Latest news with #Upshot
Broadcast Pro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
MAD Solutions brings six short films to Rotterdam Arab Film Festival
Each of these six films is represented internationally by MAD World, with MAD Distribution handling sales across the Arab World. MAD Solutions is showcasing a lineup of six short films at this year's Rotterdam Arab Film Festival, which runs through June 1. The selected works—Last Nights of Summer, Love Bites, Madonna, Upshot, Nya and Born a Celebrity—hail from across the Arab region and delve into themes of family, identity, freedom and memory. Opening the slate is Last Nights of Summer, a story following three cousins—Farah, Rana and Leila—who reunite at their childhood home in Jordan two years after their grandfather's death. Written and directed by Yasser, the film examines the subtle transformations in relationships over time and distance. It stars Tara Emad, who also serves as executive producer, alongside Shahd El Shater and Farah Aboughattas, with cinematography by Mohamed Ashraf Koushi and music by Donia Wael. Following is Love Bites, a tense family drama centered on two brothers who struggle to agree on how to prepare their deceased sister's body after discovering unexpected marks that could spark scandal among waiting mourners. The cast includes Sedky Sakhr, Mahmoud Zain, Sohila Alanwar, Nadia Hassan, Mahmoud Yehia, Sara Alaaeldin and Rowan Alaa Eldin. The film features cinematography by Moamen Alameldin and editing by Mohamed Mamdouh. In Madonna, the action shifts to a monastery in Egypt, where the theft of an archaeological artifact puts the abbots under pressure. Tensions rise between Father Maurice and Francis, and suspicion falls on Suad, the chef, who is struggling to secure surgery for her daughter. A dramatic turn shifts the stakes entirely. Directed by John Fareed Zaki and co-written with Abanoub Nabil, the film stars Karim Kassem, Abd El-Aziz Makhyoun and George Sassine, with visuals by cinematographer Filopater Morad and editing by Sara Abdullah. The psychological drama Upshot unfolds on a secluded farm in Gaza, where Suleiman and Lubna have isolated themselves in the aftermath of personal tragedy. Their fragile peace is disrupted by the arrival of a stranger, triggering a descent into unresolved grief and memory. Directed by Maha Haj, the film is a co-production between Palestine, Italy and France, and features performances by Mohammed Bakri, Areen Omari and Amer Hlehel. Offering a child's-eye view of conflict, Nya tells the story of seven-year-old Anya, living in a 1994 Algerian suburb. As civil unrest creeps closer, her carefree world begins to fray. Directed by Imene Ayadi, the film features a standout performance by Melissa Benyahia and captures the quiet erosion of childhood innocence against a backdrop of war. Closing the selection is Born a Celebrity, a thoughtful character study of Kamel, a 25-year-old Palestinian man overwhelmed by the attention of his tightly-knit community. As he seeks space to define his own identity, his quiet rebellion becomes a moving meditation on freedom and social pressure. The film is written, directed, edited and co-produced by Luay Awwad with Nour Abukamal, and stars Munther Bannourah and Khaled Masso. All six films are represented internationally by MAD World, with MAD Distribution handling Arab world sales.
Sharjah 24
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sharjah 24
Sharjah Art Foundation collaborates with NYU Abu Dhabi
SFP Montage is a series of special projects and initiatives linked to the Foundation's annual film festival that forges new associations among the works and expands their reach beyond Sharjah. Two documentary films will be screened on 3 May: the short Surveilling a Crime Scene (2023), which exposes the ongoing impact of colonisation in Australia, and the feature Coconut Head Generation (2023), in which Nigerian university students turn their film club into a space for political and intellectual resistance. The fiction films to be presented the next evening are Upshot (2024), a short depicting an isolated couple grappling with their children's life choices after personal tragedy, and the feature film Cu Li Không Bao Giờ Khóc (Cu Li Never Cries) (2024), in which the protagonist confronts the ghosts of her past while worrying about her niece's future. These film screenings are open to the public, and tickets are free. Full screening information and film descriptions are given below: 3 May | 7:00 pm Surveilling a Crime Scene (2023) Director: Alana Hunt Australia Documentary | 22 minutes English with Arabic subtitles Shot on Super 8mm film, Surveilling a Crime Scene examines the lives of non-Indigenous people in Miriwoong Country, northwest Australia, to frame colonisation as not only a historical phenomenon but also a continuous and present violence. Weaving connections between various subjects—a dam, a historical monument, agriculture, tourism, a police station, tortured bodies and bureaucracy—the film lays bare the tools and techniques of power and oppression. Coconut Head Generation (2023) Director: Alain Kassanda France, Nigeria Documentary | 89 minutes English, Pidgin, Yoruba and French with Arabic subtitles Every Thursday, a group of students from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria organises a film club, transforming a small lecture hall into a political assembly. Reclaiming the expression 'coconut head generation'—a derisive term for stubborn and brainless youth—the students assert their right to intellectual freedom while honing their critical voice. 4 May | 7:00 pm Upshot (2024) Director: Maha Haj Palestine, Italy, France Fiction | 34 minutes Arabic with English subtitles After suffering unimaginable loss, Suleiman and Lubna retreat to an isolated farm, where they tend to their crops and engage in impassioned debates about their five children's life choices. One day a stranger arrives to reveal a harrowing truth from their past. Cu Li Không Bao Giờ Khóc (Cu Li Never Cries) (2024) Director: Phạm Ngọc Lân Vietnam, Singapore, France, Philippines, Norway Fiction | 92 minutes Vietnamese with Arabic and English subtitles After picking up the ashes of her estranged husband from Germany, Mrs Nguyen travels back to Hanoi with Cu Li, his pet pygmy slow loris, a primate native to the Vietnamese rainforest. Upon her return, she finds her pregnant niece rushing into marriage and fears the young woman is making the same mistakes that she did. The film weaves together the present moment with the complex echoes of Vietnamese history by interspersing the old woman's longing for the past with the couple's uncertain future. Visit for more information.
Broadcast Pro
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Palestinian film ‘Upshot' wins Audience Award at Clermont-Ferrand Festival
The film is a joint production between Palestine, Italy and France. Palestinian filmmaker Maha Haj's short film Upshot has won the International Audience Award at the 47th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. Upshot has already garnered critical acclaim, winning the Golden Pardino at the 77th Locarno Film Festival and the Golden Star at the seventh El Gouna Film Festival. Set against the backdrop of ongoing turmoil in Gaza, the film follows Suleiman and Lubna, a grieving couple who retreat to a secluded, misty farm to escape their pain. Their fragile sense of solace is disrupted by an unexpected visitor who forces them to confront a harrowing truth from their past. Commenting on her featurette, Haj said: 'Upshot is both a lamentation and a testament to the indomitable power of the human spirit. There are no easy answers, no political solutions to assuage the anguish of parents who have lost everything. And so, it unfolds in a realm unbound by time or place — a poignant reflection of the irreparable loss that defies earthly confines.' A Palestinian-French-Italian co-production, Upshot features Palestinian actors Mohammed Bakri, Areen Omari and Amer Hlehel. The cinematography is helmed by Augustin Bonnet, with Veronique Lange handling editing and Saher Dwairy leading production design. The film is produced by August Films in collaboration with Hanna Atallah and Ronza Kamel. Worldwide distribution is managed by MAD World, with MAD Distribution overseeing its release in Arabic-speaking territories. Haj, who has a background in English and Arabic literature, made her directorial debut with the short film Oranges, followed by the documentary Behind These Walls. With Upshot, she continues to craft deeply evocative narratives that explore themes of loss and resilience.
Broadcast Pro
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Palestinian film ‘Upshot' competes at Clermont-Ferrand film festival
The film is a joint production between Palestine, Italy and France. Palestinian filmmaker Maha Haj's short film Upshot has been selected for the International Competition at the 47th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France. The festival, running from January 31 to February 8, will see Haj in attendance as her latest work competes among top international entries. Upshot has already garnered critical acclaim, winning the Golden Pardino at the 77th Locarno Film Festival and the Golden Star at the seventh El Gouna Film Festival. Set against the backdrop of ongoing turmoil in Gaza, the film follows Suleiman and Lubna, a grieving couple who retreat to a secluded, misty farm to escape their pain. Their fragile sense of solace is disrupted by an unexpected visitor who forces them to confront a harrowing truth from their past. Commenting on her featurette, Haj said: ' Upshot is both a lamentation and a testament to the indomitable power of the human spirit. There are no easy answers, no political solutions to assuage the anguish of parents who have lost everything. And so, it unfolds in a realm unbound by time or place — a poignant reflection of the irreparable loss that defies earthly confines.' A Palestinian-French-Italian co-production, Upshot features Palestinian actors Mohammed Bakri, Areen Omari and Amer Hlehel. The cinematography is helmed by Augustin Bonnet, with Veronique Lange handling editing and Saher Dwairy leading production design. The film is produced by August Films in collaboration with Hanna Atallah and Ronza Kamel. Worldwide distribution is managed by MAD World, with MAD Distribution overseeing its release in Arabic-speaking territories. Haj, who has a background in English and Arabic literature, made her directorial debut with the short film Oranges , followed by the documentary Behind These Walls . With Upshot , she continues to craft deeply evocative narratives that explore themes of loss and resilience. The Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival will take place from January 31 to February 8.
