong commercial Faris awakes; his wife and sick child missing, a dead body on the white, town. As a Lebanese female shorts, including ‘Up on the Roof’ potential. Panacea has made a floor… he remembers nothing. Thrown into chaos, he suspects filmmaker, I want to tell a story (2013) which premiered at the BFI number of award-winning shorts everyone… even himself. that has both an Arab in the lead London Film Festival, was selected that have found VOD, airline and and a complex female character at over 30 festivals and named international TV distribution, and is at its core. I am passionate about Best Short Film at the Naoussa currently building an exciting slate thought-provoking stories with International Film Festival. She of genre features and television high stakes that keep viewers at has also won Best Foreign Short shows with emerging talent. Wazzi’s Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan the edge of their seat, while being at the Mexico International Film debut feature-length films, ‘Don’t Screenwriter equally moving and heartbreaking Festival, where her short ‘Shackled’ Tell a Soul’ (thriller) and ‘Chimera’ on a visceral level. I intend the starring Emilia Clarke (‘Game of (horror/sci-fi) are the current focus film to touch the audience with a Thrones’), took the Golden Palm for on her development slate. constant sense of dread that slowly Best Short Film in 2012. Based on a tightens its grip, as our perception story by Academy Award nominee Finished Films was founded by of reality crumbles and our own Ari Folman (‘Waltz with Bashir’), producer Shirine Best, who is assumptions are challenged. ‘Habibti’ (2010) starring Hiam Abbass currently in post-production on With themes of self-preservation, (‘The Visitor’) and Yasmine Al Massri her feature ‘Westwood’, about the Faris, a Lebanese Muslim living in the US, awakens to discover the dead body Shirine Best deception, prejudice, mental (‘Caramel’), was selected for more life of iconic fashion designer and of his wife’s ex-husband. The murder weapon is in his hand, but Faris has no Producer health, family and forgiveness, the than 40 international festivals, won activist Vivienne Westwood, with memory of killing him. He tries to get hold of his wife and child, but they are film’s strength lies in inference five awards and was broadcast on Academy Award-winning producer nowhere to be found. Faced with the choice of turning himself in for a crime and suggestion – where we load the BBC in 2012. Most recently, John Battsek and Dogwoof handling he is unsure of committing or searching for his missing family, Faris decides moments that we’re also throwing Nour directed two episodes of the international sales. Best has to dispose of the body and uncover the truth before it’s too late. As rumours away and leaving the audience with BBC short film series ‘The Break’. amassed credits on more than 20 of his wife’s infidelity and domestic abuse ripples throughout the local questions that resonate. Crafted She is currently co-writing her debut feature-length films since starting community, it is suspected that Faris may have committed an honour killing. with an omniscient and haunting feature-length film, based on her in the industry in 2001. She has Contact Unravelling the events that led to this fateful night, Faris begins to fear that complexion, ‘Don’t Tell a Soul’ will recent short thriller, ‘Baby Mine’ produced more than ten short films, Panacea Productions he is, in fact, responsible for both the murder and his family’s disappearance. be a gripping journey of uncertainty (2016) starring Alexander Siddig including a fashion film starring Lilly Nour Wazzi and mystery. (‘Kingdom of Heaven’). Cole and a number of fiction films [email protected] that star Emilia Clarke, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Alexander Siddig, among others. Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative The Healer The need to make this film has been Mohamed Zineddaine was born Ouarzazate Films is a production Fall Grants 2017 dictated to me by the universality in the small village of Oued Zem in company based in Casablanca, ‘Mbarka’ / Morocco, Italy, Qatar / Arabic / 2018 of a theme that has been with Morocco. In 1983, he left Morocco Morocco. Their fiction work includes me for a long time: the many to study a course in computer ‘The Healer’ (‘La guérisseuse’) (2018), Runtime: 110 manifestations of power. Individual, studies in Nice, France. Mohamed ‘Wrath’ (‘Colère’) (2013) and ‘Under Mohamed Zineddaine Genre: Drama pervasive, all-knowing power; not quickly realized that this was not August Sky’ (‘Sous le ciel d’août’) Director / Screenwriter / Producer necessarily in its global, political for him, and he moved on to Italy (1999). They have also produced Abdou lives with his adoptive mother and traditional healer, Mbarka, or military expressions, but in the where he gained great experience the documentaries ‘After Silence’ in a small mining town. There he meets a cynical pickpocket, who more personal, indirect ones, which in life doing several jobs. Doomed (‘Après le silence’) (2005), ‘Gorizia’ suffers from a skin disease. Abdou convinces him to seek treatment are embodied in the influence of to failure in his scientific studies, (‘Gorizia au delà des confins’) (2006), from his mother, and their three lives become irreversibly interwoven. an individual over others and in the he was conducted to literary works and ‘Looking Far Away’ (‘Le regard balance of power between people. by a secret hand and now devotes ailleurs’) (2002). Beyond the Moroccan reality - of himself to reading extensively. which I am soaked with, due to my identity and my existential journey - I have been able to see, through personal experience and my readings and travels, that this theme is linked to the universal instincts that transcend individual countries and manifest themselves in different forms but with similar dynamics and feelings, anywhere in time and space. I like to think 16-year old teenager Abdou lives on the outskirts of Khouribga, a mining town that the protagonist of this film is a exploiting phosphates. He is helpful and caring, simple and down to earth, reproposition of the legendary figure incapable of harm, and is anxious to regain the gift of human dignity through of Medea, updated and adapted to learning how to read and write. His adoptive mother Mbarka, a midwife the Arab world. and the neighbourhood’s healer, protects her privileged status with ways that the laws of obscurantism allow her. Ch’Aayba, a thirty-year-old man, uncontrollable and ferociously cynical, is an eccentric pickpocket. Suffering Contact from a skin disease, Abdou convinces him to come see Mbarka in order to get Ouarzazate Films treatment for it: that’s how the fate of these three will entangle, twirling on Mohamed Zineddaine the carousel of illusion. [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Joint Possession I spent my summers in homes with Leila Kilani was born in Morocco To date, DKB Productions has Spring Grants 2017 a history, homes with entire floors in 1970. A director and a producer, mainly created commercials and ‘Indivision’ / Morocco, France, Qatar / Arabic / 2018 that were closed up as though she divides her time between Paris corporate films; the company is they were unvisited vaults. As a and Tangier. In 2000, she began to now beginning to produce politically Runtime: 105 young adult, my ears hummed make documentaries, including the committed films with high artistic Leila Kilani Genre: Action, Drama, History, Women, Youth with a worn-out tune, one that all acclaimed ‘Tangier, The Burners’ standards. Director / Screenwriter Moroccans know well. Nightmares Dream’ (2003) and ‘Our Forbidden have a name: joint ownership. The Places’ (2009). ‘On the Edge’, her same old story where irrational first feature-length narrative film, bonding to a property is motivated was released in 2011. Her second by financial gains, genuine affection feature-length narrative ‘Joint and fake solidarity. Money, cash Possession’ is currently in post- or dough. Mixing old and new. My production. parents have passed away, my Emmanuel Barrault mother’s house has been emptied. I Producer always come back to Tangier – not the mythical, bohemian chic Tangier, but a Tangier that seems to change constantly without being nurtured. Tangier topography is in turmoil. Pharaonic real estate projects surround Reinvent: this is the keyword. One the Mansouria, a land-locked family estate that is up for sale and coveted by cannot escape rewriting one’s Amina and her heirs. family history: events can be shifted, names changed, scandals borrowed from other families – and yet nothing changes in substance. But a cataclysm, a real drama, a revolution of the land could happen just as easily.

Contact DKB Productions Emmanuel Barrault +33951777862 [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Late to Die Young ‘Late to Die Young’ is a coming of Dominga Sotomayor was born Cinestación is a creative platform Fall Grants 2017 age story inspired by the loss of in Santiago de Chile in 1985. Her for auteur filmmaking in Latin ‘Tarde para morir joven’ / Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Netherlands, Qatar / innocence, both in the kids and first feature film, ‘Thursday Till America. With a growing catalogue Spanish / 2018 their community, in a country that Sunday’ (2012), was developed at of films and directors, we tell was aching after dictatorship. The the Cinéfondation Résidence, won stories with strong points of view, Dominga Sotomayor Runtime: 110 film portrays a group of families the Tiger Award at the International collaborating with global partners Director / Screenwriter / Producer Genre: Coming of age, Drama who have chosen to live away from Film Festival Rotterdam, and was and supporting audacity and quality. the city in a natural environment, named best film at IndieLisboa, Among other films, Cinestación In an isolated community, Sofía, Clara and Lucas prepare for New but are simultaneously threatened New Horizons, and the Valdivia produced Dominga Sotomayor’s Year’s Eve. They may live far from the dangers of the city, but not by it. They are confined in this International Film Festivals. She co- Rotterdam Tiger Award-winning those of nature. self-imposed exile, where they are directed ‘The Island’ (2013), which ‘Thursday Till Sunday’ (2012), and faced by their own fragility. I want also claimed a Tiger Award. In 2015, her medium-length ‘Mar’ (2015), to explore the uneasy relationship her medium-length film ‘Mar’ had which premiered in the Forum between generations, between its premiere in the Forum section section of the Berlin International Rodrigo Teixeira, Omar Zúñiga, classes, to capture the wisdom at the Berlin International Film Film Festival. Our work has been Sophie Mas of children and the foolishness of Festival, and she also released ‘Aqui, recognised by world-class film Producers adults, the strange melancholy Em Lisboa’, a collective film directed festivals, including the Berlinale, the of growing up. I’m interested in with Gabriel Abrantes, Denis Côté, Festival de Cannes, the International how what’s familiar can become and Marie Losier. Film Festival Rotterdam, the Valdivia threatening and foreign at the International Film Festival and the same time. I am also interested in Sundance Film Festival. In 2018, we the sense of belonging, and the will shoot Omar Zúñiga’s feature illusion of property we have over debut, ‘Los Fuertes’, and premiere relationships, people, and nature two films as minority co-producers, The summer of 1990 in Chile. A small group of families lives in an isolated itself. The story puts this under ‘Die, Monster, Die’ by Alejandro community right below the Andes, among dry dirt roads and dusty trees, the spotlight, casting doubt over Fadel, from Argentina, and ‘Cascos building a new world away from the excesses of the distant city. Sixteen-year- everything, reminding us that Indomables’ by Neto Villalobos, old Sofía and Lucas, and 10-year-old Clara struggle with parents, first loves, nothing really belongs to anyone. from Costa Rica. and fears, while they prepare a big party for New Year’s Eve with the hope of some new beginnings. ‘Late to Die Young’ is a portrait of a group of people who try to isolate themselves from the dangers of the city, but are instead Contact confronted by those of nature. Cinestación Omar Zúñiga [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative The Load In 2001, on the outskirts of Belgrade, Ognjen Glavonić was born in Founded by young directors Fall Grants 2017 several mass graves were discovered, 1985 in Pančevo in the former Ognjen Glavonić and Stefan Ivančić, ‘Teret’ / Serbia, France, Croatia, Iran, Qatar / Serbian / 2018 containing the bodies of more Yugoslavia. His short films have together with producer Dragana than 700 Kosovo-Albanian civilians. been selected for more than 50 Jovović, Non-Aligned Films is a Runtime: 90 They were transported there using international film festivals. ‘Zivan production company based in Ognjen Glavonić Genre: Based on a True Story, Drama, Politics, War refrigerated trucks during the NATO Makes a Punk Festival, (2014), his Belgrade. The idea behind the Director / Screenwriter / Producer bombing of Serbia in 1999. This was first mid-length documentary, had company is to act as a platform for During the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999, Vlada is driving a truck. a state-organised operation, one its premiere at Cinéma du Réel and producing the films of an upcoming He does not know what the load is, but his cargo slowly becomes his that included the participation of has been screened at more than 40 generation of Serbian filmmakers. burden. the army, the police, and regular international film festivals, among The company’s first production was citizens. ‘The Load’ follows Vlada them the International Film Festival the documentary ‘Zivan Makes a on his new job, driving such truck Rotterdam, CPH:DOX, IndieLisboa. Punk Festival’ (2014) directed by through Serbia, but it also tracks a His feature-length documentary Glavonić. Its international premiere journey through the darkness of a ‘Depth Two’ (2016) had its premiere was at Cinéma du Réel in Paris, Stefan Ivančić, Dragana Jovović society at a specific moment in its in the Forum section at the Berlin and to date it has been screened Producers decay. This film is not an attempt to International Film Festival, and at more than 45 international film explain the atrocities of the conflict was named best film at DokuFest festivals, including the International in question; rather, I am interested Prizren, Message to Man St. Film Festival Rotterdam. Non- in the position of the Everyman Petersburg, OpenCity Docs London, Aligned Films produced three short within such events – his intimacy the Festival dei Popoli Firenze and films in 2014: Stefan Ivančić’s and his self-doubt, not his heroics. Kassel Dokfest, among others. ‘The documentary ‘1973’ and his fictional A man whose decisions will prove Load’ is his feature-length narrative ‘Moonless Summer’; as well as to be his burden for many years, but debut. the experimental documentary Vlada works as a truck driver during the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999. which will also reverberate through ‘Heavens’, directed by Jelena Tasked with transporting a mysterious load from Kosovo to Belgrade, he his surroundings and his family. Maksimović and Ivan Salatić. ‘Depth drives through unfamiliar territory, surrounded by the ravages of the war. Two’, a documentary by Glavonić, When his mission is over, Vlada will need to face the consequences of his had its world premiere in the Forum actions. section at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2016. ‘The Load’ is the company’s debut feature-length fiction film. Contact Non-Aligned Films Stefan Ivančić +381 637 10 66 33 [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Noura Dreams I see women, circulating in the Hinde Boujemaa is a Tunisian Propaganda Production is a Tunisian Fall Grants 2017 popular districts of Tunis, with a director. In 2012, she directed her broadcasting company, created in ‘Noura rêve’ / Tunisia, France, Qatar / Arabic personal ‘lid’ over their heads, a first feature-length documentary, ‘It 2002 by Imed Marzouk and Néjib concrete topping, a bit like the Was Better Tomorrow’, which was Belkadhi. Its primary activities Genre: Drama, Children, Social Issues, Women’s Issues famous wet cloud that follows selected for the Venice Film Festival, include the production of short and Hinde Boujemaa certain cartoon characters. The won the Muhr for Best Director at feature-length films, documentaries, Director / Screenwriter Noura struggles to raise her three children alone while her husband is lid wouldn’t be made of cement the Dubai International Film festival, broadcast series, and commercials. in jail – until she meets Lassaad. Their plans to be together, however, or another material, but of looks, and was named Best Documentary Notable projects include ‘VHS- are jeopardized by the impending release of her husband, and the judgements, intolerance. And at Douz Doc Days. In 2014, her short Kahloucha’ (2006) and ‘Bastardo’ two decide to flee. there, facing me, a woman in a pink fiction film ‘And Romeo Married (2012), both by Néjib Belkadhi; ‘And velvet tracksuit, in a hurry, crosses Juliet’ won Best Short Film awards Romeo Married Juliet’ (2014) by the street, and in her eyes, there at Dubai, the Alexandria Film Hinde Boujemaa; and ‘As I Open My is a glimmer that gets to me. It’s Festival, the Oran Film Festival, and Eyes’ (2014) by Leyla Bouzid. Noura. Instinctively, I decided to the Verona Film Festival, where it Imed Marzouk follow her. In the Arab world, we also took an award for Best Actress. Producer sing to love. Whether Om Kalthoum Boujemaa is now preparing the or Berber songs, men and women feature-length fiction film ‘Noura sing to love, to its pains, its jealousy, Dreams’. its emotions, its romanticism. But as soon as it gets to its reality, especially out of wedlock, taboo and duality settle in. Love becomes a ‘sin’. Still, everyone has felt love, and Noura meets the love of her life, Lassaad, while her husband, Sofiane, is in jail. it is this universal feeling that will She raises her three children alone and works in a laundry to make ends meet. allow the spectator to enter Noura’s A few days before the divorce Noura requested is granted, the new lovers’ story. dream of living together is jeopardised by Sofiane’s imminent release. Noura and Lassaad decide to flee.

Contact Propaganda Production Imed Marzouk +21698441465 [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Our Madness I am not interested in turning João Viana has worked in the areas Les Films de l’Après-Midi has Spring Grants 2017 cinema into a psychologist’s of production, sound, storyboarding, produced feature-length films ‘Notre Folie’ / Portugal, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, France, Qatar / Xitswa, couch. Nor am I interested in direction and screenwriting, and from countries all over the world, Swahili / 2018 making militant cinema. What is, has collaborated with directors including Bosnia and Herzegovina indeed, important for this film is Jean-Claude Biette, César Monteiro, (Aida Begić’s ‘Children of Sarajevo’, João Viana Runtime: 90 to summon the four forces which I Manoel de Oliveira and Werner ‘Djeca’, and ‘Snow’); Ethiopia (Hiwot Director / Screenwriter / Producer Genre: Drama, Road Trip perceived in the field. Summon the Schroeter. He has directed his Admasu’s short film ‘New Eyes’); order to get to the madness and own films since 2004, beginning Hungary (Balint Kenyeres’s ‘Hier’); A child helps a woman who seeks her husband all over Mozambique. summon God to get to the Devil. Let with ‘A Piscina’, which screened Iran (Keywan Karimi’s ‘Drum’); When they finally find him, the child is killed. me explain: what interests me is to in competition at the Venice Portugal (João Canijo’s ‘Fatima’; work on the reality and the presence International Film Festival and is the Marco Martins’s ‘São Jorge’; three of their history in the social and Portuguese short fiction film that films by Manoel de Oliveira; João political situation of Mozambique has won the most awards ever. For Salaviza’s ‘Montanha’; and João today. What interests me is to his next film, ‘Alfama’ (2009), he Viana’s ‘Our Madness’); and François D’Artemare summon the order established by launched the production company Romania (Radu Muntenan’s ‘One Producer the present regime and link it with Papaveronoir Films. His most recent Floor Below’). The company is the liberating madness of artistic work consisted of the feature- actively committed to supporting creation. What interests me is to length ‘The Battle of Tabatô’ paired young filmmakers, among them tell the whole truth by way of fiction. with a short film titled ‘Tabatô’, both Hiwot Admasu, João Salaviza, What interests me is to speak of of which won awards at the 2013 Keywan Karimi, and Meriem the Devil of the Mozambican God. If Berlin International Film Festival. Mesraoua. Les Films de l’Après- every nation is a fiction, this is the Midi is also developing projects film of Mozambique. by established directors like Begić, Lucy is hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital in Mozambique. She dreams Canijo, Pelin Esmer and Muntean. about her little son, Hanic, and her husband, Pak, who is a soldier of the war. Lucy’s musical virtuosity attracts the attention of the hospital nurses. Rosa, an envangelical priest of “Rádio Moçambique”, goes to the hospital to listen to Lucy’s song. Lucy takes this opportunity to run away from the hospital. Alone in the big city, with nothing else besides the pieces of her own bed, and struggling to find Hanic, Lucy looks for the radio’s head office. Rosa confesses to Lucy that she’s nothing else but her chauffeur’s (Muxanga) prisoner. Lucy, Contact with the help of Muxanga finds Hanic. Muxanga tries to terrorize Lucy, but Les Films de l’Après-Midi little Hanic stands up to his mother and defeats Muxanga. Lucy and Hanic François D’Artemare travel all over Mozambique in search of Pak. They cross the river heading +33 145 440 781 the war. In the Infernal Club Muxanga kills Hanic. Pak shows up and kills [email protected] Muxanga and a bird appears in place of Hanic’s heart. Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Papicha ‘Papicha’ is a chronicle of Algerian Mounia Meddour was born and Together with feature film director Spring Grants 2017 society and its youth at the end raised in Algeria. At the age of 18, Xavier Gens, Gregoire Gensollen Algeria, France, Morocco, Qatar / Arabic, French of the 1990s. Violence, a housing she moved to France with her family founded The Ink Connection in crisis, inefficient bureaucracy, as a result of death threats they 2010. Through their Paris and Los Runtime: 100 unemployment, and the loss of received during the Algerian Civil Angeles based production company, Mounia Meddour Genre: Drama, History, Politics, Social Issues, War, Women’s Issues, Youth points of reference surround this War. Meddour studied Journalism they are creating, developing and Director / Screenwriter “sacrificed youth”, who chose to and Film in Paris, where she also packaging a slate of international Nedjma refuses to submit to fear during the Algerian Civil War by vegetate and remain resigned joined the summer directing co-productions to be directed by fulfilling her dream of putting on a fashion show. to their fate. Nedjma, however, programme at La Fémis. Her first Xavier Gens as well as other foreign decides to face up to reality. She short film, ‘Edwige’ (2011), won the directors. In 2011, they delivered does not give up; instead, she Ciné+ Award at the Saint-Jean-de- their first feature film production, remains strong, she shares her Luz Festival, the UniFrance Short ‘The Divide’, directed by Xavier opinions straight-up. She becomes Film Award, and the Grand Jury Gens, released theatrically in the even stronger once she meets Award at the Festival du Premier US by Anchor Bay in 2012. In 2016, Gregoire Gensollen, Xavier Gens Mehdi. In love, together they are Court-Métrage de Pontault- they delivered their second feature Producers more powerful. Like Romeo and Combault. In 2012, the film was film, ‘Where is Rocky II?’, directed Juliet, they live an improbable fairy selected for the Dubai International by renowned French contemporary tale in a tormented Algeria. Film Festival, and the Gulf Film artist Pierre Bismuth, also known Festival. Her current project, for winning the Best Original ‘Papicha’, received development Screenplay Academy Award for funding from the Centre national du ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless cinema et de l’image animée (CNC) Mind’. This French-German-Belgian- Nedjma is a free-spirited and independent young student. She refuses to as well as the Sopadin Screenwriting Italian coproduction premiered in allow the tragic events of the Algerian Civil War keep her from experiencing Award. 2016 at Hot Docs Film Festival, then a normal young woman’s life. She dreams of becoming a fashion designer, opened Art Basel’s Film Program goes to university, and sneaks out at night to dance her sorrows away with in 2016 and played at numerous her friend Wassila. Nedjma embraces life with open arms, but as the social film festivals such as Locarno, climate becomes more conservative, she discovers her apolitical behaviour Rotterdam, CPH:DOX. It also won is considered a form of insurgency. When she loses a childhood friend in an the “Prix Nouvelles Vagues” at La attack, she decides to make a political statement by organising a fashion Roche-Sur-Yon as well as the FILAF show to fight everything the war wants to repress: freedom, women’s d’Or at the Festival International du Contact independence, and the prospect of a future. During her journey of personal Livre d’Art et du Film in Perpignan The Ink Connection resistance, Nedjma will discover that the celebration of life is often to be paid in the past year. In 2017, they Xavier Gens for in death. coproduced their third feature film +33 6 08 58 11 12 ‘Cold Skin’, directed by Xavier Gens, [email protected] with Spanish producers Kanzaman. Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Feature Narrative Saffron’s Land For me, the Moroccan popular From graphic design to news Fall Grants 2017 culture is my main inspiration for photography, Yassine El Idrissi Morocco, Qatar / Arabic my films. I like to tell a human story explored different professions that the international audience before becoming a storyteller in Runtime: 90 connect with but with a unique film. El Idrissi worked several years Yassine El Idrissi Genre: Drama, History, Identity, Politics flavour. Morocco is ripe with visual as a successful photojournalist Director / Screenwriter and cultural wealth, and local in newspapers and international In the Atlas Mountains, Saffrana is an isolated village where people myths which are embodied well in news agencies until he found believe the flower of saffron is a curse, but one man is trying to prove this new script. It tells a story that that to satisfy his urge to tell the the contrary. connects the past and the present stories he needed cinema. El Idrissi of the area, alongside a dramatic graduated from the Netherlands series of events that show the Film Academy in 2013 with the impact of colonization in Africa short ‘The Iranian Film’. He also and the Arab world in a poetic produced a documentary in Syria way. The topic of the film is the that was sold to Dutch national division between those who believe television. ‘Honey and Old Cheese’ in theological or metaphysical (2016), Yassine’s latest short was ideas, and those who believe in screened at Clermont-Ferrand Film Materialism. The saffron flower Festival and the International Film shows this division as a symbol, Festival Rotterdam. from the superstition of the villager to the logical thinking of Hassan, in explaining each event happening in In the Atlas Mountains lies Safrana, an isolated village that was repeatedly the village. attacked by the French army in the 1940s for its prized plantation of saffron. To protect themselves and live in peace, the residents decided to stop cultivating the valuable spice. After their independence and without this profitable crop, the village declined into poverty. The local people still believe that the flower is cursed, but one man, Hassan, attempts to grow saffron to prove them wrong.

Contact Yassine El Idrissi +212 665244347 [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative The Seen and Unseen For the Balinese “sekala niskala”, Kamila Andini was born in Jakarta Treewater Productions is Spring Grants 2017 or “the seen and unseen”, is an in 1986 and studied Sociology and an independent production Indonesia, Netherlands, Australia, Qatar / Indonesian / 2017 expression of the notion that life Media Arts at Deakin University company based in Jakarta. The always contains good and bad in Melbourne. Her concern for company’s concern for culture, the Runtime: 85 things; that life is about balance. culture, women’s empowerment environment and social issues had Kamila Andini Genre: Coming of age, Drama It also means that they believe in and environmental issues led her to led it to create alternative films with Director / Screenwriter / Producer everything they can see, as well as her passion for storytelling through a distinctive perspective for telling As the moon dims and is replaced by the sun, so Tantri’s becoming a what they cannot. For me, the term the medium of film. In 2011, she stories. woman eclipses her twin brother Tantra’s fading life. Together, the is a reflection of myself, both as an released her debut feature-length siblings experience a magical journey and an emotional relationship Indonesian and as an Asian. We are film ‘The Mirror Never Lies’, which through body expressions, finding themselves between reality and holistic people who perpetually live portrays the life of a sea wanderer imagination, loss and hope. between two poles – religion and in the oceans of Indonesia. The culture, reality and myth. Visually, I film travelled to more than 30 film want to play with the words “seen” festivals including Berlin, Busan Gita Fara and “unseen”. Through employing and Seattle International Film Producer the story of a sister and brother Festivals, and won more than 15 who are twins, the film is imbued awards on the festival circuit. Her continuously with dualism. When two short films ‘Following Diana’ Tantri’s twin brother Tantra is (2015) and ‘Memoria’ (2016) portray hospitalised, something opens up in women’s issues in urban Jakarta the girl’s mind, revealing emotions and post-conflict Timor Leste. Her she has never dealt with before. second feature-length film, ‘The Her days become silent, and she Seen and Unseen’, was selected starts to experience many things for the Cinéfondation Residence that are happening around her. programme at the Festival de One day in a hospital room, 10-year-old Tantri realises she will not have much ‘The Seen and Unseen’ is about the Cannes, supported by the Hubert more time with her twin brother Tantra. Tantra’s brain is weakening and he dimensions of life, and therefore Bals Fund and the Asia-Pacific Sreen has begun to lose his senses one by one. He now spends most of his time about the dimensions of art. Reality Awards Fund, and received a grant lying in bed, while Tantri has to accept the reality that she must soon face life in my culture is surreal. With that, from the Doha Film Institute. alone. This situation opens up something in Tantri’s mind: she keeps waking what is realism? By following the up in the middle of the night from a dream and seeing Tantra. The night daily life of a girl whose brother Contact becomes their playground. Under the full moon, Tantri dances – about her is dying, the film examines the Treewater Productions home, about her feelings. As the moon dims and is replaced by the sun, so holistic dimension of feelings, and Gita Fara Tantri’s becoming a woman eclipses Tantra’s fading life. Tantri experiences a surrealism that emerges from +6281281119032 a magical journey and an emotional relationship through body expressions, within. [email protected] finding herself between reality and imagination, loss and hope. Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Sofia Through Sofia and Lena’s journey, Meryem Benm’Barek was born Curiosa Films was born from Olivier Spring Grants 2017 I seek to raise questions that to in 1984 in Rabat. She studied Arabic Delbosc’s desire to build a new Morocco, France, Qatar / Arabic, French / 2018 me are urgent in a society where Languages and Civilisations at production structure after almost 20 social uprisings proliferate, and the National Institute of Oriental years at the helm of Fidélité Films Runtime: 90 isolation is becoming the norm. This Languages and Civilizations in with Marc Missonnier. Strengthened Meryem Benm’Barek Genre: Drama, Social Issues, Women’s Issues film seeks to go beyond simplistic Paris before entering the directing by his experience as a producer, Director / Screenwriter interpretation: everyone takes turns department at INSAS in Brussels which includes the production Casablanca. At 22, Sofia is the only daughter in a rather traditional at being victim and perpetrator; in 2010. There, she directed five of more than 70 feature films of family. While having lunch with her family, she discovers she is about women are not subject to male short films, notably ‘Nor’ (2013) and all genres in less than 20 years, to give birth. domination, but rather to the socio- ‘Jennah’ (2014), which was selected Delbosc, with Emilien Bignon by economic reality of the country. for numerous international film his side, wishes to promote auteur Throughout this project, I intend to festivals, and was considered for films, both demanding and popular. offer a more complex interpretation entry for an Academy Award in 2015. He thus continues to collaborate of a Moroccan society torn apart by She also creates sound design art with renowned authors such as Olivier Delbosc a profound conflict between social and has had regular exhibitions at Xavier Giannoli, André Téchiné and Producer classes. the Victoria and Albert Museum in Bertrand Blier, while also developing London. She is currently finalizing new relationships with directors her first feature-length film, ‘Sofia’. including Claire Denis, Martin Provost and Erick Zonca, among others, and producing first feature films by such new directors as Étienne Comar and Lou Jeunet.

Sofia lives with her parents in a modest apartment in Casablanca. While having lunch with her family one day, she is suddenly stricken with violent abdominal pain. Her cousin Lena, a medical student, is feeling her belly when water starts running down her thighs: Sofia is about to give birth. On the pretext of Sofia having overeaten, the two women head to the hospital. Reluctant at first, the personnel eventually agree to take Sofia in, on the condition that she provide her marriage certificate before the next morning; otherwise they will alert the authorities. After Sofia gives birth, she and Lena Contact immediately leave the hospital in search of the child’s father, launching Curiosa Films themselves into a frantic nocturnal quest. Lisa Verhaverbeke +33155349808 [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative The Translator We were living in Damascus with Anas Khalaf is a Syrian filmmaker Georges Films, based in Paris, Spring Grants 2017 our two small children when the who currently lives in Jordan, having was founded in 2015 by Raphaël Syria, France, Jordan, Qatar / Arabic, English Syrian Revolution broke out in left Damascus with his family as Alexandre and Nicolas Leprêtre, March of 2011. It is during that a result of the Syrian conflict. He and is dedicated to developing Rana Kazkaz Runtime: 90 period that our film takes place, a holds an MBA from the Normandy fiction works for film, television Director / Screenwriter Genre: Drama, Politics, Thriller, War moment when everything was Business School, and with his wife and new media, with the desire possible – when Syrians believed, Rana Kazkaz, he co-founded the to discover and nurture new and March, 2011. As the Syrian Revolution begins, a political refugee as with the other Arab revolutions, production company Synéastes experienced directors from around returns illegally to Syria and risks everything to free his brother from that the moment of emancipation Films in 2010. He is the screenwriter the world. In 2016, Georges Films the Assad regime. and democracy was within and director of three short films, produced ‘Mare Nostrum’, a short reach. Violence, however, quickly including ‘Mare Nostrum’ (2016), film by Rana Kazkaz and Anas Anas Khalaf took precedence over hope, and which has been selected for more Khalaf, which was selected for more Director / Producer suspicion won minds over. Like than 30 festivals, including the than 30 film festivals, including Sami, the main character in ‘The Sundance Film Festival and the the Sundance Film Festival and the Translator’, we are questioning Dubai International Film Festival, Dubai International Film Festival, our responsibility and culpability and has won nine international and won nine international prizes. towards the situation in Syria. Like prizes. He also works as an actor, In 2017, Georges Films will finish us, Sami has fled, uprooted himself, having played roles in ‘Dégradé’ development of ‘The Translator’, to live in freedom, but he cannot (2015), ‘With Premeditation’ (2014) Kazkaz and Khalaf’s first feature- Magali Negroni resolve that his country, Syria, and and the television series ‘The length film, and will produce two Screenwriter his people cannot share it. Bureau’ (2015-). further short films. Alexandre and Leprêtre have more than 10 Rana Kazkaz, a Syrian-American, years’ experience in production: After getting into trouble with the Syrian government, Sami has been living currently lives with her family in Alexandre has worked as a location for years as a political refugee in Australia, working as an Arabic-English Jordan, having left Damascus as a manager on feature films and translator. Although he has adapted well to his new life, he is haunted by result of the ongoing Syrian conflict. television series, Leprêtre worked feelings of guilt for having abandoned his brother and sister. In 2011, the Kazkaz holds an MFA in Acting from for eight years at Sombrero Films Nicolas Leprêtre, Syrian revolution starts unexpectedly and Sami receives a video of his brother Carnegie Mellon University/Moscow as a production executive for Raphaël Alexandre being arrested at a peaceful demonstration. The horrifying event brings up Art Theatre and attended the feature films and as a producer of Producers painful memories of when their father was arrested by the regime 30 years Directing Workshop for Women at numerous short films. earlier. Seizing this moment as a way to make up for the past, Sami makes the American Film Institute. She is the dangerous journey back to Syria in order to free his brother. Once there, the writer and director of four short he becomes increasingly aware of his responsibilities towards his country and films including ‘Mare Nostrum’ family, and this leads him to risk everything for freedom – just as his father (2016). She is currently working as a and brother did before him. story editor and co-producer on two Contact feature-length documentaries. Georges Films Nicolas Leprêtre +33664432968 [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative The Unknown Saint In all my works, I tend to start Trained at ESAV Marrakech and Le Moindre Geste is an independent Fall Grants 2017 from an absurd situation. ‘The INSAS in Brussels, Alaa Eddine production company founded by ‘Saint Inconnu’ / Morocco, France, Qatar / Arabic Unknown Saint’ starts with a fake Aljem directed several short films, director-producers Francesca Duca mausoleum. A mausoleum, holy among them ‘The Desert Fish’ and Alaa Eddine Aljem in 2012. It is Genre: Black Comedy, Drama, Materialism, Social Issues, Spirituality for the inhabitants of a village that (2015), which had great coverage based in Marrakech and Casablanca. Alaa Eddine Aljem lives off the activity generated by in the film festival circuit and took Le Moindre Geste offers authors a Director / Screenwriter After years in captivity, a thief returns to retrieve the money he stole the fake saint even though the saint the Critics, Screenwriting and Grand real context of coaching, mentoring and discovers a mausoleum unexpectedly built on the site where he never existed and indeed was never Prize at the Moroccan National and development of their projects stashed the money. buried there. The same mausoleum Film Festival. ‘The Unknown Saint’ while leaving them all the freedom that was once a stash for stolen is Aljem’s debut feature, currently to make their own film. Le Moindre money. Nowadays, there is nothing in financing. With this project, he Geste focuses on art films with a as holy as money. The mausoleum participated in the Open Doors common denominator: start from where a bag of money is buried Lab at the Locarno Festival, where the personal to reach the universal. is the starting point of entangled it won the ICAM award. It was A chance to explore places, people, Francesca Duca, Alexa Rivero stories, where spirituality and greed also selected for La Fabrique des stories and feelings. Producers meet. In this film, I also wanted to Cinémas du Monde in Cannes in work on rumours, how they quickly 2016, and took part in the Sundance spread and can turn into legends. Screewriters Lab. In 2016, Alaa was ‘The Unknown Saint’ will be shot named by ‘Screen International’ as in the vein of my previous films, in one the Five Arab Stars of Tomorrow. a simple and uncluttered staging that reveals the gravity of certain Young Amine steals a large sum of money and escapes into the hills with the situations and also offers a space for police hot on his trail. Before being arrested, he buries the cash and disguises the burlesque and the black comedy. it as a modest tomb. Ten years later, he is released from prison and sets off in search of his money. In the meantime, a shrine has been built on the place where he buried his stash to honour a saint who used to live in the region, and whose tomb was never found until 10 years ago. His name is lost; he is known as “the unknown saint”. Down the hill from the shrine, a new village subsists mainly as a result of the economic activity generated by pilgrims who come from all over the country and even from abroad. Amine settles in the Contact new village and tries desperately to get his money back. Le Moindre Geste Francesca Duca +212 5243 010 14 [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Wajib Last summer, my husband’s Annemarie Jacir has written, Founded in 1997, Philistine Films Spring Grants 2017 sister got married. I decided to tag directed and produced 16 films, two is an independent production Palestine, UAE, France, Switzerland, Norway, Colombia, Qatar / Arabic / 2017 along silently as he and his father of which premiered at the Festival company based in Jordan and spent five days traversing the city de Cannes, one at the Venice Film Palestine. The company is known for Runtime: 100 and surrounding villages, hand- Festival and one at the Berlin its interest in challenging, thought- Annemarie Jacir Genre: Based on a True Story, Comedy, Drama, Identity, Politics, Road Trip, delivering the wedding invitations. International Film Festival. ‘Like provoking and original films from Director / Screenwriter Satire As a silent observer, I found the Twenty Impossibles’ was the first directors with distinctive visions, experience at times funny, and Arab short film to screen in the and has established itself at the Shadi returns to his hometown to help his father hand-deliver his at other times painful. Aspects of Official Selection at Cannes, and it forefront of independent cinema in sister’s wedding invitations. As the estranged pair go house to house, that special relationship between continued to break ground when it the region, producing films for both the details of their fragile relationship come to a head. father and son, the tensions of a became a finalist for the Academy big and small screens. Philistine sometimes tested love between Awards. Jacir’s first feature, ‘Salt Films was created to support new them, came out in small ways. With of this Sea’ (2008), premiered at voices and to offer a platform for that in mind, I began working on Cannes, was Palestine’s 2008 Oscar the emerging independent Arab Ossama Bawardi the idea for a film about this fragile Entry, won the FIPRESCI Prize, and film scene. The company’s goal is to Producer relationship. was named Best Film in Milan focus on the development and co- and Traverse City. ‘When I Saw production of independent feature You’ was named Best Asian Film at and documentary films, and to find Berlin, and Best Film at Abu Dhabi, unconventional stories and fresh Olympia, Amiens and Phoenix Film narratives. We hope to challenge Festivals. the creative, financial and practical obstacles that confront filmmakers working outside the mainstream. Philistine’s productions have been Abu-Shadi is a divorced father who lives in Nazareth. After his daughter’s selected for the Festival de Cannes wedding, he will be left alone. His son Shadi arrives from Rome to help twice, screened in the Berlin, deliver the wedding invitations to each guest, according to local Palestinian Toronto and Venice International customs. Shadi has spent the last several years abroad and there is little he Film Festivals and the Tribeca Film misses about this place he left a long time ago. As the two men drive around Festival, among more than 300 Nazareth, Abu-Shadi tries to connect with his son, while feeling resentful other festivals. Philistine-produced that Shadi took his mother’s side after the divorce. Shadi has gladly lost touch films have won numerous awards, Contact with his hometown, a city plagued with violence – but he has also lost touch and one was a finalist for an Philistine Films with his family. Drily humorous, ‘Wajib’ takes place over the course of one day Academy Award. Ossama Bawardi as these two men travel from house to house beginning a new relationship, +972584198080 while at the same time trying to deal with old tensions. Abu-Shadi defends [email protected] the political and social reality of those Palestinians who remained in their hometown, while Shadi despairs at what he sees as an apathetic community suffering an identity crisis. They both do their best to honour their “wajib” (duty), but more than rediscovering a changed city, father and son rediscover each other. Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Narrative Weldi ‘Weldi’ is the story of 60-year-old Mohamed Ben Attia was born in Nomadis Images is a Tunisian Spring Grants 2017 Riadh, who, when confronted Tunis in 1976. He studied Audiovisal audiovisual production company. Tunisia, France, Belgium, Qatar / Arabic / 2018 to a painful ordeal, accepts the Communication at the University Its main activities include inevitable and becomes aware of of Valenciennes in France after producing short and feature- Runtime: 90 the inanity of his own life, and of graduating from the Institut de length fiction films, documentaries Mohamed Ben Attia Genre: Drama, Social Issues the one he dreamt of for his child. Hautes Études Commerciales (IHEC) and commercials, and providing Director / Screenwriter By losing his job first, as he is at in Tunis in 1998. He directed five services and training to filmmakers. A father is confronted by his own reality and has to question himself the age of retirement, and then short films. ‘Hedi’, his feature-film The company’s filmography and his choices. his son, who disappears to join a debut, had its world premiere at includes Sami Tlili’s ‘Cursed Be world which is odious to Riadh, and the 2016 Berlin International Film the Phosphate’ (2012); Hinde opposed to his beliefs and principles, Festival, where it won the Best Boujemaa’s ‘It Was Better he loses his anchors and is revealed First Film Award and the Silver Bear Tomorrow’ (2012); Raja Amari’s to himself: a lucidity on his own for Best Actor. The film has been ‘Buried Secrets’ (2009), ‘Satin Rouge’ fate, which could be perceived as released in more than 20 countries, (2002) and ‘Foreign Body’ (2016); Dora Bouchoucha weakness, but which is more like a has taken part in numerous festivals and Mohamed Ben Attia’s ‘Hedi’ Producer capitulation. This revelation comes around the world and has won (2016). to him through a dream/nightmare, many awards. after an initial trip in search of his son. This dream will lead him to understand the uselessness of his quest.

Riadh and Nazli are in their sixties and have an only son, Sami, who is preparing to sit for his baccalaureate. He is often prone to migraine crises, and his worried parents take him to see specialists, then a psychiatrist. It seems Sami is getting better. Riadh works at the port and is soon to retire, a change in the couple’s life that does not help their financial situation. One day Sami disappears. At first Riadh is lost. He goes through several absurd initiatives before deciding to leave for Turkey in search of his son.

Contact Nomadis Images Lina Chaabane +216 7174 9080 [email protected] Feature Documentary

5 Seasons of Revolution Amal Chaos Constructions The Disappeared Displaced in Heaven Immolations The Invented Biography A Man on Fire The Man Who Stole Banksy My English Cousin Nation’s Hope Naz (working title) Nine Months War Nothingwood Of Fathers and Sons On the Crossbar Railway Men Suspended Wives Tiny Souls Underdown

Feature Experimental or Essay

The Fifth Resurrection of Farid I, Hummus Mnemosyne The Wind Blew On You Come from Far Away Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary 5 Seasons of Should we have taken that third left Born in Damascus 1983, Layla No Nation Films was founded in Fall Grants 2017 after the bridge? Should we have Abyad is a documentary filmmaker Berlin in 2014 by Orwa Nyrabia and split at the crossroads or taken a and journalist who has made short Diana El Jeiroudi, to continue their Revolution step back? Should I have cut her and medium-length documentaries. previous work as ‘Proaction Film’, out of the frame? Should I have Her most recent short documentary, which they founded in Syria in 2002 Layla Abyad ‘Khams Fusoul Thawra’ / Syria, Germany, Norway, Qatar / Arabic / 2018 filmed him more? How do you unite ‘Letters to S’, premiered in IDFA. and then in Egypt in 2013. Over the Director / Screenwriter and organize a mass movement of She holds a Master’s degree in years, the company produced and Runtime: 75 people longing for their individual Documentary Filmmaking from co-produced award-winning films Genre: Creative Documentary, War, Women freedoms? How do you make one Essex University. A camerawoman, that have been released theatrically Orwa Nyrabia, Diana El Jeiroudi, film of the story of those people? she has been documenting events in France, Japan, Austria, Italy, Torstein Grude ‘5 Seasons of Revolution’ takes viewers on a journey into the What we chose to remember, what in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey Portugal, Spain and the UK, and Producers experience of four young women who were swept up in the wake of we decided to learn and what we over the past 10 years. screened in numerous festivals, the 2011 uprising in Syria. were aiming for from the start including Cannes, Amsterdam, might all be one and the same, but Busan, Locarno, London, New York, maybe we had to go through it to Sundance and Toronto. Their films find that out. I edit what I filmed, have been broadcast worldwide I cut out what I dismissed, I told on television and via premium what I felt. Making this film is the VOD platforms. The work of No cinematic interpretation of that Nation Films has earned its team intense era we try to survive. numerous awards, including the European Documentary Network Award 2012, the FIDADOC honorary award, the Katrin Cartlidge Award, the first ever George Polk Award for Documentary Film and the Human To support an armed struggle, to protest peacefully, to flee or to document Rights Watch Nestor Almendros events: these are the courses of action that lie before the protagonists of Award for Courage in Filmmaking. this film. Their divergent paths threaten to lead the women away from one another, and to change them irrevocably as individuals. What they choose to become in wartime will surely define them for the rest of their Contact lives. The filmmaker takes us on a journey into the experience of four young No Nation Films Damascene women who were swept up in the excitement that came in the Orwa Nyrabia wake of the 2011 uprising in Syria, and began to rebuild their relationships +493023925383 with their country and to define their roles amid the ensuing conflict. [email protected] Today, after all that has happened and is happening, the director looks back, reconstructing the experience she documented and sharing with us her quest for an aspired sense of reconciliation. Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Amal How did our teenage years shape Mohamed Siam is a director, Abbout Productions produces Spring Grants 2017 us? How could we make vital producer and cinematographer who feature films and documentaries Egypt, Lebanon, France, Germany, Denmark, Qatar / Arabic / 2017 choices at such an early age, has received several international with a distinctly Arab voice, particularly in a country that went grants and prizes supporting his expressing the identity of the Runtime: 80 through massive changes like Egypt films, from funds including the region. Since 1998, the company Mohamed Siam Genre: Creative Documentary, Politics, Social Issues has? When the Arab Spring began, Sundance Institute, the IDFA Bertha has brought together an important Director / Screenwriter I wondered how the youngsters Fund, the Catapult Film Fund, the network of Arab and Lebanese Amal, an angry Egyptian teenager, matures into a young woman as would face reality after their Organisation Internationale de la artists, and has produced award- she searches for her place and her identity in a male-dominated revolution fails and they have to Francophonie, Cinereach, the Arab winning films such as ‘A Perfect society and a country that is in constant political turmoil. start planning their futures. What Fund for Arts and Culture and ITVS. Day’ (2005), ‘I Want to See’ (2008) would become of their anger and His first film, ‘Whose Country?’ and ‘The Lebanese Rocket Society’ dreams? My dual background in (2016) screened at the New York (2012) by Joana Hadjithomas and psychology and cinema enabled Film Festival, the Karlovy Vary Khalil Joreige; ‘The Last Man’ (2006) me to bridge the distance between International Film Festival and Hot and ‘The Valley’ (2014) by Ghassan Myriam Sassine Amal and the lens to bring the Docs, among other festivals, and Salhab; ‘Stray Bullet’ (2010) by Producer character fully to the screen. Amal’s was distributed internationally. An Georges Hashem; ‘Melodrama tone resonates with my first film, alumnus of numerous prestigious Habibi’ (2007) by Hany Tamba; ‘Whose Country?’, as both revolve film institutions, such as Sundance and ‘Ladder to Damascus’ (2013) around how growing up and living in Labs, the IDFA Academy, La Fémis by Mohamad Malas. Abbout a vast state like Egypt could shape and La Fabrique des Cinémas du Productions has a strong our destiny and identity. My father Monde at the Festival de Cannes, partnership with MC Distribution, was a criminal investigator and very Siam is also a Berlinale and Durban a distribution company dedicated secretive about his line of work, Talents alumnus. He is currently to promoting new films from Amal, an angry teenager, comes of age in a post-revolution Egypt that and that made me think of the working on his second feature- the Middle East along with direct is undergoing tremendous change. Filmed over five years, ‘Amal’ is an inconceivable circle of secrecy and length documentary, ‘Amal’, as well and priority access to Metropolis observational self-discovery journey that follows a young female from the hierarchy that we are all affected by. as his first feature-length narrative Cinema, the sole art-house cinema age of 15 till the age of 20 while she is searching for her place, identity and film, ‘Honey & Blood’. in Lebanon. The company’s main sexuality in a male-dominated society. As she grows from childhood into objective remains helping to adulthood, she realises how limited her choices are as a young female living structure the Lebanese and Arab in an Arab police state in a post-revolution era. cinema craft into a solid industry.

Contact Abbout Productions Myriam Sassine +961587824 [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Chaos In the shadow of an unending war, Sara Fattahi was born in Little Magnet Films (LMF) is a Fall Grants 2017 or perhaps wars, we are blind in Damascus in 1983. In 2010, she Vienna based production company, Syria, Austria, Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic, German / 2018 the face of a future we cannot see started to produce and direct focussing on projects with high completely, a future we are almost her own documentary films artistic value. LMF’s first production Runtime: 90 entirely unable to read or make independently. She finished was Jem Cohen’s acclaimed feature Sara Fattahi Genre: Biography, Creative Documentary, History, Identity, Immigration, sense of. Wars that have viciously her first short documentary ‘27 film ‘Museum Hours’ (2012), which Director Politics, Social Issues, War, Women’s Issues dug in their claws, blinding our Metres’ in 2013. Since 2014, she screened at numerous film festivals sight without mercy, leaving us has collaborated in researching and received many awards and The story of three Syrian women, each living in a different time and begging for forgiveness. How can and writing independent short film nominations, among them two place, separated by the very things that unite them – fear and trauma. our humanity persevere in the projects. ‘Coma’ (2015), her first nominations for the Independent shadow of a war that has brought feature-length documentary, was Spirit Awards (Best Editing) and out the viciousness of aggrieved granted the Regard Neuf Award for the John Cassavetes Award (Best social classes, which was until Best First Feature Film at Visions du Feature under $500,000). Apart now buried in our midst? How can Réel and took the FIPRESCI Award from the production of ‘Chaos’ Paolo Calamita people protect themselves from at the Vienna Film Festival in 2015, by Sara Fattahi, Little Magnet Producer hatred when there is so much loss and has been screened in numerous Films is currently developing two and pain surrounding them? festivals, such as MoMA’s Doc documentaries: ‘Epicentro’ by Fortnight, the Berlin International Academy Award nominee Hubert Film Festival, and the Sao Paulo Sauper and ‘Tyrolean Meditation’ Film Festival. by Academy Award nominee Debra Granik.

‘Chaos’ narrates the story of three women in three cities – three women who have given up on life. One lives in Damascus. She has stopped speaking to others entirely, seeking refuge in silence since the death of her son in the war. The other has left Damascus as a result of the war there, hiding herself in Sweden. The third ended up in Vienna and faces an unknown future. The film is a discussion among one woman stuck in Damascus, a second stuck in exile, and a third who has recently left. It is a conversation between the interior and Contact exterior – which is also an impossible conversation. Little Magnet Films Paolo Calamita +43 158 129 27 paolo.calamita @littlemagnetfilms.com Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Constructions At night, lights from buildings Fernando Martín Restelli Periferia Cine is a young Fall Grants 2017 under construction illuminate flat was born in 1991, and currently production company based in ‘Construcciones’ / Argentina, Qatar / Spanish / 2018 areas where many stories begin. lives and works in Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina, that generates Through slits in construction Argentina. A filmmaker, editor and committed, creative documentaries Runtime: 75 hoarding, which jealously guards cinematographer, he studied at the and non-fiction films for an Fernando Martín Restelli Genre: Creative Documentary, Family, Social Issues the buildings, and beneath the Universidad de Córdoba. His short international audience, helping Director / Screenwriter fluorescent light from inside, we can film ‘Merodeo’ (2016) received the filmmakers explore and shape their A 60-year-old watchman of buildings under construction has a second make out human figures moving Special Jury Prize at the Valdivia own personal voices, with a special chance in life to become a father. slowly from one place to another, International Film Festival and was focus on fresh and new talent amid the construction materials. selected for several other festivals. and contemporary social issues. Who are these guardians wandering ‘Constructions’, his first feature- Periferia’s films have participated around those corridors while the length film, is currently in progress; and received awards and city sleeps? Where do they go with it, he participated in the Rough recognition in various film festivals, when the morning clatter of the Cut Lab at Visions du Réel, the Mar including Visions du Réel, the Pablo Cruceño cement mixer starts once again? del Plata International Film Festival, International Documentary Festival Screenwriter / Producer For sleepless Pedro, guardian of pitch sessions at DocMontevideo Amsterdam, MDQFilmFest, the inanimate objects, always carrying and TransLAB at the Transcinema Valdivia International Film Festival, a radio, his only companion, work Festival Internacional de Cine. In the Transcinema International Film time is leisure time. ‘Constructions’, 2016, he received a scholarship Festival, and DocMontevideo. like a family album, aims to portray to attend the IDFAcademy in the many changes over time each Amsterdam. character goes through while Sixty-year-old Pedro watches over the quiet corridors of a building that is they build a sense of belonging Milagros Cabral Montejano undergoing construction. In spite of the difficulties he has to face as a single regarding both spatial and personal Producer father, he constantly looks for ways to stay close to his seven-year-old son, relationships. The film seeks to Juampi. A young couple who are building a home of their own, Jesi and Lucas, observe and disclose the ways in take care of the boy while his father works. Over time, Juampi grows close which the property-development to the couple and comes to see in Jesi the figure of his absent mother. In an business affects the daily life of attempt to deepen his relationship with his son, Pedro brings Juampi on a construction workers. camping trip, hoping that their experience together will help them reconnect.

Contact Periferia Cine Milagros Cabral Montejano +549 351 6571118 milagros.cabralm @periferiacine.com Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary The Disappeared I started this film as a personal Yasmin Fedda is a BAFTA- Banyak is an innovative production Fall Grants 2017 search to understand an nominated documentary director. company that has been making Lebanon, UK, Qatar / Arabic, English, Italian unfathomable crime - the forcible Her films have screened extensively award-winning documentaries disappearance of a friend. An image at festivals including Sundance for cinema and broadcast since Runtime: 90 that kept coming back to me as I and Edinburgh International Film 2006. They’ve had films in cinemas Yasmin Fedda Genre: Creative Documentary thought about the reality of forcible Festival, and have been broadcast worldwide including the UK, USA, Director / Screenwriter disappearance was that of the Tell on BBC and Al Jazeera. She has Asia and Scandinavia. They have Bassel was a hacker; Paolo a priest. Both active in the Syrian Brak idols from 3000 BC. They made three films in or on Syria, made films for major broadcasters revolution, both were forcibly “disappeared”. have intrigued archaeologists over most recently ‘Queens of Syria’ including PBS, BBC, Channel 4, decades for their disproportionately (2014), which won the Black Pearl ARTE and Al Jazeera. Credits include, large eyes. To me, they have taken award at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival ‘Thank You For The Rain’ and ‘Ping on the meaning of silent witnesses and best female director at Carthage Pong’, a BRITDOC feature film for of Syria. This film is inspired by Film Festival. Yasmin has a PhD Film 4. them - in their bearing witness to in Transdisciplinary Documentary Hugh Hartford, Elhum Shakerifar what is not seen but is powerfully Film, and is also a co-founder and Hakawati was founded in 2017 to Producers present in its absence. The film programmer of Highlight Arts, an produce, distribute and curate films also gives us the possibility of organisation that works with artists with the art of storytelling at their connecting the dots, investigating in times of conflict. core. Set up by BAFTA-nominated the unknown, and trying to make producer Elhum Shakerifar, sense of the big picture, through Hakawati supports storytellers the small, intimate realities of with distinctive vision and enables people’s lives. Through this film, I new talent to take creative risks. Bassel was a successful open source developer and hacker in Damascus. want to interrogate how Syria as a Hakawati is committed to the Paolo was a well-known priest based in Mar Musa monastery. Both men country can be rebuilt when its civil broader visibility of independent were active in the 2011 revolution, and witnesses to crimes before they were society has been disappeared, killed film, giving platforms to quieter forcibly disappeared. ‘The Disappeared’ follows these two high-profile figures and scattered across continents. voices and unique individual of the Syrian revolution and asks how to rebuild a country when its civil perspectives in relation to a society has been disappeared, killed and scattered across continents. Much dominant whole. In making like archaeologists, we are left to dig through the dirt in the hope of finding creatively bold films with integrity, mere fragments of the truth. representation and reframing narratives are at the heart of what Contact we do. Hakawati is supported by Banyak the prestigious BFI Vision Award – Hugh Hartford awarded once every three years to +447730803801 leading UK producers; Shakerifar [email protected] was the only documentary producer among the 2016 recipients. Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Displaced In Heaven I became a protagonist of this film Born in the occupied West Bank Kaske Film produces creative Fall Grants 2017 without expecting to. But, to be able in 1976, Khaled Jarrar currently essay and documentary films that ‘Laje’ fi Mecca’ / Palestine, Germany, Qatar / Arabic, English to help Nadeera’s family and bring lives and works in Tucson, where he express aesthetic, innovative, and them to Germany, I had no choice researches the potential fallout of experimental ways of storytelling. Genre: Creative Documentary, History, Immigration, War but to become a refugee. On the the proposed border wall between The company’s various projects Khaled Jarrar one hand, there is a distance with Mexico and the USA. He is also combine personal and critical Director / Producer By following a family through the Balkan route, a Palestinian director the reality I film; I am witnessing working on a film and multimedia approaches to historical, social, and plunges into the horror of exile in a desperate need to recover his lost a historical moment – I observe. series that documents his month- political topics. As a cultural film memories. On the other, an intimate world long journey with a group of production house, Kaske Film seeks grows in response to that: How migrants who travelled to Europe German and international funding do I perceive this reality? How is last year in order to draw attention opportunities, and to establish it affecting me? In the film, my to the plight of Syrian refugees. international co-productions and presence appears to connect both creative partnerships, in order to journeys, or to express how I feel; realize and finance projects, and Thomas Kaske how it feels to be a refugee. I will maintain the integrity of the Producer not assume facts in a judgmental author’s vision. way, but rather express ideas and thoughts through a shared experience of displacement. Although there is drama in this story, humour and lightness will also appear in the film, as they do in The repetition of history and the passing on of collective and individual human nature. traumas from generation to generation is what defines the Palestinian identity. In a journey across the Balkan route, director Khaled Jarrar follows an elderly Palestinian woman from Damascus to Europe in what marks her second displacement. Walking side by side with Nadeera and her family towards a utopian freedom, Jarrar asks himself about the meaning of home, belonging and identity, while the memories of his childhood come back to life after many years of silence.

Contact Kaske Film Thomas Kaske [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Immolations ’Immolations’ is an immersive Meriem Achour Bouakkaz Argus Films produces documentary Spring Grants 2017 journey into the Algeria of the graduated with a degree in films that explore and question ‘Al Hareg’ / Algeria, Canada, Qatar / Arabic forgotten and the abandoned. I will Veterinary Medicine in Algeria. major social, political and travel around the country to meet In 2007, she participated in a cultural issues from a humanistic Runtime: 75 fragile and vulnerable characters, filmmaking workshop, after which perspective. The company has Meriem Achour Bouakkaz Genre: Identity, Politics, Social Issues, Youth as a pilgrimage to the memory of her first film, ‘Harguine Harguine’ broad experience in filming on all Director / Screenwriter those whose tragic death demands (2008) was selected for numerous continents and in many languages; An intimate encounter with people who have attempted to set a response from me. Those who festivals. In 2011, she completed made up of a team of seasoned themselves on fire as a cry of distress against the infinite difficulties consider immolation are numerous. filmmaking training in Montreal filmmakers and collaborators, it has of simply finding their place in the sun. Those who survive after an attempt at the Institut national de l’image won many nominations and awards must face not only physical and et du son, and directed the short for its productions. psychological suffering, but also films ‘Ashes of Our Soul’ (2012) the disapproving look of people and ‘Faceless Story’ (2012), which around them, who consider suicide screened at several festivals. In 2014, Carmen Garcia a sin. In my eyes, this epidemic of she received a scholarship from Producer self-immolation reveals what has the Quebec Arts Council to write a become of Algerians today: they documentary about self-immolation are frustrated, disarticulated, far in Algeria. from their dreams and devoid of hope for the future. Often, the motive behind cases of immolation is the “hogra”, an Algerian Arabic term that refers to a mixture of Surviving in Algeria is a constant challenge that leaves the nation’s population contempt and injustice: a vivid, very without hope. Self-immolation is all too common; those who survive must sensitive feeling in the Algerian face not only physical and psychological suffering, but also the disapproving people, who have reached the point eye of communities who consider suicide a sin. To make matters worse, the of exasperation. The disintegration Algerian state has criminalised immolation, so survivors must therefore face of the Algerian personality has never prosecution. ‘Immolations’ attempts to explain the inexplicable, to free the been so clearly apparent in society. speech so that a debate is set up through means other than fire. In my eyes, People live in a profound state of this self-destructive act reveals what Algerians have become: frustrated, evil that has become an integral Contact disjointed, far from their dreams and from what they could become. Algeria’s part of their personalities, a kind of Argus Films people live a deep malaise, a sort of fatality that is no longer questioned, fatalism that goes unquestioned. It Carmen Garcia which has now become integrated into the national personality. It seems the seems to me that it is time to ask +1 514 523 7440 / +1 514 893 0527 time has come to ask ourselves questions – all the questions. To try to grasp questions – all the questions, so we [email protected] how we have arrived at this point. can try to understand how we got here. Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary The Invented Is it possible to make a writer’s Nicolás Lasnibat was born in La Fabrica Nocturna Productions Fall Grants 2017 biopic through his literary alter ego? Valparaiso, Chile, in 1975. He was founded by producers Marina It was a risky bet. Reading Roberto studied film direction at the Perales Marhuenda and Xavier Biography Bolaño’s work, I noticed that his French cinema school la Fémis. His Rocher in 2010. The company character Arturo Belano’s life had graduation work ‘30 years’ featured produces both short and feature- Nicolás Lasnibat ‘La Biografia Inventada’ / France, Chile, Qatar / Spanish, French / 2018 many coincidences with his own at the Venice Film Festival and won length films which aim to open up Director / Screenwriter biography. I wanted therefore to the Best Short Film award in San frontiers to creation from all around Runtime: 94 reconstruct his author’s path by Sebastian, Toulouse, Rome, among the world. They have recently Genre: Biography, Creative Documentary, Docufiction taking for reality novels and short more than 50 festivals selection produced more than twenty short stories where Belano appears. I worldwide. He recently finished films and documentaries, including A search for Roberto Arturo Belano, a Chilean poet who has become a could thus explore as well a new his latest film ‘Everything You ‘Wolf and Sheep’ by Afghan director myth since he disappeared in Mexico in 1999. cinematic field: a documentary Cannot Leave Behind You’ with the Shahrbanoo Sadat (Art Cinema form where the audience is support of the CNC and ARTE TV. He Award at Directors’ Fortnight, invited to accept literature as the also worked as assistant director Cannes 2016), and ‘The Lost City’ Xavier Rocher unique reality, because for Bolaño, for Patricio Guzman on his films by Chilean director Francisco Hervé Producer literature was life. I wanted to ‘Nostalgia for the Light’ (Festival (Visions du Réel, Nyon 2016). La propose a journey inside Bolaño’s de Cannes selection and European Fabrica Nocturna Productions have books to unravel his mystery, but Film Award for Best Documentary), also developed several feature with a comforting style far from and ‘The Pearl Button’, which was films including ‘The Heiresses’ conceptual films or essays. Rather awarded in Berlin. by Paraguayan director Marcelo than a didactic author’s biography, Martinessi, ‘The Return’ by Syrian my film wants to invite the audience director Meyar Al-Roumi, and to question their own way of looking Shahrbanoo Sadat’s latest film ‘The at reality and to interrogate the Orphanage’. Arturo Belano, alter ego of the writer Roberto Bolaño, shared with his creator truth of images while diving into the a significant part of his biography. The film searches for him in places where work and life of one of the greatest his stories and novels occur, meeting with real and imaginary characters, in writers of the 21st century. a territory where reality and fiction have a blurred frontier. A new form of the literary biopic, where the writer and his character turn into one and the same person. Contact La Fabrica Nocturna Productions Xavier Rocher [email protected] Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary A Man On Fire In my early years, animated heroes Even before graduating from Saint Cinifilm is a young production Spring Grants 2017 always fascinated me. However, Joseph University with a Bachelor’s company based in Doha. Among ‘Rajol Ala Khat Al-Nar’ / Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic once I sat with Yousef and started degree in Communication Arts, other services, Cinifilm aspires hearing his life story, I realised Ibrahim Harb had lengthy to produce high-end, quality Runtime: 70 heroes do, in fact, exist among experience in and exposure to documentary films with strong Ibrahim Harb Genre: Creative Documentary, Politics, Psychological, Social Issues us. Like me, Yousef grew up as a media production. Early on in narratives and compelling Director kid captivated by tales of heroes his career, he worked in various storytelling. Yousef is on a pursuit for self-fulfilment. An unsung hero, he juggles and adventurers. These characters, production positions, which saving lives every day with navigating the tricky geopolitical he says, are part of what inspired allowed him to gain knowledge of environment of the Lebanese Civil Defense department. him to help those in need. What different filmmaking skills. While he is strange is that the events in continues to work in a variety of TV which Yousef finds himself involved shows, his passion has long been are incidents we see on the news to make documentary films. His all the time – violent conflicts, film ‘Story of Fatat’ (2016) won three Louai Haffar humanitarian crises, war, fires, festival awards. ‘A Man on Fire’ is Producer natural disasters. We simply see the his first feature-length documentary. aftermath or hear the basic details of what happened. Civil Defense units like Yousef who actually serve in the field during these events are left out of the narrative. They repeatedly risk their lives so others can live. What brought them to The story of a man who was born and raised in a modest environment and these moments? What motivates aspired to be a superhero. Yousef is a dreamer and an adventurer; a man in them? What do they feel in the his forties with tanned skin and hulkish stature. For more than two decades, midst of danger? I want to know Yousef has volunteered with the Lebanese Civil Defense. His whole life their side of the story. revolves around rescue operations, but he also has an inner mission – that of challenging the regime in power to enlist him and his colleagues officially as employees with full rights. No specific political party or association is backing him up to carry out his mission. Through an exploration of Yousef’s Contact endeavours and interior motives, ‘A Man on Fire’ provides a contemporary Cinifilm portrayal of Lebanon, full of hope and failure in the era after the Civil War. Louai Haffar +974 33258762 [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary The Man Who Stole I started following street art out Italian director and screenwriter Hiding behind the cult of the Fall Grants 2017 of personal interest. When I was Marco Proserpio has been multiple-use name ‘Sterven Jønger’, young, most of my friends used involved in film, television and Sterven Pictures is an independent Banksy to cover their faces to evade CCTV advertising since the age of 20, production company based in Milan, cameras and jump on walls to paint when he started working at MTV Italy, founded in 2010 and operated Marco Proserpio Italy, Qatar / Arabic, English, French, Italian / 2018 on trains, knowing they would only Italia. Soon after leaving MTV he ever since by filmmakers Marco Director / Screenwriter / Producer see their artwork in the light of day started directing short films and Proserpio and Jacopo Farina. Sterven Runtime: 90 once – as the train ran by the next commercials for television. His Pictures specializes in the research Genre: Based on a True Story, Creative Documentary, Identity, Politics, morning – before it was erased. The corporate clients include Pirelli, and production of a broad range Road Trip, Social Issues original idea of the film came after Campari, Jeep, Diesel, and Sony. In of original content. Clients include a chance meeting with Walid, a November 2016, Proserpio directed Adidas, Autogrill, Fondazione Prada, In 2007, internationally-acclaimed artist Banksy slips into Palestine Palestinian taxi driver who was my the film ‘The Story Of Our Guardians’ Jeep, Missoni, Moleskine, Montreux to paint on walls. What follows is a story of clashing cultures, art, very first encounter once I passed produced by Balich Worldwide Jazz Festival, Pirelli, Sony, Universal identity, theft and the black market. the Bethlehem checkpoint. Walid Shows for the 45th UAE National Music Group, Vice, YOOX, Wired Christian Omodeo and his friends had stolen a whole Day. His most recent projects and many more. In 2017, during the Producer house wall with a Banksy painted include the short films ‘Toys’ and production of the feature ‘The Man on it and were about to sell it on ‘Golden Age’ and the upcoming Who Stole Banksy’, Marco Proserpio eBay. As I began my research, I feature documentary ‘The Man Who decided to split the company and realized how that same action can Stole Banksy’. simply use his own name and focus be interpreted in very different ways on documentaries and features, and how its ethical justifications leaving former partner Jacopo Farina and explanations can vary drastically to use the name ‘Sterven Jønger’ from country to country, depending to work mainly on advertising and Filippo Perfido on cultural and economic priorities. music videos. Screenwriter / Producer

In 2007, Banksy went to Palestine to paint on walls. Someone takes offence at a piece depicting an Israeli soldier checking a donkey’s ID. A local taxi driver decides to cut it off and sell it back to the West. This is the story of the Palestinian perspective and reaction to street art through the work of its most Contact celebrated hero. The story of an illegal black market of art stolen from streets Sterven Pictures around the world, cultures clashing in the face of an unsustainable political Marco Proserpio situation and finally of the changing perception of street art. It is not one +39 3404105543 story, but many. Like Banksy’s art would be meaningless without its context, [email protected] so the absence of it would be meaningless without an understanding of the elements that brought his artwork from Bethlehem to a Western auction house, along with the wall it was painted on. Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary My English Cousin This new project sheds light on Karim Sayad was born in Lausanne Joëlle Bertossa founded Geneva- Fall Grants 2017 people who have managed to flee in 1984 to an Algerian father and based ‘Close Up Films’ in 2012. ‘Mon Cousin Anglais’ / Algeria, Switzerland, France, Qatar / Arabic, English Algeria successfully and are now a Swiss mother. After completing Over the past five years, they have residing in Europe. When he moved an MA in International Relations produced twenty documentary Runtime: 90 to the UK, Fahed had no education from the Graduate Institute of and six fiction films. These include Karim Sayad Creative Documentary, Identity, Immigration, Social Issues and no grasp of the English International and Development ‘Volta a Terra’, a documentary Director / Screenwriter Genre: language. He grew up fatherless in Studies of Geneva, he decided to directed by João Pedro Placido that My cousin Fahed left Algeria in 2001 to settle in England. Finally Algeria during the ‘black decade’, become a documentary filmmaker. premiered at Visions du Réel and “regularized”, he is torn between his new life abroad or a return home. and is now an integrated man His first short, ‘Babor Casanova’, was presented at ACID, Cannes in living in a small town in England. premiered in Locarno in 2015. It was 2015; ‘The Shadow of Women’ by Far from the tales of misery often then shown in festivals worldwide, Philippe Garrel, that opened the heard, Fahed’s journey represents and won awards at DocLisboa, Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, and a success story. I want to examine Festival Dei Popoli and, among ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ directed by the notion of Fahed’s success. He others, the Clermont-Ferrand Short Raoul Peck, which was presented Joëlle Bertossa has attained his material goals: UK Film Festival. ‘Of Sheep and Men’ at TIFF Toronto and nominated for Producer citizenship, and an apartment in his first feature documentary was the 2017 Oscars. Through its work, the suburbs of Algiers. However, selected at TIFF Docs, São Paulo Close Up Films aims to question the his new status has turned his and Rencontres internationales du contemporary world in an original relationships back home upside documentaire de Montréal, and won way. Involved, poetic or radical, the down. I spent time with my cousin the Special Mention at the MedFilm projects that Close Up Films wishes Fahed when he had just moved to Festival. to defend are sometimes fragile but England. I discovered the universe always engaging. My 41-year-old cousin, Fahed, left Algeria in 2001 to settle in England. of Algerian illegal immigrants in the Regularized after a decade of forced secrecy, he has been married to an UK. I saw the many challenges and English woman with whom he can’t have a family. Recently, he has welcomed hardships they faced. His will and his nephew to his home in Grimsby, but the young man disappeared shortly unfaltering courage stayed in my after. Fahed works two jobs to pay his bills and devotes his rare free time to mind ever since, and nourished my buying discount gifts for his Algerian family, while also secretly preparing a desire to one day tell his story. wedding to a younger woman living in Algeria.

Contact Close Up Films Joëlle Bertossa +41 22 808 0846 / +41 78 665 0512 [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Nation’s Hope I am a 27-year-old independent Somali filmmakerHana Mire Laika Film & Television was Spring Grants 2017 Somali filmmaker, who is studied at the New York Film established in 2004 and have a ‘Rajada Dalka’ / Somalia, UAE, UK, USA, Sweden, Republic of the Congo, Qatar passionate about making films Academy in Abu Dhabi. Her short wonderful and expanding track / English, Somali that take me home. Basketball documentary ‘Silent Art’ (2013) won record across both documentary has been a passion for Somali an award at the Abu Dhabi Film and fiction work. Their latest co- Hana Mire Runtime: 90 women for decades, but since Festival. Mire is currently a Chicken productions include Kaouther Ben Director Genre: Creative Documentary, Sports, War, Women’s Issues, Youth the civil war began in 1991, it has & Egg Pictures Diversity Initiative Hania’s ‘La Belle et la Meute’ which become an endangered sport. I Fellow. She attended the Union premiered in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ A season in the lives of Somalia’s National Women’s basketball have followed the newly revived Docs Summer Intensive programme selection at Cannes 2017 and also squad, as veteran coach Suad Galow leads the team of fearless young National Women’s Team as they in Brooklyn in 2016, and is currently the forthcoming Mads Brügger women against both rival teams and Al-Shabaab. have overcome immense challenges participating in the Greenhouse feature ‘Cold Case Hammerskjöld’. in order to play the game they love. Documentary Development Laika’s previous films have had In doing so, they continue to inspire Program. ‘Nation’s Hope’ is her first significant impact around the world, me, my production team, and feature-length documentary. including 2009’s ‘Toxic Playground,’ Andreas Rocksén millions of men and women – in which prompted legal action against Producer Somalia and beyond. Former team a giant Swedish mining corporation, members Suad and Mira were and ‘Essence of Terror’, which led separated by the conflict. Now to foreign policy reform at both they are back together, no longer national and international level, star players, but coaches. Despite regarding the situation of Somali threats from terrorists and religious people living in the Ogaden region leaders, they are determined to of Ethiopia. reach the Pan-Arab Games in Cairo with their fearless and determined Basketball, one of the oldest and most popular games among Somali women, young team. I am committed to is now an endangered sport. This highly visual, character-driven portrait telling their inspirational story and of the Somali Women’s National Basketball Team takes viewers on an sharing it with audiences around immersive journey from Mogadishu to the Somali diaspora communities of the world. Minneapolis and Toronto. The ‘Nation’s Hope’ filmmakers were embedded within the team throughout its troubled 2016-2017 season, which is viewed through the eyes of coach Suad Galow and several Mogadishu-based Contact players. The film illuminates the power of basketball, a once-beloved Somali Laika Film & Television national sport, to reunite and re-inspire a nation fractured by 27 years of civil Andreas Rocksén war. In a country where strict gender roles and Islamic tenets increasingly +46 70 301 12 05 restrict women’s rights, this team personifies the hopes and aspirations of [email protected] generations of Somali women. Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Naz (working title) Through rare archive material Omar El-Khairy is a playwright Hakawati was founded in 2017 to Fall Grants 2017 and found footage, this film will and screenwriter, and holds a produce, distribute and curate films Palestine, United Kingdom, Qatar / Arabic, English excavate a unique and abandoned Ph.D in Sociology from the London with the art of storytelling at their moment in the history of School of Economics and Political core. Set up by BAFTA-nominated Genre: Creative Documentary, Sports, Biography, Diaspora, Fashion, Islam, multicultural Britain; a time when Science. A former Leverhulme producer Elhum Shakerifar, Omar El-Khairy, Music, Popular Culture it was still possible for a British Associate Playwright at the Bush Hakawati supports storytellers Ana Naomi de Sousa sportsman to proudly recite the Theatre, his plays include ‘Burst’, with distinctive vision and enables Directors / Screenwriters ‘Naz’ is a feature-length documentary that explores the historical Takbir at his weigh-ins, and enter ‘Sour Lips’, ‘The Keepers of Infinite new talent to take creative risks. and cultural formations of the British Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem the arena on a flying carpet against Space’, ‘The Chaplain: or, a short Hakawati is committed to the Hamed. It is a film that not only celebrates a forgotten era, but also backdrops emblazoned with Islamic tale of how we learned to love broader visibility of independent sheds light on where we are now. scripture, in front of adoring crowds good Muslims whilst torturing bad film, giving platforms to quieter – an image that seems inconceivable ones’, and ‘Homegrown’. His work voices and unique individual nowadays. Raising challenging is published by Oberon Books. ‘No perspectives in relation to a questions around nationalism and Exit’ (2014), his first short film, had dominant whole. In making sports – and who gets to create its world premiere at the Dubai creatively bold films with integrity, Elhum Shakerifar the stories that bind the two – the International Film Festival. His new representation and reframing Producer narrative arc of ‘Naz’ will be shaped short film, ‘White Girl’, is currently narratives are at the heart of what by the counterpoints between in production. we do. Hakawati is supported by Naseem’s achievements, both in the prestigious BFI Vision Award – and outside the ring, and disruptive Ana Naomi de Sousa is a Peabody awarded once every three years to moments in British socio-political award-winning filmmaker and leading UK producers; Shakerifar life. writer. Her work addresses history, was the only documentary producer architecture and identity. She co- among the 2016 recipients. directed ‘Saydnaya - Inside a Syrian One of the most successful and entertaining sporting icons of the 1990s, Torture Prison’, a collaboration Naseem Hamed’s unique position as a second-generation British Arab with between Forensic Architecture and mass appeal resonated deeply with an under-represented Arab community Amnesty International, that gained in Britain and beyond, as well as with a new generation in the Middle East, all international media attention and coming of age at a similar time. ‘Naz’ explores the tension between Hamed’s was awarded a Peabody Award near-cult status within certain communities, and the ambivalence of the in 2017. She has directed several British nation-at-large, which never really took him to heart. short documentaries for television, Contact including ‘The Architecture of Hakawati Violence’ and ‘Angola - Birth of Elhum Shakerifar a Movement’, both for Al Jazeera +44 780 055 82 56 English. [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Nine Months War ‘Nine Months War’ is a close-up László Csuja was born in 1984. He ELF Pictures, run by former Fall Grants 2017 on an ordinary family whose story graduated in Scriptwriting from the freelance producers Ágnes Horváth- ‘Kilenc hónap háború’ / Hungary, Qatar / Hungarian / 2018 introduces today’s Ukraine in the Hungarian Academy of Film and Szabó and András Pires Muhi, is shadow of its war with separatists. Drama. His short films have been a Budapest-based production Runtime: 75 We witness life from a naive screened at film festivals across company. The two producers László Csuja Genre: Coming of age, Creative Documentary, History, Identity, soldier’s point of view, seeing Europe, among them the Tampere fused in 2016 to provide a hub Director / Screenwriter Social Issues, War Jani in his two different worlds: and Edinburgh International Film for filmmakers of their generation the provincial boredom of his Festivals. He attended, among to grow together. ELF Pictures Jani has left his family to serve in the Ukrainian Army for nine months. hometown, and the extremes of others, Talents Sarajevo, the produces feature documentaries His mother wants her son back. Jani just wants his independence. war. Jani is caught between the two Berlinale Talent Campus, and the with a human, political, art, and while he strives to find his identity. Aristoteles Documentary Workshop. sports focus. Since 2018, ELF also The film investigates whether Csuja’s first feature-length fiction functions as a theatrical distributor, military service can transform a boy film, supported by the Hungarian bringing international and domestic into a man, as Jani and most of us Film Fund, is currently in post- fictions and documentaries to Ágnes Horváth-Szabó, might think. The visual styling of the production. screens across Hungary. András Pires Muhi war zone and the hometown serve Producers to capture the scantiness of Jani’s world, and show the limitations of his fight for independence and adulthood.

Twenty-four-year-old Jani lives in a small town in Western Ukraine, part of the minority Hungarian community. An only child whose father died five years ago, Jani is fed up with the boring life in his hometown, and drowning in the love of his mother, Erzsike. When he is drafted by Ukrainian Army, called up to fight the separatists, he could sneak out of the country to escape the military service just like his fellows did, but instead he chooses to go to the war 1,500 kilometres away. But why? He is not a patriot; he is not even Ukrainian. Combining visuals of cinema verité and mobile footage of war, Jani’s coming- Contact of-age story unfolds over the nine months of his military service and the time ELF Pictures after his discharge. Ágnes Horváth-Szabó +36 70 773 8873 [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Nothingwood Salim Shaheen has survived every Since 2002, Sonia Kronlund has Founded by Laurent Lavolé in Spring Grants 2017 war, every regime, every form of co-written scripts, run several Paris in 1994, Gloria Films is an France, Germany, Qatar / Dari, French / 2017 censorship that has arisen in the documentary series for television independent production company 30 years that he has been making and is the producer of the daily dedicated to fiction and creative Runtime: 85 films in Afghanistan – and he has program ‘Les Pieds sur Terre’ for documentary films by French Sonia Kronlund Genre: Comedy, Creative Documentary, History, War never stopped filming. His Z-grade the public radio channel France and international directors. The Director / Screenwriter movies, screened in one of Kabul’s Culture. She has directed several company’s films have regularly Salim Shaheen is the most prolific and popular actor-director- four cinemas before being sold on films and radio documentaries been international co-productions, producer in Afghanistan. Passionate about cinema, he tirelessly DVD, have made him popular in in Iran and Afghanistan, for Arte distributed in leading overseas makes Z-grade movies in a country that has been at war for over 30 even the nation’s most isolated and France Culture. In 2012, Actes territories and won awards at major years. corners. As such, Salim Shaheen’s Sud published her collection of festivals. story is that of the urgent need to stories entitled ‘Nouvelles du réel’. give the Afghan people images that ‘Nothingwood’ is her first feature- represent them; through them, I length film as a director. Laurent Lavolé wish to reveal a certain vision of Producer Afghanistan. By setting off to meet a director living in a country where visual representation has a complex status, where belief in the power of images is taken very seriously, and where cinema is the object of intense passion, I hope to inspire considerations of the relationship between art and life, a theme that is About a hundred kilometres away from Kabul, Salim Shaheen, the most central to my work. popular and prolific actor-director-producer in Afghanistan, comes to show some of his 110 films and to shoot the 111th in the process. He has brought with him his regular troupe of actors, each more eccentric and out of control than the next. That trip is an opportunity for us to get to know Shaheen, a real movie buff who has been making Z movies tirelessly for more than thirty years in a country at war. ‘Nothingwood’ is the story of a man who spends his Contact life making his childhood dreams come true. Gloria Films Laurent Lavolé +33142214211 [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Of Fathers and Sons After my film ‘Return to Homs’ Talal Derki was born in Damascus BASIS BERLIN Filmproduktion Fall Grants 2017 about the young rebel Basit Sarout and has been based in Berlin since is an independent arthouse film Syria, Germany, Qatar / Arabic / 2017 and his comrades, I wanted to go 2014. He studied film directing in production company that emerged deeper. I wanted to penetrate the Athens and worked as an assistant from the post-production house Runtime: 98 psychology and the emotions of director for many feature film Basis Berlin Postproduktion Talal Derki Genre: Children, Politics, Social Issues, War, Youth this war, understand what made productions and was a director for GmbH in 2010. Our focus is on Director / Screenwriter people radicalize and what drives different Arab TV programs between the development of high-quality them to live under the strict rules of 2009 and 2011. Furthermore, he has national and international feature an Islamic state. My main character worked as a freelance cameraman and documentary films, as well in the film, Abu Osama (45), is for CNN and Thomson & Reuters. as documentary TV formats. We not only a loving father, but also a Talal Derki’s short films and feature- aim to tell unique and original specialist for car bomb attacks and length documentaries have received stories that appeal to a broad the disposal of mines. He deeply many awards at a variety of festivals. audience and therefore have a believes in an Islamic society under His feature documentary ‘Return to chance at the box office. Due to Ansgar Frerich, the laws of the Shari’ah and also Homs’ has won the Sundance Film the intimate cooperation between Eva Kemme, places his children at its service. I Festival’s World Cinema Grand Jury production and post-production Tobias Siebert, follow his sons Osama (13) and Prize in 2014. The same year, he was in our company, we can offer a Hans Robert Eisenhauer Ayman (12) to a training camp also a member of the international creative space for the long-term Producers for young fighters and start to Jury at IDFA. and innovative collaboration with This affecting and disturbing documentary demonstrates that jihadism is understand how the children are our filmmakers. Our work includes a learned behaviour – one that in some arenas is being handed down with affected. ‘Of Fathers and Sons’ is feature documentaries ‘Hello I am paternal authority to vulnerable minds. my personal journey through a David!’ (2015) by Cosima Lange and devastated country and troubled ‘Keep Surfing’ (2009) by Björn Richie society, looking for answers to my Lob. desperate questions about the future.

Contact BASIS BERLIN Filmproduktion Tobias Siebert +493058843990 [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary On the Crossbar In this film, I will attempt to Sami Tlili is studying for a PhD in Nomadis Images is a Tunisian Spring Grants 2017 demonstrate how a football team Humanities. He holds a Master’s audiovisual production company. ‘Al Aardha’ / Tunisia, France, Qatar / Arabic with an unlikely course helped a degree in French Literature from Its main activities include regime maintain power and escape the University Paris 13 and trained producing short and feature- Runtime: 90 its worst crisis since Tunisia gained in directing documentaries at Les length fiction films, documentaries Sami Tlili Genre: Creative Documentary, Sports, Politics its independence. The entire film is Ateliers Varan in Paris. His debut and commercials, and providing Director / Screenwriter predicated on the parallel advance feature-length documentary, services and training to filmmakers. The improbable journey of a national football team intertwines of these two movements, sporting ‘Cursed Be the Phosphate’ (2012), The company’s filmography with the worst crisis a country had seen since its independence. It and social, incarnating two sides won the Black Pearl Award for Best includes Sami Tlili’s ‘Cursed Be happened in Tunisia in 1978. of youth. If the team had not risen Documentary from the Arab World the Phosphate’ (2012); Hinde so high, the fate of Tunisia would at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Boujemaa’s ‘It Was Better have been different. I wish to show Tomorrow’ (2012); Raja Amari’s that 1978 was composed not only ‘Buried Secrets’ ( 2009), ‘Satin Rouge’ of a football game and a joyful mob. (2002) and ‘Foreign Body’ (2016); Dora Bouchoucha Behind the memorable celebration, and Mohamed Ben Attia’s ‘Hedi’ Producer a tragedy was playing out; one (2016). which continues to flood Tunisian life today. Because our history books stop at independence, I wish to fill in the blanks and remind everyone that the heroes are not just football players. Others dared defy authorities and paid with In June of 1978, Tunisia entered the international football scene as the first their lives as a war for succession African team ever to win a match in a final phase of the World Cup. The was being waged, and a struggle team arrived home and were hailed as heroes of the ‘Epic of Argentina’, their for democracy was underway. ‘On success helping somewhat the Tunisian people to forget they had just gone the Crossbar’ is a reflection on the through one of the worst events in their history since independence. Just absurdity of history, which never a few months before, tensions between the Only Party and the main trade ceases to repeat itself. union had led to confrontations on the streets. More than 500 people died in a single day, January 26th, 1978. ‘Black Thursday’ remains to date the Contact bloodiest episode in contemporary Tunisian history, more so than the 2011 Nomadis Images revolution. In 1978, a football team saved the regime and offered a relatively Lina Chaabane happy ending to a very black year. +216 7174 9080 [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Railway Men Little known to Tunisians, the Erige Sehiri is a Tunisian-French Les Films de Zayna was established Spring Grants 2017 everyday life of the railway journalist and documentary in 2008 by Palestinian producer and ‘Sikka Adiya’ / Tunisia, France, Qatar / Arabic / 2018 employees is rock ‘n’ roll: winters filmmaker. She has directed several director Raed Andoni and French with no heating, summers with short documentaries and worked producer Palmyre Badinier. Based Runtime: 75 no ventilation, hours spent as an independent journalist for in Paris, the company develops and Erige Sehiri Genre: Creative Documentary, Road Trip, Social Issues with hands deep in machinery international broadcast channels. produces films with a strong focus Director / Screenwriter repairing damage, the ever- Since 2011, she has committed on stories and talents from the Arab On a road trip, five train drivers are torn between their loyalty to the present risk of accident and a herself to the development of new world. old Tunisian railway company and the fresh personal aspirations they great deal of fear. However, as participative media in Tunisia and can finally express in the wake of the revolution. dignified representatives of the co-founded the Tunisian webzine international family of railroaders, ‘Inkyfada’. they defend their jobs with an iron fist. On the line, a new generation of railwaymen and women are Palmyre Badinier redefining standards for the society Producer as a compromise in harmony with their own desires. Yet, the railway still resonates like a particularly topical question and metaphor. How are we expecting a new generation of railroaders to drive trains safely without giving them the tools to do so, nor the freedom Four Tunisian railway employees are assigned to Line #1. They call it “the to speak out about failures? Keeping normal way” because it is the only one built to international norms, but it the dramatic irony of the railroaders is also the most neglected. Crossing the breath-taking landscapes of the in its sights, ‘Railway Men’ is a north, the old locomotive has to be constantly repaired. The grandson of poetic and social road movie about a train driver, Ahmed has recently joined the company and learns on-the- work as a metaphor for a changing job alongside his fellow railroaders. As time goes by, he begins to realise society. the immense risks that he and his colleagues face every day. Between the half-abandoned tracks, a young colleague of Ahmed, Abee, shares with him Contact his love of rap music, while Najib, the master of a small rural railway station Les Films de Zayna nearby spends his solitary life tirelessly shifting trains. Seemingly the only one Palmyre Badinier among the railroaders who refuses to work in these dangerous conditions, +33689277974 Issam begins to document the hazards he sees. Provoked by his behaviour, [email protected] the railway company transfers Issam to their ticketing department. When two serious train accidents occur, there is public uproar and the media turns to Issam, but he has been fired. Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Suspended Wives Among my strongest childhood Born in Morocco, Merieme Addou Based in Rabat, IrisProd is an Fall Grants 2017 memories are nice evenings shared graduated from Mohammed established video and film ‘Moalakat’ / Morocco, Qatar / Arabic with my parents, sitting around the V University with a degree in production company that produces radio. Our favourite programme was Law, and a Master’s degree in and coproduces documentaries that Genre: Creative Documentary, Social Issues, Women’s Issues on every day at six o’clock, when Documentary Film. She has been a are auteur-driven and produced Merieme Addou a serious voice went on reading a freelance producer for ADTV, Qatar creatively. Director / Screenwriter / Producer ‘Suspended Wives’ follows three women, who were abandoned by litany of women’s calls in search TV, BBC 2, Radio 4, BBC World, their husbands, and their lengthy battle to obtain divorces. of their husbands: “Marrakesh and SABC, among other outlets, Court President announces that and has worked as a freelance Alami Khadija is looking for her correspondent for Radio D-W. husband, Mohamed Sabir, who has disappeared”. I still remember, sharing my dad’s laughter, and his jokes with my mum saying, “Who knows? Maybe one day you will make this sort of announcement on the radio” Later, when I became a law student, I realised that the radio programme was in fact satisfying an obligatory step in divorce procedures in cases of a husband’s After waiting for many years, Ghita, Latifa and Karima decide to turn to the extended absence. In ‘Suspended courts in order to obtain divorces. The procedure turns out to be not only Wives’, I will accompany women in lengthy, but also quite absurd. During their lonely struggle against the law their daily struggle to regain their and its harshness, bureaucracy, and society’s prejudices, the three women dignity. are assisted by other women who meet every day in a city park. This is the only peaceful place where the trio can share intimacies, and particularly their hope to put an end to their hellish situation, and find their rightful freedom and dignity.

Contact IrisProd Merieme Addou +212 6645 747 75 [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Tiny Souls Over the past six years, the war A Jordanian director, writer, and Founded in 2011 by Frédéric Corvez, Spring Grants 2017 in Syria has affected the lives producer with Palestinian roots, joined in 2017 by Palmyre Badinier ‘Arwah Saghirah’ / Jordan, France, Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic / 2018 of millions of people, and it has Dina Naser holds a BA in Art and Julien Russo, independent become crucial for me to give a and Graphic Design. Following French production company Runtime: 75 voice to the children among them. her passion for filmmaking, she Urban Factory (UF) is the sister Dina Naser Genre: Children, Immigration, War, Youth The story of Marwa, Ayah, and was granted the scholarship for company of Urban Distribution Director / Producer Mahmoud, three siblings living DOCNOMADS Mobile Documentary International (UDI). UF has always A documentary film that portrays the changes in Marwa’s life, as she in the Al Zaatari refugee camp in School for a two-year MA been driven by the same goal: to goes from childhood to adolescence within the walls of the Al Zaatari Jordan, is told through their eyes. programme in Lisbon, Budapest, make quality cinema and bring it Refugee Camp in Jordan, reflecting its effect on her reality and future. Being part of their lives for four and Brussels. She worked her way to the largest audience possible on years made me experience their through a variety of television and every continent. UF has produced reality as it unfolded day-by-day, film productions, until she began to and co-produced 11 art-house films and as they were coming of age. In direct and produce independently. by promising young filmmakers telling this story, I am not trying to Her first works are inspired by and renowned directors, all Palmyre Badinier leave the audience with a single stories from her homeland. Her distinguished by their innovation Co-Producer dominant thought or emotion. In short documentary film ‘Shamieh’ and originality. Recent titles fact, viewers will experience the (2011) portrays an aging Palestinian include the Brazilian genre film conflicted collection of emotions woman living in the Zizya refugee ‘Good Manners’ (2017) by Juliana that the children of Syria go through camp in Jordan. Her award-winning Rojas and Marco Dutra, which every day. In a conflict dominated ‘One Minute’ (2015) tells the story won the Special Jury Prize at the by decisions made by adults, these of a woman living in Gaza while Locarno Festival. UF is a member children have been left out of the it was under attack in 2014. ‘Sea of the Syndicat des producteurs conversation – but they have a great Wash’ (co-director, 2016), a short indépendants, UniFrance, and the Marwa is nine and stranded in Al Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. Studying is deal to say. More than anything, I experimental film, pictures refugees EAVE Network. her greatest worry, while playing is her greatest enjoyment. She says she has hope this film can be a moment who lost their lives at sea. ‘Tiny been there for four months with her mother and siblings, adding they will that allows us to reflect on the Souls’, a documentary project first probably stay for another week... “maybe two”. Over the ensuing four years, world we live in today – and on the realized in a nine-minute format, the director follows Marwa’s life in the camp, where she blossoms from being future of these “tiny souls”. will be Naser’s first feature length a child to becoming a young woman. Sometimes, she still dreams of being film. one of the pigeons whose freedom is not surrounded by the high walls and barbed wire of the camp. Until one day, a rumour spreads, one which is wild Contact enough to jeopardise Marwa and her family’s life. From facing authorities, Dina Naser to reported associations with militant extremists, their existence has taken +962 77755 5407 tremendous turns. [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Documentary Underdown I’m not alone when it comes Sarah Kaskas received her MFA in Karaaj Films produces independent Fall Grants 2017 to feeling both love and hate Cinematic Arts in 2011. Her thesis fiction and non-fiction films and ‘Taht Al Taht’ / Lebanon, Germany, Qatar / Arabic towards Beirut and its beautiful film, ‘Fugue’ (2011), toured to web series. The company is run mess. With all the current uproar several festivals before being sold by Lebanese producer Liliane Runtime: 90 against a corrupt government to BBC Arabic’s ‘Alternative Cinema’. Rahal and director Sarah Kaskas, Sarah Kaskas Genre: Children, Creative Documentary, Identity, Immigration, Social Issues, and a crumbling infrastructure, it In 2013, her animated short film an eclectic team who bridge their Director / Screenwriter Women’s Issues becomes difficult to be grateful ‘Wanderland’ won an award at passion for storytelling with their for what little we may have. The the Co-Production Forum at the technical skills. Keeping in line ‘Underdown’ is the pulsating journey of three unbreakable characters protagonists in ‘Underdown’ are Stuttgart International Animation with their organic and independent struggling to live below the poverty line in the chaos of Beirut. living in poverty and facing conflicts Festival, and was nominated for the filmmaking approach, the team most of us are lucky never to Robert Bosch Film Prize in 2014. In recently produced the award- experience. To the outsider, they 2016, Kaskas co-directed ‘Bread winning short documentary are pariahs, cast aside as “drunks”, and Tea’, which was named Best ‘Bread and Tea’, which to date has Liliane Rahal, Ines Meier “beggars” or “dirty people”. What Short Documentary at Iran’s Cinéma appeared at 12 festivals in under a Producers is overlooked is their resilience, Vérité. Her upcoming feature year. The team has also secured a humour and overwhelming hope documentary was nominated for production grant from the Doha that drives them forward. Capturing the Robert Bosch Film Prize 2017 Film Institute for their upcoming the essence of these characters and received a production grant feature documentary ‘Underdown’, requires trust, respect and honesty. from the Doha Film Institute. She which will be released in 2019. My approach is to observe their resides in Beirut and is an Assistant truths openly and develop with the Professor of Film at the Lebanese Pong was founded in 2001 by protagonists at their own pace. As American University. the Berlin-based filmmakers a Lebanese filmmaker, I believe and producers Merle Kröger Moving to Beirut’s anarchic rhythm, ‘Underdown’ follows the struggles of the amount of twisted and corrupt and Philip Scheffner and stands a Palestinian cab driver who lives in his car, a homeless Syrian kid and a stories at our disposal are limitless, for the production of creative Lebanese woman and her family. Through a pulsating journey full of harsh but stories of how to endure this documentaries on the border to the realities and an unbreakable sense of humour, the film’s subjects convey darkness are essential. arts – films in which the filmmakers’ glimmers of hope in the darkest of places. aesthetic and/or political positions are formed and expressed. In 2014, filmmakers and producers Alex Gerbaulet and Caroline Kirberg Contact joined the collective. Ines Meier Karaaj Films started as a freelance producer Liliane Rahal for Pong in 2013. Together, they +9613894928 focus on up-coming artists and [email protected] filmmakers and international co- productions, aiming to expand Pong as a platform for moving images as well as sounds, music and text. Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Feature Experimental or Essay The Fifth Resurrection Farid Semeka’s story represents the Born in Cairo in 1978, Khalid Fall Grants 2017 profound alienation that comes Youssef is a filmmaker, with migrating to a foreign land, screenwriter, editor and actor. After Of Farid creating a new identity, and the finishing university studies in Egypt, collective need to obliterate our he travelled to study filmmaking, Khalid Youssef Egypt, Qatar / Arabic, English national heroes while creating theatre and photography in Madrid, Director / Screenwriter / Producer new ones. Given that I have lived for well over a decade. He finished Genre: Based on a True Story, Creative Documentary, Docufiction, History, abroad for many years, this story his first film, ‘Zero in Conduct’, in Identity, Immigration is rather personal, and I would 2007, and it travelled to various like to explore the dichotomies film festivals, including the Karlovy In Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, a new life is awarded to Olympic in Semeka’s life. The term Vary International Film Festival. champion, pilot, Hollywood actor, war hero, and all around “documentary” can sometimes be He also shot, produced, directed, professional hell-raiser Farid Semeka. misleading, as verisimilitude is a edited and wrote the feature- given, and it denotes a stylistically length film ‘Overground’ (2015), in straightforward type of cinema addition to 10 other short films. filled with talking heads. However, Among them is ‘1995’, which was there have been recent experiments selected for five festivals, among that allow for dynamic storytelling them the Göttingen International and the intertwining of fictional Ethnographic Film Festival. elements within the framework of verifiable facts. My work is an exploration of the experimental documentary genre, and I hope to expand upon this by continuing to play with aesthetics, devising an Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. An old man comes across an odd collection of film essayistic approach to telling Farid reels, vinyl records and VHS tapes hidden in the confines of his basement. He Semeka’s story, one of the most quickly discovers that they embody the strange story of a largely forgotten enigmatic and forgotten figures of renaissance man from the 1920s and 30s with a funny name: Farid Semeka. the 20th century.

Contact Khalid Youssef +20 0 1285 374 883 [email protected] Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Experimental or Essay I, Hummus My hummus story started around 11 Born in Beirut in 1983, Rawane placeless films (aflam bila makan) Fall Grants 2017 years ago when I landed in Canada Nassif is a Lebanese/Canadian is a production company run by ‘Ana, Hummus’ / Lebanon, Canada, Qatar / Arabic, English a few days before the Israeli attack filmmaker and anthropologist. She filmmakers Lara Abu Saifan and on Lebanon in 2006. At the time I has a BFA in Filmmaking from the Niam Itani in Beirut, Lebanon. The Runtime: 70 barely spoke English, did not grasp Université Saint Joseph in Lebanon company develops and produces Rawane Nassif Genre: Creative Documentary, Identity, Immigration the world that I was thrown into, and an MA in Cultural Anthropology quality short and feature films that Director / Screenwriter / Producer and relied on my cooking skills from the University of Alberta in bring social and human issues to A film about the geopolitics of food, culture appropriation and to help me create relationships Canada. Her work addresses space, the fore. Their previous credits immigration presented as a personal reflection, and mixed together with the people around me. One identity, displacement and memory include Niam Itani’s award-winning in one famous dish: Hummus. year later, I took a course in the and spans different formats such as short, ‘Super.Full.’ and Anna Fahr’s anthropology of food which now films, children’s books, oral history award-winning short ‘Transit I realize is the seed for this very projects and publications. Game’, as well as Itani’s feature film. Concepts such as “you are documentary ‘Twice Upon A Time’, what you eat”, “tasting cultures”, which won Best Documentary in Lara Abu Saifan, Niam Itani “comfort food” and “national dishes” the Lebanese Film Festival (2016). Producers all resonated deeply with my personal journey of integration in a multicultural nation. I started to see the world through a food lens and understood how immigrants and refugees feel the need to eat themselves back into familiar grounds. My kitchen became my When I landed in Canada in 2006, I became recognized as a giant walking refuge, a mini-Lebanon that I could plate of hummus. Being from Lebanon, my identity was intrinsically linked to recreate, offer and enjoy. hummus, and I started to get accustomed to it and represent it to the best of my ability, until one day I was told that hummus is from Israel. This is when I realized how much food matters and how personal and political it can be. A dip into hummus is an invitation into the complexity of the Middle East, the journey of immigration, the problems with cultural appropriation, the economy of the hummus industry, and the rise of food subcultures. Contact Rawane Nassif [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Experimental or Essay Mnemosyne It is said if one drinks from a Shaza Moharam is an Egyptian Established in 2016, Felucca Films Spring Grants 2017 river named Mnemosyne in the filmmaker. She obtained an MA is a fledgling production company Egypt, Qatar / Arabic underworld, one will come to in Scriptwriting from Carlos III based in Cairo. The company aims remember all there is, and obtain University in Madrid and studied TV/ to help filmmakers explore and Runtime: 70 omniscience. Mnemosyne is the Video Communication as a Fulbright shape their own personal voices Shaza Moharam Genre: Creative Documentary, Docufiction, Identity, Psychological, personification of memory in Greek scholar in the United States. and produce unique and original Director / Screenwriter / Producer Social Issues mythology, and this film invokes her. Among other positions, she has fiction and documentary films, with It is fuelled by my personal desire worked as a project manager at the a special focus on fresh new talents Shaza returns to her hometown of Alexandria with a quest to recover to remember. The documentary Contemporary Image Collective in and contemporary social issues. from her childhood amnesia, only to find that the city itself is losing follows my journey into the elusive Cairo; as a scriptwriting and digital The company’s debut production, its memory. world of memory and oblivion, storytelling instructor working with ‘Happily Ever After’, a feature-length and expands it to tap into the vulnerable populations for NGOs documentary, premiered in 2016 collective memory of my hometown, including Nazra and Tadamon. at the International Documentary Alexandria. The film pays tribute Her debut documentary film, Festival Amsterdam. Recently, Nada Riyadh to the Alexandria of my childhood, ‘Ahlam’ (2015), was named Best the short fiction film ‘The Trap’ Producer the city of my grandparents. It is an Documentary at the Young Cuban was awarded the Robert Bosch attempt to reconcile the passage of Film Festival. She is interested in Film Prize for Arab-German co- time and the burden of nostalgia. exploring the borders between production at the 2017 Berlin ‘Mnemosyne’ poses a recurring fiction and reality in her film work. International Film Festival. Felucca question: If you cannot remember Films also established the Mahd your past, do you know who you Film Lab in 2016, an annual regional truly are? training programme that provides script-development assistance.

On a quest to remember, Shaza returns to her hometown of Alexandria, a decision triggered by the recent loss of her grandfather. Having suffered from a deficient autobiographical memory syndrome all her life, Shaza only knows stories of the past. She uses a camera as a tool to inspire remembrance by recreating old memories in the once-familiar spaces of Alexandria, only to realise the city itself is losing its own memory. This personal struggle is mirrored in the collective memory of the city as Shaza explores the elusive Contact realms of remembrance and oblivion, with their distorted and multiple Felucca Films versions. ‘Mnemosyne’ blurs the borders between different formats and Shaza Moharam mediums: documentary and fiction, science and myth, cinema and visual art, [email protected] the personal and the collective. Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Experimental or Essay The Wind Blew On In preparation for this film, I have Katrín Ólafsdóttir is a director Duo Productions is a film Fall Grants 2017 studied different creation myths, and producer from Iceland currently production company established Iceland, Qatar / English, Spanish / 2018 looking at the fall from paradise as a based in London. She studied at in 2006 and owned by producer symbol of the loss of innocence and the Centre National de Danse Gudrun Edda Thorhannesdottir. In Runtime: 90 the ensuing journey in exile. This Contemporaine d’Angers, the Binger 2008, Duo Productions formed a Katrín Ólafsdóttir Genre: Drama journey is all the more arduous for Film Lab and Torino Film Lab. She daughter company, Spellbound Director / Screenwriter / Producer being made in the knowledge that started her career as a dancer and Productions, in co-ownership with “Perhaps I’m already dead?” says a little boy, to himself. But these we are capable of hurting the ones choreographer and moved into Oscar-nominated film director and words are spoken in an unsettling world where no one can confirm we love, that evil haunts our actions film with her debut ‘Slurpinn & Co.’ producer, Fridrik Thor Fridriksson. this to be true or false for him. as an ever-present possibility. How which won several international Spellbound produced four feature are we to come to terms with this awards. She directed, produced, films, a short film and a TV series ordeal? Through religion, technology, wrote, choreographed and acted in but since 2013, Duo Productions love? The boy is travelling through the film. Katrín is now working on has served as the main production the desert in search of a forest. ‘The Wind Blew On’, a feature film outlet for its owner as a producer. Gudrun Edda Thorhannesdottir Over the course of his journey, the she directs, produces and writes. At the moment, the company Producer familiar appearances of reality Her next feature film as director has a number of feature films progressively cloud over. Eventually, and producer will be ‘Home’, and and TV series in various stages of the cloud lifts and the forest as producer ‘Persona Non Grata’ by development and production. appears in front of him. We have Bertrand Mandico. filmed this story in fragments over the past six years. My son, the story’s protagonist and inspiration, provides the prism through which A boy is on a journey. Things have strayed from their course without anyone all this is viewed, as childhood turns knowing why. The unsettling landscape he makes his way through is both to face what can be expected from real and imaginary. The ruins he plays among and the enigmatic figures he the future. encounters there are threatening and welcoming in turn. They teach him how to become who he is; the half-remembered fragments of the past that somehow return to him. ‘The Wind Blew On’ shows us scenes of a life lived after the end of the world has taken place, and the search for an escape from this fate. Contact Duo Productions Katrín Ólafsdóttir +447444320085 [email protected] Post-Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Feature Experimental or Essay You Come from To date, the role of Arabs in the Amal Ramsis was born and raised Founded in 2007, Klaketa Árabe Spring Grants 2017 Spanish Civil War has primarily in Cairo, and studied Cinema is a production company based in been associated with the Moroccan in Madrid. She has conducted Cairo. It focuses mainly on creative Far Away troops who were brought to Spain numerous workshops around the documentaries as well as festival by Franco in order to fight the world with women who have no and workshop organisations. In Amal Ramsis ‘Ta’toun Men Ba’id’ / Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic, Russian, Spanish / 2018 Democratic Republican government. experience with filmmaking. Ramsis 2008, the company started the Director / Screenwriter This image has been predominant is the founder and director of the Arab-Iberoamerican Women’s Film Runtime: 90 since the conflict, overshadowing Cairo International Women’s Film Festival in Cairo and the Caravan Genre: Creative Documentary, History, Identity, War the existence of other Arabs in Festival. Her films ‘Only Dreams’ of Entre Cineastas “Between Spain during that time. When I (2005), ‘Life’ (2008), ‘Forbidden’ Women Filmmakers”. In 2013, the Imagine your father is a Palestinian who fought against Franco in the started researching the struggles (2011) and ‘The Trace of the Arab-Iberoamerican Women’s Spanish Civil War. Imagine you have a family, but were raised without of Arab people in support of the Butterfly’ (2014) won several Film Festival changed its name to parents. revolution and against fascism international awards and have been the Cairo International Women’s during the war, a little-known screened at numerous festivals. Film Festival, and soon became Necati Sonmez history that was buried for decades, the leading women’s film festival Producer the present was always my point in the Arab world. Among the of comparison. For me, ‘You Come documentaries produced by Klaketa from Far Away’ is not a film about Árabe, ‘The Trace of the Butterfly, history, but a film about the present (2015), ‘Forbidden’ (‘Mamnou’, 2011) told through intimate portraits and ‘Life’ (2009) were presented of people who paid a huge price at many film festivals and received to try to make the world a better several awards. Klaketa Árabe has place. For them, borders were organised nearly 50 One Minute not obstacles to taking action; a Workshops “Correspondences struggle that starts in Europe might Between Women”, with participants The role of Arabs in the Spanish Civil War has only been associated with be fulfilled in the Arab world. These in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia the Moroccan troops who were brought to Spain by Franco in order to fight people took a lengthy journey Costa Rica, Cuba, Germany, against the Republicans. This image has been predominant throughout the through many countries and cities, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, last several decades, overshadowing the existence of the many other Arabs but at the same time, this became a Nicaragua, Peru, San Salvador, Spain who were among the international volunteers who defended democracy. perpetual exile in place and in time. and Syria. Their stories break the stereotypes Contact The story of Sidki, a Palestinian journalist who came to Spain as one such of our imagination: Who would Klaketa Árabe volunteer, reveals this little-known historical fact. The war was a turning point believe the Spanish Civil War was Necati Sonmez for Sidki’s family, and particularly for his eldest daughter Dulia, who was stuck a turning point in the destiny of +201221159882 in Russia for 20 years and had to live her life separated from her family. The generations of an Arab family? [email protected] turmoil that steered the 20th century dispersed Sidki’s family: the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the Nakba and the Lebanese Civil War; the 1900s are And who would imagine that the retraced through the story of this one family. grandparents of some who fled their homelands to take shelter in Europe were, in fact, fighting for that same Europe? Short Narrative

Beit Byoot The Black Veil Hope Inside Me Last Day at Home Lemon Hart The Mute Night Soaring Over Mayhem Split-Screen Tainted The Time Tree

Short Experimental or Essay

Ceuta’s Gate Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Short Narrative Beit Byoot ‘Beit Byoot’, meaning ‘Doll House’, Mayar Hamdan is a storyteller Fall Grants 2017 is a game played by many young and filmmaker. She graduated Jordan, Qatar / Arabic girls in the Middle East. The rules from Northwestern University with of the game are simple: bring your a degree in Media Industries and Runtime: 10 doll to the playground and join Technology and a concentration in Mayar Hamdan Genre: Children, Coming of age, Drama, Identity, Social Issues, the girls in creating a storyline. In film animation. Mayar was awarded Director / Screenwriter Women’s Issues, Youth this seemingly simple game, the two Studio20Q Grants for ‘Asfoora’ little girls’ politics can often be (2014) and ‘Man Down’ (2015). Her Set in a dystopian women’s world, little Jameela wants to fit in with brutal with players’ dolls being film ‘Asfoora’ won the Best Short two mean girls. When she meets Yasmine, she must choose between disqualified simply for not fitting Narrative award at the Ajyal Film being odd or fitting in. the beauty standards. It is then that Festival and screened at multiple girls learn the meaning of beauty international film festivals. Since and its importance in the rules of then, Mayar has script edited, and friendship. In a way, women in this art directed numerous films. She Ghouna Jaber region never stop playing this game, has worked as an Animator and Producer even after they’ve outgrown their Story Developer at King Barcelona, dolls. ‘Beit Byoot’ is predominantly Spain. Currently, Mayar works at a story about fitting in and how the Doha Film Institute as a Film far you would go in order to do so. Training and Development Assistant. I believe that my main character Jameela personifies this struggle when she comes face to face with the girly brutality of this doll game.

Jameela is an adorable eight-year-old girl who arrives at the perfect pastel playground with her half-scrap, half-plastic doll. She sees Yasmine, an odd- looking girl rummaging through the trash. Jameela looks for other girls to play with. She finds Sahar and Souad, but Jameela is brutally rejected when they see her doll. They call her names and throw away her doll. Jameela finds her doll in the hands of Yasmine. They argue, but when Yasmine reveals her perfectly made trash doll, Jameela is intrigued. She allows Yasmine to fix her Contact ugly doll. Jameela grabs the doll and runs back to the girls. Yasmine follows. Mayar Hamdan Souad is intrigued, but Sahar grabs the doll and smashes it, demanding [email protected] Jameela to pledge her loyalty. Angry, Jameela grabs Yasmine’s doll and smashes it. Sahar and Souad motion to Jameela to play with them. She’s finally in. Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Short Narrative The Black Veil I want to tell a story about wanting A.J. Al Thani is a Qatar-born Spring Grants 2017 to escape, because it is a universal filmmaker. Her love for movies Qatar / Arabic theme that anyone can relate to. and moviemaking began at the Post-Production My story is based on a Muslim Arab age of six when she saw ‘Star Short Narrative Runtime: 15 woman who is living in a place Wars’ (1977) in the cinema in Fall Grants 2017 Genre: Drama where a woman does not belong. 1999. She began to pursue her In order to find a place for herself dream of being a filmmaker with In order to gain freedom from the oppression she has been living in the world, she must escape the the launch of the Doha Film under, a woman attempts to finally escape. horrible situation she is in, even if it Institute. Her relationship with the A.J. Al Thani means she must put her life at risk. Institute began in 2010 when she Director / Screenwriter participated in one of its first film workshops, which opened the door for many local filmmakers to pursue their passion.

Vibhav Gautam Producer

Many women around the world suffer under oppression and dream of escaping it. ‘The Black Veil’ is the story of one woman who puts her life at risk in order to find her freedom.

Contact A.J. Al Thani [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Short Narrative Hope The question of immigration implies Mohammad Shaikhow was Fall Grants 2017 a particularly cinégenique relation: born in Qamishli in 1988. He is a ‘Hévi’ / Syria, Iraq, France, Qatar / Kurdish the relationship between humans Kurdish-Syrian film director and and territory. By pairing up a wide cinematographer based in Paris. His Runtime: 15 shot with a landscape, cinema films have screened in numerous Mohammad Shaikhow Genre: Drama, Immigration, Women, Politics is deployed. It is the romantic festivals. He is currently a PhD Director / Screenwriter / Producer model that I wanted to elaborate Candidate in the School of Cinema Strangers up to a few hours ago, a man and a woman walk together on this project: to find a particular at the École National Supérieurs in a snowy environment. Their journey is a portrayal of humanity resonance through the triangle d’Audiovisuelle (ESAV). He received reduced to its very essence. of the two main protagonists his MA in Directing from ESAV, and and Nature. It’s Hévi and Man’s is a graduate of the Film School of mental isolation in a mysterious Salahaddin University in Erbil. environment that interests me more than only shedding light on the development of their conflict. Mysterious because it’s a territory where the limits are not seen, like a land without borders that, ironically, Hévi wants to cross.

Hévi and Walat, a Kurdish-Syrian refugee couple in their thirties meet a human trafficker. They try to cross an undefined border amid an endless environment of winter with spotless, but hostile, whiteness. The man offers to bring the young woman with him if Walat would take another road alone. So, Hévi ends up by herself, fragile, in front of an unstable man whose intentions are little by little unveiled.

Contact Mohammad Shaikhow +33786777589 [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Short Narrative Inside Me ’Inside Me’ is a film I want to Halla Tarek was born in 1989 in Film Clinic was established by Spring Grants 2017 make, because I feel acutely Cairo where she studied Animation Mohamed Hefzy in 2005 as a Egypt, Germany, Qatar / No dialogue how hard it is to be a girl with at the Faculty of Fine Arts. In 2013, film development and production her own, different vision of life she directed the animated film company that produces narrative Runtime: 7 within a society controlled by ‘Express’ which appeared in many and documentary features, Halla Tarek Genre: Animation old-fashioned traditions. The film festivals in Egypt and elsewhere. and also offers screenwriting Director is a 2-D animated dramatic short In 2015, she obtained her Master’s workshops. While targeting general A young Egyptian girl, silenced by society, goes on an adventure to that focuses on women’s rights. degree with a thesis on black audiences in Egyptian, regional and discover her own voice, fighting an evil monster that wants to eat her It is about a young Arab woman comedy in animated films. Presently, international markets, the company alive. who finds herself in conflict with Tarek works as an animation has also developed a reputation her society because she has a director at the Egyptian Film Centre. for supporting young independent vision, voice and ideas of her own. Besides working as a director, she filmmakers, and for investing in But her society, especially its men, freelances in storyboarding and as a innovative approaches to film refuse her individuality because concept artist. She believes cinema that offer creative alternatives to Julia Urban they believe that if a woman thinks is the most powerful way to share Egyptian mainstream commercial Screenwriter differently, their manhood will be one’s stories. cinema. Film Clinic has co-produced in jeopardy. As such, the young Egyptian, Arab and international woman is faced with a difficult features, and its productions have struggle to obtain her freedom. I participated in more than 100 film see the story of this film as the festivals and won more than 50 personal narrative that every girl awards at festivals including the carries inside her, if she fights to be Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Dubai and Muscat emancipated. I am passionate about International Film Festivals, the Hussein Hegab, Linda Dedkova A young Egyptian girl living with a conservative group that follows communal this project, and I hope it will be an BFI London, Carthage, Montpellier, Producers acts and practices has always been silent to blend in. When she dares to inspiration to others. Oran and Sundance Film Festivals, speak, to her amazement a yellow letter emerges from her mouth. The group and the Malmö Arab Film Festival, gets angry and does not accept it, so the young girl leaves them to start her in addition to national Egyptian own journey to a wide and colourful world. A dark cloud rises from the words festivals. of her folk and transforms into a monster that chases her. When she arrives in a new settlement, she is encouraged to speak and to be herself. She is happy but still weak. The monster finds her and swallows her, and in its dark Contact stomach she feels lonely and scared. A small letter comes out of her and Film Clinic lights up the darkness. Gradually, the girl regains her strength and begins Hussein Hegab screaming out illuminating words that destroy the monster. She returns to +201061670192 her new friends, happy and strong, at last unafraid of her individuality and her [email protected] own voice. Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Short Narrative Last Day at Home Living in a rapidly changing world Noor Al-Nasr is a graphic designer, Spring Grants 2017 can be a challenge. Of course, writer and aspiring filmmaker. She ‘Al Yom Al Akher Fi’l Bayt’ / Qatar / English the perks of this high pace is has always been interested in art in the wonderful technology that all its forms, especially the moving Runtime: 10 makes our lives easier – or at least, image. Her first short film, ‘Health Noor Al-Nasr Genre: Children, Fantasy, Identity, Science Fiction that’s one way of looking at it. Invaders’ (2015) was shot as part of Director / Producer Having grown up in a time when a challenge for Qatar’s Seha health His last day at home becomes a boy’s first day of an adventure. technology was very limited, I can organisation. It had its premiere appreciate the value of human in the Ajyal Youth Film Festival interaction that is sadly slipping and was featured in the Short Film away in our daily lives. I see the Corner at the Festival de Cannes. ongoing and increasing isolation Her next short film, ‘Dana’s Kite’ that has come about as a result of had its premiere at the Ajyal Youth the proliferation of these gadgets: Film Festival in 2016. In 2016, Al- Ana Ivanović today, a person can be within a Nasr shot ‘Dreams That Stayed’, a Screenwriter group, yet their attention is entirely short film about an adult who grew focused on interactions via mobile up watching cartoons dubbed into phone. The protagonist of ‘Last Day Arabic in the 1980s. She is currently at Home’ is 12-year-old Nebojsa, developing her first feature-length who is home alone in Qatar, where film entitled ‘The Pearl’, and the A 12- year-old boy has just moved to Doha with his parents. To avoid dealing he has recently moved with his short film ‘Last Day at Home’. with the changes this brings about, he spends his days playing a space family. Playing video games provides exploration video game. On the last day before starting at a new school, his an escape from living with his busy computer breaks down, so he is forced to go out for the first time. All alone parents. This film challenges the in the desert, in surroundings that become increasingly similar to the game boy to step out, leave his comfort he has been playing, he finds himself on a rescue mission to find life on a zone and begin to explore the world deserted planet. With the real world transformed into a digital universe, the beyond a screen. With every step, boy faces his fear of the unknown and “plays his way home” – a task he must the illusory reality fades away, and complete in order to accept his new environment. Nebojsa learns that adaptation is a necessity that will make living in the world of today much easier. Contact Noor Al-Nasr [email protected] Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Short Narrative Lemon Hart ‘Lemon Hart’ took shape after Sara Al-Thani was born in Qatar, Neibulon Productions is a film Fall Grants 2017 hearing countless horror stories raised in San Francisco, California, production company registered in Qatar, France / English of abuse within families of all and France in a mix of cultures Paris, France with its main activities backgrounds, so common that and languages. She graduated in based in South of France, Cannes. Runtime: 12 they appeared to be the norm. Political Science from University They focus on independent film Sara Al-Thani Genre: Arthouse, Psychological Drama This film is about courage, which of San Francisco (USF) and holds a projects, and international films Director / Screenwriter transcends fear and ultimately second degree in Fashion Design made by directors with personal A troubled young girl retells her tale of fear, courage and the savagery redirects lifepaths, regardless of from Virginia Common Wealth artistic vision and the ability to she endures by her stepfather. the circumstances one is born University (VCU). Along with transcend borders with a broad into. Lemon, a young girl with filmmaking, Sara is also a composer global appeal. a forlorn upbringing, chaotic and a painter. “Lemon Hart” is her present and uncertain future, must first short film as writer and director. preserve herself and confront her abusive stepfather to ensure a Franck Merenda life free from the bindings of fear. Producer We follow her closely, as each decision she makes quickly leads to new challenges, only adding to her emotional turmoil and reshaping her perspective on life. It ultimately remains her choice whether to start over or give in to In a story of how courage transcends fear, a young American girl living in Le the relentless struggles and pain – a Var, France reflects on the terror she endures at the hands of her stepfather. choice that many are confronted with, regardless of background and culture, as violence and abuse do not discriminate.

Contact Sara Al-Thani [email protected] Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Short Narrative The Mute This film explores a character’s Thamer Al-Thani is a current Fall Grants 2017 disability and learning to live with student at Northwestern ‘Al Bakma’ / Qatar / Arabic it. The story follows Mama Looloo, University in Qatar, majoring in a mute elderly woman, who finds Communications. He is a director Runtime: 10 it hard to connect with people with a unique view of the world. He Thamer Al-Thani Genre: Animation, Fantasy, Science Fiction because of the shame she feels enjoys telling complex and colourful Director / Screenwriter about her muteness. Due to her stories and collaborating with In 1960s Qatar, a mute old lady builds a spaceship to find a cure for disability, she lives alone and tries to others. ‘The Mute’ will be Al-Thani’s her disease, but will she be able to finish it before she is stopped by escape from the environment that first short film as a writer and the evil Qatari Space Initiative? she feels isolated in. This animated director. film will appeal to a wide audience while exploring mature themes.

In 1960s Qatar, Mama Looloo lives alone as she builds a spaceship in the middle of her living room. She is mute and does not interact with people around her. She collects scrap metal around the country to build her spaceship. She is met with a series of events that require her to speak, but she chooses to avoid communication and run away from social interaction. In order to finish her spaceship, she must ask someone to help her find a piece that is out of her reach. Once she finds it, she blasts off.

Contact Thamer Al-Thani +97455949296 thameralthani2018@ u.northwestern.edu Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Short Narrative Night I still clearly remember the face of Ahmad Saleh is an Academy Ses-Studio is an Amman-based Spring Grants 2017 a woman randomly approaching Award winning writer and director. studio run by brothers Saleh, ‘Layl’ / Palestine, Jordan, Germany, Qatar / Arabic anyone she met on the street. His writing career started with a Saed and Ahmad Saleh that has “Please tell me he is dead”, she kept collection of short stories, which been in operation since 2010. Runtime: 11 saying. I asked the people around won the Young Writer’s Award The company’s main focus is on Ahmad Saleh Genre: Animation, Drama, Fable me about her story. They told me from the Al-Qattan Foundation in animated productions that require Director / Screenwriter her son had disappeared years Palestine. ‘House’ (2011), his first highly skilled handicraft. A mother who has been unable to sleep since the disappearance of ago, and she did not know where film, was his graduation project for her son meets a storyteller whose tales can heal sleepless souls. he was, nor what had happened to his Master’s degree in Digital Media him. While hope is something we from the University of Arts, Bremen. generally admire, here, for the first The film won numerous prestigious time, I was faced with observing awards. Recently, Saleh completed hope destroying a person’s life. a second Master’s degree at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. Saleh Saleh, Jessica Neubauer He specialised in Film Writing Producers and Directing, and his graduation project, ‘Ayny’ (2016), was awarded with a golden medal in the Foreign Animation category at the Student Academy Awards.

While searching for sleepless souls, a storyteller finds a woman standing in front of her door, waiting. Her son disappeared years ago and she has been awake ever since. After each sunset, Night, a girl in a long black dress, knocks on the woman’s door, bringing back the son into his mother’s arms. As the daylight starts coming through the windows, the girl and the son disappear. Filled with hesitation, the storyteller tells the woman a story that will make her cry out her hope and fall asleep.

Contact Ses-Studio Saleh Saleh +962776444437 [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Short Narrative Soaring Over Mayhem ‘Soaring Over Mayhem’ is a realistic Abdullah Al-Wazzan is a director, Founded by Abdullah Al-Wazzan Spring Grants 2017 interpretation of the lives of young producer and writer. Born in in 2011, RoyalTales is a film and Kuwait, Qatar / Arabic children who are entangled in the Kuwait in 1990, he graduated with entertainment production company crossfire of an ongoing, complex a Bachelor of Architecture degree based in Kuwait. Formerly known Runtime: 20 war. Projected through the story of in 2012. He went on to create the as Royal Pictures, the company was Abdullah Al-Wazzan Genre: Coming of age, Drama two young boys, the film reflects on animated short film ‘Falafel Cart’ started as a means to create the Director / Screenwriter / Producer characters that stand as a metaphor (2014), which was selected for the short experimental animated film Two brothers struggle to survive as they reach manhood in the brutal for the thousands of children who Dubai International Film Festival. ‘Falafel Cart’ (2014). In 2016, it made terrain of war-torn Syria. have perished or are still suffering a transition and became committed from the brutality of the Syrian war. to producing compelling and At the same time, it shows the total cinematic content that would shine chaos of the conflict through their a light on Arab stories and have innocent eyes. The film stems from global appeal. In the years ahead, my own need to understand and RoyalTales aims to collaborate with showcase how a series of events film institutes in the Gulf region that are beyond one’s control can and produce the short live-action have the power to change the film ‘Soaring over Mayhem’, as course of our lives forever. well as to produce a feature-length adventure-drama-fantasy film that is currently in development.

In the brutal lands of northern Syria, 10- year-old bird enthusiast Rami struggles to survive alongside his overly adventurous elder brother Ibrahim. Due to Ibrahim’s ambitions to make a quick profit and Rami’s hope for a better life, the brothers are lured into taking on a dicey job in rural Syria. Complications arise when they roam dangerous conflict-ridden terrain, which not only compromises the job at hand, but also the safety of the boys’ lives.

Contact RoyalTales Abdullah Al-Wazzan +96560777062 [email protected] Development Director’s Note Director’s Biography Short Narrative Split-Screen Through this film, we are hoping Fahad Al-Khater and Fall Grants 2017 to explore a multitude of themes Nadia Al-Khater are Qatari Qatar / English related to free will, the internet, nationals born in 1992 and 1994, and collective behaviour. Our respectively. Though they both Runtime: 30 experience has been a part of the spent part of their childhood in San Nadia Al-Khater, Genre: Psychological, Thriller new generation who are uniquely Diego, California, they returned to Fahad Al-Khater “plugged in”. We want to articulate Doha where they both graduated in Directors / Screenwriters After unwittingly drinking poisoned coffee, two acquaintances are this experience onscreen through International Politics at Georgetown forced into a death match by a faceless conspiracy to win the only such characters in our story. University in Qatar. They will be antidote. Problematizing the relationship sharing screenwriting and directing between the virtual and the real responsibilities for their first short may be translated visually by film ‘Split-Screen’. Together, they paying homage to current internet also wrote a second short film called subcultures such as “vaporwave”. “This is Not a Test” in the DFI- Through this elevated thriller, we TorinoFilmLab’s Short Screenwriting intend to create scenes and images Lab. to resemble worn out cassette tapes in hues of violet, pinks, and purples contrasted with bright turquoises. Our ultimate aim is to create a thrilling and exciting short.

Two men, ‘A’ and ‘B’, are drinking coffee. They receive anonymous texts telling them their drink has been poisoned and will kill them in 24 hours. Only one of them can receive the antidote if they kill the other man. The two ‘players’ must wear a device that features a display of a video feed of the other camera with GPS coordinates. At first, they are in denial, but once ‘B’ experiences symptoms, he leaves player ‘A’ alone at the café because of an argument. They try to defeat each other. Finally, ‘A’ and ‘B’ meet in the desert, but just before ‘B’ shoots ‘A’ in a standoff, a drone drops a package labelled ‘Antidote’. Contact It is only enough for one person, and ‘B’ takes it, but suddenly dies. It was no Nadia Al-Khater antidote, rather, it was a ruse by ‘A’ to kill ‘B.’ +974 66574759 [email protected]. Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Short Narrative Tainted Through ‘Tainted’, I wish to explore Of Algerian origin, Meriem Les Films de l’Après-Midi has Fall Grants 2017 the behavioural conditioning Mesraoua was born in Qatar, raised produced feature-length films Qatar, France / Arabic and handover process through a in France and earned a BSc with from countries all over the world, mother-daughter bond, in which Honours in Media Industries and including Bosnia and Herzegovina Runtime: 15 the mother has already conformed Technologies from Northwestern (Aida Begić’s ‘Children of Sarajevo’, Meriem Mesraoua Genre: Drama to society’s expectations and the University. Mesraoua explored ‘Djeca’, and ‘Snow’); Ethiopia (Hiwot Director / Screenwriter daughter is expected to follow. Set various facets of the film industry Admasu’s short film ‘New Eyes’); A young teen forbidden from biting her nails must now ignore her in a heavily normed world, the child and gained professional experience Hungary (Balint Kenyeres’s ‘Hier’); urge and abide by a new set of rules, to ensure she does not damage finds she cannot transgress a set of at Miramax, NYWIFT, film sets and Iran (Keywan Karimi’s ‘Drum’); her newly acquired, yet imposed fake nails. codes she does not understand. She festivals, amongst others. Her short Portugal (João Canijo’s ‘Fatima’; must, therefore, learn the protocol, films are ‘Coucou’ (2009) and ‘Our Marco Martins’s ‘São Jorge’; three but is deemed too young to grasp Time Is Running Out’ (2017). She is films by Manoel de Oliveira; João the real motives behind it. The adult currently working on a new short Salaviza’s ‘Montanha’; and João perpetuates the handover process titled ‘Tainted’ and developing her Viana’s ‘Our Madness’); and François D’Artemare she has gone through herself - one first feature-length project, ‘The Romania (Radu Muntenan’s ‘One Producer believed to originate from good Other Wife’. Floor Below’). The company is intent, as it ultimately aims to actively committed to supporting protect. The child must surpass young filmmakers, among them her blind trust for her parent, to Hiwot Admasu, João Salaviza, unveil the paradoxical world her Keywan Karimi, and Meriem mother is stuck in. An awakening Mesraoua. Les Films de l’Après- that leads the young girl to leave her Midi is also developing projects childhood behind. by established directors like Begić, Despite her young years, Sarah’s blissful holiday is quickly interrupted by her Canijo, Pelin Esmer and Muntean. mother’s new rules. She must now wear fake nails to stop her from biting her real ones. But her bad habit only grows into an obsession. Unable to remove her new nails and continuously deprived of answers, the teen is forced to redefine her sense of touch, behaviour and ultimately, her relationship with her mother.

Contact Les Films de l’Après-Midi François D’Artemare +33 145 440 781 [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Short Narrative The Time Tree What drew me to ‘The Time Tree’ Celine Cotran is a British-Lebanese C24 Films is an independent film Fall Grants 2017 is Anne. I grew up completely filmmaker and London Film School production company based in Lebanon, United Kingdom, Qatar / English mesmerised by all sorts of graduate. Having worked in script London, founded by Celine Cotran storytelling, from literature to development, Cotran writes and and her mother, Huda Cotran. ‘The Runtime: 22 film to theatre. As a little girl, my directs her own films, telling Time Tree’ is their first production Celine Cotran Genre: Children, Coming of age, Fantasy, Women heroines were Roald Dahl’s Matilda female-driven stories touching on together. Director / Screenwriter / Producer and Mary from ‘The Secret Garden’. the fantastical and absurd. Her first In 1596, a bullied deaf girl comes across a magical tree. It is a portal I have been searching for another short film, ‘Grounded’ (2015) has to the present, where she meets two girls who help her grow in ways heroine like them for years now, made its way around the festival she never imagined. and I believe I finally found her in circuit including Williamsburg Anne. To be granted the opportunity International, Melbourne to give her a voice, to personify her Underground and Arizona and let little girls, like I was once, Underground Film Festival. Cotran’s cherish her in their hearts forever, is follow-up, ‘After Eights’ premiered Enid Richemont something I am truly honoured to at the BAFTA Cymru Qualifying Screenwriter be doing. Carmarthen Bay Film Festival in 2017, where it was nominated for Best Short Comedy. Cotran has been mentored by the award-winning producer David Parfitt, former chairman of BAFTA, and current Chair of Film London.

Oliver Sunley Based on the children’s novel by the best-selling author Enid Richemont, ‘The Producer Time Tree’ is a story that combines a coming-of-age with magical realism. Best friends, Rachel and Jo, discover an oak tree one day in a nearby wood. Unbeknownst to them, they are being watched by Anne, a deaf girl from 1596. She had discovered this tree in her own era and found that it transported her to the present day, where she watches these two strange girls. Intrigued by them, she coaxes them to the tree, and after a near-death encounter, the three girls meet. What follows is a story of Anne’s self-discovery, as she Contact transforms from a timid, neglected little girl, to a confident, self-assured C24 Films person, who despite her “affliction” (as her mother calls it), is perfectly Celine Cotran capable of anything she puts her mind to. [email protected] Production Director’s Note Director’s Biography Company Profile Short Experimental Ceuta’s Gate In this project, my goal was to Randa Maroufi was born in 1987 Barney Production is an Fall Grants 2017 transcribe the particular tension felt in Casablanca, Morocco. She is a independent company created in ‘Bab Sebta’ / Morocco, France, Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic on this small territory separating Fine Arts graduate from Tetouan 2010 by Saïd Hamich. In 2012, the Africa from Europe. I would like to (Morocco), Angers (France) and company received the Jean-Luc Runtime: 20 raise the question of the passage Le Fresnoy (France). Her multi- Lagardère Foundation Grant for Film Randa Maroufi Genre: Creative Documentary, Politics, Social Issues, Women between two continents from disciplinary practice is rooted in Producers. With the ambition of Director / Screenwriter the perspective of everyday life, political issues with a primary developing auteur cinema, Barney ‘Ceuta’s Gate’ is an experimental film inspired by the tension felt at trying to combine a critical look concern in gender studies. Her Production has already produced 14 the border of Ceuta. at the capitalist society, opposed work primarily takes the form of short films, and also co-produced to the most amazing strategies of film, photography, performance Nabil Ayouch’s ‘Much Loved’ (2014), individual resistance. and sound. It has been presented Faouzi Bensaïdi’s ‘Volubilis’ (2017) at major contemporary art events and Walid Mattar’s ‘Northern Wind’ such as the Marrakech Biennale, (2017). The company is currently the Videonale Bonn and film working on four short films and Sophie Penson festivals such as the International developing several feature-length Producer Film Festival Rotterdam, Clermont- films. Ferrand International Short Film Festival, New Directors / New Films at the MOMA in New York, etc. Her graduation film ‘Le Park’ (2015) has received more than 20 awards.

Ceuta is a Spanish enclave on Moroccan soil. It has, since the independence of the country, witnessed trafficking in manufactured goods. These goods are transported on foot from one side of the frontier to the other, exempted from taxation, and sold in the cities of Northern Morocco. Through a continuous camera movement, we discover this “atypical trade” - a smuggling activity in the area in which the protagonists are busy with their tasks, thus revealing this incessant carousel that animates the city of Ceuta. The film invites us to feel for a moment the strange reality of the city.

Contact Barney Production +33 69 94 84 526 [email protected] A full list of projects funded by the Doha Film Institute is available at Contact us: www.dohafilminstitute.com/financing/projects/grants [email protected] dohafilminstitute.com DohaFilm @DohaFilm DohaFilm