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Lebanon's Abbout Productions to receive Locarno's producing award
The production firm will also present two of its movies at Locarno, namely Costa Brava, Lebanon' and 'Memory Box'.
Beirut-based production house Abbout Productions, led by Georges Schoucair and Myriam Sassine, will be honoured with the Raimondo Rezzonico Award at the 78th Locarno Film Festival on August 7, 2025. The award, presented by the Municipality of Minusio, recognises outstanding work by independent producers and celebrates Abbout's remarkable contribution to Arab and Lebanese cinema.
During the ceremony, Abbout Productions will present two of its most acclaimed titles: Costa Brava, Lebanon by Mounia Akl and Memory Box by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige. These films exemplify the company's dedication to powerful storytelling and international visibility for regional voices.
Since taking the helm of Abbout Productions in 2004 and 2010, respectively, Schoucair and Sassine have played an instrumental role in shaping Lebanon's independent film landscape. Under their leadership, the Beirut-based company has produced a roster of award-winning films that have screened at major international festivals including Venice, Berlin and Cannes. Their portfolio includes works by prominent regional directors such as Ahmad Ghossein, Mohamed Malas, Ghassan Salhab, Oualid Mouannes, Cyril Aris, Ely Dagher, Rana Eid and Myriam El Hajj, whose Diaries from Lebanon premiered in the Berlinale Panorama section in 2024.
Beyond production, both Schoucair and Sassine have championed independent cinema through institutional and grassroots efforts. Schoucair was instrumental in the founding and relaunch of Beirut's Metropolis Cinema, a cornerstone venue for arthouse programming in the Middle East. Sassine co-founded the Maskoon Fantastic Film Festival, the only genre-focused film festival in the Arab world, and has been actively involved in regional co-production and training platforms like Aflamuna Connection, which she has managed since 2021.
Their work has extended beyond national boundaries. Schoucair supported Jean-Luc Godard's Le Livre d'image and, through the international company Schortcut Films, he and Sassine have co-produced award-winning films by renowned auteurs such as Alain Gomis, Kaouther Ben Hania, Lucrecia Martel and Elia Suleiman.
On August 8, Schoucair and Sassine will participate in a public discussion at Forum @Spazio Cinema, moderated by Swiss journalist Philippe Mottaz. The event, organised in collaboration with the ICT4Peace Foundation, reflects the Festival's broader commitment to global dialogue and socially engaged filmmaking.
Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director, said: 'The films Abbout have produced are a sign of a society that is vital, alive, and continues to look to the future with dogged confidence. Through their films, Georges and Myriam have been able to tell the story of a country able to come to terms with its history while simultaneously imagining a layered and multifaceted Lebanese identity. They have also launched a great many new talents in front of and behind the camera, helping to give Lebanon a new face, allowing it to meet its potential, and offering a complex portrait of the country that goes far beyond the trivialisations of the violence of war. They have worked tirelessly in the pursuit of a fertile and generous dialogue.'
The Raimondo Rezzonico Award, offered by the Municipality of Minusio, was created in 2002 in memory of the man who was President of the Festival from 1981 to 1999.
The 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival will take place from August 6-16, 2025.
