11 Arab nations, including Kuwait, compete for best films in Morocco

SCAD Savannah Film Fest honorees include Kaluuya, Moss

RABAT, Oct 17, (Agencies): Some 30 films representing 11 Arab countries, including Kuwait, will compete for top awards in short and featurelength film categories at the second edition of Casablanca Arab Film Festival (CAFF), slated for Oct 18 until 25.

Kuwait will participate through one feature-length film among 198 others, titled “In Paradox” and directed by Hamad Al-Sarraf. In addition, Kuwaiti film critic Abdulsattar Naji will be among members of the judging panel for feature-length film contests.

In Paradox, a thriller-themed, is the latest work by director, screenwriter Al-Sarraf, and it stars actor Faisal Al-Aameeri. The plot centers around an extraordinary human condition of a man of a wide imagination, who seeks to stop painful memories from haunting him.

Meanwhile, CAFF’s organizing committee has chosen Moroccan director Mohammad Abdulrahman Al-Tazi as president of the official judging panel for feature-length film contests, with memberships of Egyptian actor Fathi Abdulwahab, Iraqi director Qasem Houl, Tunisian actress Sohair bin Aamara, and Kuwaiti film critic Abdulsattar Naji.

As for the judging panel for short-length films, the organizing committee chose Sudanese director Saeed Hamed as the president, with memberships of Moroccan actress Jaleela Al-Telmesani and Syrian media personality Hosam El-Din Nasr.

The participating feature-length films, 11 in total, include “Jamal Aafaina” (Morocco) by director Yaseen Marco, “AlMasafa Sifr” (Saudi Arabia) by director Abdulazeez Al-Shallahi, “Youm wa Laila” (Egypt) by director Ayman Makram, “La Azeeza” (Morocco) by director Mohsen Al-Basri, “Al-Tareeq Al-Mostaqeem” (Algeria) by director Okasha Twaita, “Samehni” (Tunisia) by director Najwa Salama, “Zeyana” (Oman) by director Khaled Al-Zedjali, “Al-Eateraf” (Syria) by director Basel Al-Khateeb, “Yara” (Lebanon/Iraq) by director Abbas Fadhel, “Ashrat Ayam Qabl Al-Zaffa” (Yemen) by director Amro Jamal, and “In Paradox” (Kuwait) by director Al-Sarraf.

The short-length films, 19 in total, include “Taif Al-Zamkan” (Morocco), “400 Warqa” (Morocco), “Akher Aita” (Algeria), “Barmouda” (Algeria), “Al-Habl Al-Serri” (Syria), “Jadayel” (Syria), “Jourie” (Syria), “Ubour” (Bahrain), “Ama Alwan” (Egypt), “Ma Teaalash Aan Al-Hajeb” (Egypt), “Ghazal” (Palestine), “Ibn Al-Raqqasa” (Lebanon), “Qahwa Morra” (Lebanon), “Sheaar Qesat Oshub” (Saudi Arabia), “Lemon” (UAE), “Al-Anfas Al-Akheera” (Iraq), “O Plus” (Iraq), “Laila Waheda Khams Nojoum” (Tunisia), and “January 2nd” (Tunisia).

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Daniel Kaluuya, Elisabeth Moss, Danielle Macdonald, Aldis Hodge, Valerie Pachner, Samantha Morton, Sienna Miller, Alan Silvestri and Olivia Wilde are set to be honored at the 22nd Annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival. Breakout Award honorees include Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Jharrel Jerome, Mena Massoud and Camila Morrone.

Macdonald, who appears on Netflix in “Unbelievable” and the upcoming “Paradise Hills”, will receive the rising star award on Oct 26. “Clemency” star Hodge will receive the discovery award on Oct 28, while Pachner, who stars in “A Hidden Life”, will receive the discovery award on Oct 29. Moss, who starred in “The Kitchen” and will appear in “The Invisible Man”, will receive the spotlight award on Oct 31, and on Nov 2, “Walking Dead” star Morton will receive the virtuoso award while “Queen and Slim” star Kaluuya will receive the spotlight award. “Back to the Future” and “Avengers” composer Silvestri receives the lifetime achievement award for composing on Oct 27, while “Booksmart” director Wilde receives the rising star director award on Oct 29. “American Woman” and “21 Bridges” star Miller will be honored with the outstanding achievement in cinema award. The breakout award honorees will appear on a panel on Oct 30. The SCAD Savannah Film Festival is the largest university-run film festival in the United States and is hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design. Having screened 130 Oscar-nominated films, it has become an important stop on the awards circuit with screenings and tributes to actors, directors, producers and filmmakers from the US and abroad. The festival has become a stop for many films being considered for the Oscars.

In 2018, the festival began with Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma”, which went on to win the Academy Award for foreign language film. The 2019 festival is kicking off with French director Celine Sciamma’s TIFF and Cannes-selected film “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and director Tom Harper’s Telluride-selected film “The Aeronauts”.