Ajyal Film Festival 2023

Doha Tribecca Film Festival 2011

ARAB FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

  • © Brigitte Lacombe

    Mohamad Malas

    Filmmaker
    Arab Narrative Features Jury President

    Mohamad Malas studied filmmaking in V.G.I.K Moscow and during this period he directed three short films:
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    “The Dream of a Small City,” “The Seventh’s day” and “everybody 1n his place and everything isunder control, Sir”. The scope of his artistic practice is diverse and extends beyond just filmmaking, to novel writing, television and directing. The breadth of his film making is diverse and includes over 20 films that span many genres while referencing controversial and engaging themes. Malas, earned awards from international festivals for his films including “The Dreams of the City,” “The Night” and “The Dreams”.

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  • Robin Wright

    Actress
    Arab Narrative Features Jury Member

    After making her film debut as the title character in Rob Reiner’s “The Princess Bride”,...
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    Robin Wright received her first Golden Globe nomination for Robert Zemeckis’ “Forrest Gump”. Her unique acting style has appeared in more than 30 films including Nick Cassavetes’s “She’s So Lovely”, and Antony Minghella’s “Breaking and Entering”. She has also appeared in independent features such as “New York, I Love You” and Rebecca Miller’s “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee”. In 2011, she obtained leading roles in Oren Moverman’s “Rampart”, Bennet Miller’s “Moneyball”, and Robert Redford’s “The Conspirator”. Robin Wright is just done filming David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” based on a popular novel series written by Stieg Larsson.

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  • © Brigitte Lacombe

    Carmen Lebbos

    Actress
    Arab Narrative Features Jury Member

    Carmen Lebbos began her artistic practice at the age of sixteen by joining the Academy of Arts at...
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    Lebanese University. While there she learned the theoretical and practical elements of acting and expression. Raised in a working-class family imbued her with a love for common narratives and thirst to experience something foreign. Having won the title of the Best Lebanese Actress on three occasions, she has become a force in film, television, and acting. Staring in Hicham Chorgeh’s “33 Days” and “Chati Ya Dini” are among her most recent appearances on screen. In terms of theatrical performances, “From the day of Saladine” and “Che Guevara” are the latest additions to her evolving portfolio of diverse experience.

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  • © Brigitte Lacombe

    Eric Khoo

    Filmmaker
    Arab Narrative Features Jury Member

    Eric Khoo put Singapore on the international film map with his first feature film “Mee Pok Man” (1995)...
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    which was screened at Berlin and Venice. His second feature “12 Storeys” (1997) was the first Singaporean film to be invited officially to participate at the Cannes Film Festival. Eric directed his third feature Be With Me which was selected as the opening film for the Directors’ Fortnight Cannes 2005 and in 2008 his feature film, My Magic was selected for Cannes official selection main competition. Tatsumi, Eric Khoo’s first animation feature, premiered at the 64th Cannes Film Festival in 2011.

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  • © Brigitte Lacombe

    Jasmila Zbanic

    Filmmaker
    Arab Narrative Features Jury Member

    Born in Sarajevo in 1974, Zbanic graduated from the city's Academy of Dramatic Arts and used...
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    the theoretical and practical elements of academia to inform her unique filmic style. Before starting her filmmaking career, she developed her ability to engage audiences by working as a puppeteer and clown in diverse environments. Since 1997, Zbanic has produced various film through "Deblokada", a dynamic artists association that she founded to elevate filmmaking, theatre, and diverse mediums of artistic expression. She is the winner of the 2006 Berlinale Golden Bear for her debut film "Grbavica," and "On the Path" is Zbanic's second feature.

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  • © Brigitte Lacombe

    Nick Broomfield

    Filmmaker
    Arab Documentary Features Jury President

    Nick Broomfield was captivated by an early interest in photography that fueled him to study...
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    at the National Film School and other high profile institutions. He created his first film ‘Who Cares’ about Slum Clearance in Liverpool”, by borrowing a Bolex camera while at University. Mr. Broomfield collaborated with wife and cinematographer, Joan Churchill, to make several films: “Juvenille Liaison”, “Tattooed Tears”, “Soldier Girls”, “Lily Tomlin”, and more recently “Aileen: The Life and Death of a Serial Killer”. His diverse experimentations and collaborations led to more investigative and experimental type of filmmaking as seen in ‘The Leader, the Driver and the Drivers Wife’, “Aileen Wuornos”, “Kurt and Courtney” and “Biggie and Tupac”. Mr. Broomfield has received many awards including the Sundance first prize, British Academy Award, Prix Italia, Dupont Peabody Award, Grierson Award, Hague Peace Prize, and the Amnesty International Doen Award.

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  • Hakim Belabbes

    Filmmaker
    Arab Documentary Features Jury Member

    Hakim Belabbes obtained a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Film from Columbia College in Chicago,...
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    and various other literature degrees that have fueled his unique craft of narration. His films “Boiling Dreams, “In Pieces”, ”Why O' Sea?", “Woujouh”, “These Hands” and many other films, have enable him to expand his reach inside and outside the cinema. As an artist in residence he has taught various senior seminars and thesis focused classes to help mentor student that are beginning to develop their filmic voice. Mr. Belabbes was recognized with 15 awards for “Threads”, and this achievement is just one of many that define his growing portfolio of films.

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  • Azize Tan

    Filmmaker
    Arab Documentary Features Jury Member

    Born in 1971 in Istanbul, Azize Tan obtained her Bachelor of Arts from Bosphorus University in Istanbul.
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    She works for the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), which organises six international festivals that explore film, theatre, music, biennials, jazz, and the elements of design. She worked as the Coordinator of the 5th-7th Istanbul Biennials and furthered her craft as the Assistant Director of the Istanbul Film Festival in 2003. Tan is been helping shape the vision of Istanbul Film Festival as the Director since 2006. Her versatile knowledge of film has enabled her to successfully facilitate the Istanbul Autumn Film Week (Filmekimi) for almost a decade. Tan is an active member of NETPAC and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards’ Nominations Council.

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