lebanese students
Transcription
lebanese students
November 9 - 16, 2014 - 6:00 pm | Bechara El Rahi Theater Notre Dame University-Louaize, Main Campus In Partnership with Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors Media Partners In Collaboration with With the Support of Table of Content Welcome note5 honoring duraid lahham6 Lebanese Students shorts8 Lebanese Independent shorts34 International shorts39 Special showcase52 International Guests59 Jury Members73 NDU Cine-Club Upcoming Movies 86 Film Festivals at NDUIFF88 NDUIFF’S MANAGEMENT90 NDUIFF’S Team92 Screening Program94 5 Welcome to the 8th NDUISFF At the dawn of this 21st century, I see fear in the eyes of all those who believe in “Beauty” and in its power to save the world. I see youth growing old in despair, afraid to dream, even afraid to pray, to love, to commit to another, to partake in joyful events, to live the simple, daily pleasures of life. Are they afraid that «Ugliness» may steal our lives from us? Today, I invite you all to believe in beauty again, to remember all the beautiful moments in our lives; the beauty of birth, the reincarnation of nature, the beauty of a loved one’s laugh, a kiss, the warmth of a hug, the beauty of the first raindrops in fall, of a blossoming flower, of the morning breeze on our faces, the beauty of washing away a tear and then sharing a smile. I invite you all to bring beauty back into our lives. NDU International Film Festival “The Power of Youth” believes in “Beauty”, preaches “Beauty” and works to spread “Beauty” all around us. Your Ideas, your vision, and your perseverance, all marked in your films participating today in the 8th NDU International Film Festival, are a part of this beautiful dream… 8th NDU International Film Festival “The Power of Youth”, reflects “The Power of Your Beauty” Sam Lahoud Founder, Director NDU International Film Festival Beauty Will Save the World - Fyodor Dostoyevsky Duraid Lahham was born and raised in Damascus in 1934. He grew up in relative poverty, and studied chemistry at Damascus University, which qualified him for a well-paying job as an instructor at the Chemistry Department. Lahham was always enchanted by the theatre, participating in several plays during high school and college, while playing the clarinet in the high school band. While teaching at university, he started to give dance lessons and befriended the artistic community in Syria. When Syrian Television was inaugurated in 1960, its director Sabah Qabbani hired Lahham to star in a mini-series called Sahret Dimashq (Damascus Evening) with the already established stage actor Nihad Qali. The two men created a duo called «Duraid & Nihad» and achieved dramatic success in the Arab World from 1960 until Qali retired from acting due to illness in 1976. TRIBUTE &HONOR TO THE LEGEND From then on, Lahham acted, directed, and wrote the screenplay for all of his works, and continues to do so until the present. His theatre was always greatly and visibly influenced by the musicals of the Lebanese artist Asi al-Rahbani and his wife, the diva Fayruz. Political events influenced him greatly as well, transforming his career from that of a comedian, into a political satirist. He was shocked by the collective Arab defeat of 1967, and greatly disturbed by separate peace of Egypt with Israel in 1978. In the early 1960s, Lahham abandoned university teaching to devote his time fully to acting, although this was viewed, by the conservative society in Damascus, as un-wise, since teaching was a respectable and stable job, while actors were not highly respected, under-paid, and had an uncertain future. He later claimed that devoting his life to art was one of the wisest decisions he ever made, since he achieved more success as an actor than any other profession, including university instruction, would have provided. In 1976, President Hafez al-Asad decorated Lahham with the Medal of the Syrian Republic, Excellence Class. He was also given medals of recognition for his work by Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba, who gave him the same medal in 1979, and Libyan leader Mu’ammar al-Qaddafi in 1991. Nine years later, Lebanese President Emile Lahhoud awarded Lahham the Order of Merit of the Lebanese Republic in a ceremony held at the American University of Beirut (AUB), granted through the Syrian Culture Club at AUB. In 1997, in recognition of his two children’s productions, the movie Kafroun in 1990 and the play Al-Usfura al-Sa’ida (The Happy Bird) in 1992, he became the UNICEF representative in Syria for children’s affairs. He performed several television series aimed at increasing awareness of the problems of children. Then in 1999, he became UNICEF Ambassador for Childhood in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2004, he left his job at UNICEF after paying a visit to South Lebanon, to the districts liberated from Israeli occupation in 2000. At the Lebanese-Israeli border, he gave a press conference, criticizing George W. Bush and Ariel Sharon, comparing both men to Hitler. The statement was published in Lebanon and re-published in Israel, causing Tel Aviv to protest to the UNICEF that its goodwill ambassador was using un-diplomatic language. The UNICEF asked him whether the statement was correct, and when he confirmed that it was, they sent him a letter, thanking him for his services since 1997. He considered this an indirect message, relieving him of his duties at UNICEF. Currently, Duraid Lahham still lives in Damascus, and is devoted to his family, spending a lot of his time with his children and grandchildren. His first wife May al-Husayni bore him two children, Tha›er and Abeer, while his second and current wife Hala al-Bitar bore him his youngest daughter Dina. SHORTS SELECTION LEBANESE STUDENTS 9 IESAV DIRECTOR AUT DIRECTOR Alexandra Khoury FICTION KARIM RAHBANI ON THE STREET FICTION WITH THY SPIRIT 17 min. Cast: Josef Chemaly | Abd el Hady Assaf | Kamil Youssef | Michel Adabachi Production: 2014 Father Geryes, a priest leading a peaceful life within his monastery in Lebanon finds himself involved in a tragic accident. Will he have enough courage and integrity to face the consequences of his actions? Will he be able to tell his fellow priests about the incident? 10 min. Cast: Martine Bou Younes | Joseph Daou Production: 2013 When she was in the heart of Beirut down town, searching for a life sign to shoot her project entitled life in the city, Lama will meet Jad, a strange guy who will show her the real streets life and teach her a lot of things that she ignored. But a weird thing will occur, leading Lama to change her entire story. 10 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AKU DIRECTOR UPA DIRECTOR RABIH AL BITAR FICTION ELIE MEMA THE LOST LETTER FICTION VAK 10 min. Cast: Michel Bteich | Saydeh Akiki Production: 2014 VAK an Eight years old child, a very imaginative child. A daydreamer - has his unique view and perception of the outside world as unique and different with its own colors, shapes, and emptiness. The film is somehow a journey between the abstractness of the characteristics that builds up the story, the realm and the roughness of his mystery. 12 min. Cast: Oumayya Lahhoud |Bayan Abou Chakra | Ilyes Hayek | Loutfallah Bou Khazen Production: 2014 After the loss of his younger brother in the Lebanese war, Tony lived his life taking good care of his family with deep sadness in his heart because of this loss. A lost letter from his younger brother finally arrives to Tony’s hands after his mother’s death. 11 LGU DIRECTOR lu1 DIRECTOR Farah Abou Kharroub FICTION CHRISTELLE NICOLAS nafas FICTION Ya shames ya shamouseh 12 min. 15 min. Cast: Rebecca Bitar Production: 2014 Cast: Valentina Aoun | Abdallah Zeineddine | Yehia Jaber | Amal Diab Production: 2014 Judy is a little girl who lives with her grandmother. After she lost her first tooth, she thought that she started envying people and infecting them with her look especially after all the situations she went through. Her grandmother is trying to convince her that she’s not in trouble. Nahlan is trying her best to break free from the walls that the society built around her. After moving to the city, she follows her own dreams to become a successful model. Through her journey, she meets so many people that change her life. After her big accomplishment, she goes back to confront her parents. 12 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ndu DIRECTOR Anthony Heneine earthworm season iesav DIRECTOR Nadim Hejeili FICTION DOCUMENTARY galle 10 min. 16 min. Cast: Christelle Chebli Production: 2014 Cast: hiam abou chedid Production: 2014 A father living abroad sends e-mails to his 12-year-old daughter telling her stories about the many adventures he had in the various cities of Sri Lanka. After 10 years, she decides to relive his journey and visit all the places he wrote her about. Her voyage ends in Galle where she last read from her father. Having discovered my family archives, I try to understand the story behind it. A history unfolds, one of wars, fear & hiding; but also, one of children, family gatherings & rare occasions of happiness. My mother tells me the story, answering my questions, yet something seems to linger behind. Untold memories & an unrevealed truth hide behind her testimony. 13 alba DIRECTOR tania iskandar Manuscript usek DIRECTOR Mansour Aoun FICTION ANIMATION massoud 4 min. Production: 2013 Un Libanais, coincé dans un grand embouteillage à Beyrouth, décide de transformer sa voiture en un véhicule volant, qui lui permet de s’enfuir de ce cauchemar. 16 min. Cast: Katerina Azzi Production: 2014 Katerina, a piansit and an actress, is asked to act in a lebanese feature film for Ghassan Azzi, as the role of a pianisit who loses her ability to play due to a psychological probelm. The mental illness of the role gets into her hands and therefore makes her lose her musical ability herself. 14 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL alba HABIS DIRECTOR Julien Tavitian UPA DIRECTOR GEORGE ABDO FICTION DOCUMENTARY lovers 12 min. Cast: JULIA EL RAMY | MILAD EL RAMY | CYNTHIA SAWMA | CHARBEL KAMEL Production: 2014 In Beirut today, “there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts”. Leon TOLSTOY 12 min. Production: 2014 “Habis” caves are a result of a strong relation between earth and human beings since centuries, maybe decades. Many myths and secrets were inherited among generations. 15 lu2 DIRECTOR ndu DIRECTOR Chantale Hannouch FICTION Jad Sleiman april FICTION Smog 16 min. Cast: Celine Lahoud as Lithops | Sarah bitar as Miasma Production: 2014 In the near future, Factories filled the planet and intoxicated the Air, Humans started living in the deserted waste where Smog covers the skies and hides the Sun. Lithops is a 12 year old little girl who is seeking the sunlight and is willing to let go of anything to reach it. 22 min. Cast: Robert Hannouch | Isabell Rabogliatti Production: 2014 April is a short film about a young girl “April” and a young man “Daniel” whose lives cross paths. April is a dreamer and a believer of love while Daniel is a hard working realist. Together, they undergo a magical journey that draws them closer to each other and each promptly teaches the other to see new things in life. 16 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL lgu INTERSECTION DIRECTOR Sami Naoum ALBA DIRECTOR MARC AOUN FICTION ANIMATION Inclined 6 min. Cast: Joanna Breidy | Joe Mrad Production: 2014 They say early is on time and on time is late! Well late was a new beginning for the unexpected. 5 min. Production: 2013 An injured young man wakes up in a broken car at the bottom of a valley. Attracted by a distant voice, he follows a mysterious trail in the forest. 17 USEK DIRECTOR LAYALE EL ASMAR THE SHELTER OF GRAPES OF WRATH ALBA DIRECTOR NOUR EL HODA WAHID DOCUMENTARY DOCUMENTARY THE LIFE 12 min. Cast: Dunia Aoun Abi Abboud Production: 2014 In this film , there are three stories: -there is one of Dunia. -there is one of Leila. -and there were somehow mine. 14 min. Production: 2014 Qana, 18th April 1996. Israeli bombings of UN premises in south Lebanon. 18 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL aut DIRECTOR iesav DIRECTOR Scarlett Saad FICTION Martin Bou Younes django FICTION Screaming la Vilma 15 min. 18 min. Cast: Richard Mattar | Esther Campbell Production: 2013 Cast: Django | Sami Daccache Production: 2014 We do have the power to build or destroy. We can begin, re-begin or end up things. We do have the ability to love or hate. He was the one to destroy, to hate and to end up things. But through his love to her, she is the chance to build a new nation. Django is a young gypsy guitarist who flees the gypsy camp to pursue his dream. After his disappearance, his family puts a spell on him. He reaches the city where he meets an evil manager who hires him in his jazz club: “le cabaret”. He becomes famous, however the curse takes over and soon enough his fingers turn into stone. He returns home only to find an abandoned camp and his caravan burned. 19 lau today mother died DIRECTOR Stephanie Bou Habib ndu DIRECTOR elie khalil FICTION ANIMATION hend 14 min. Cast: JuliEn Farhat | Julia El Rami | Jessica Khalifeh Production: 2014 Cherif has devoted his life to taking care of his ailing mother until, one night, he is confronted with a difficult choice. 1 min. Production: 2013 Ibrahim, a middle aged man, has just lost his castrating mother. He will soon discover that her presence did not really leave the house. 20 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL lgu DIRECTOR jad moukarzel SILENCE ÉQUILATÉRAL lu2 DIRECTOR Rana Maalouf FICTION DOCUMENTARY home of hope 6 min. Production: 2014 Kids have some big family problems or social imbalance, passed their journey at Beyt El Rajaa, the house for the orphans. They treat them to feel like it’s their home. 20 min. Cast: Caroline Hatem | Ricardo Traboulsi Production: 2014 When Jad, 19 years old, living with his mother, meets Yasmine, a married woman in her late thirties, it seems like he fell for her when he finds himself fascinated by her husband’s world, and moreover to find himself a male idol. Strange emotions overtake Yasmine who feels that her life is empty and senseless, but soon realizes that she got everything she needs. 21 ndu black yogurt DIRECTOR julien kai alba DIRECTOR racha taki FICTION DOCUMENTARY The Third Bench 12 min. Cast: Samer Al Achy Production: 2014 In a land that knows no time nor space, one man controls the fate of a train station and takes its passenger on a journey beyond what they have expected. 13 min. Production: 2014 Aisha is a Syrian little girl living in one of Lebanon’s refugee camps. Suffering from all kinds of inhuman conditions, she dares to dream like every other child. 22 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL usek DIRECTOR marwan habaka hayda l loto usek DIRECTOR antonios chalfoun ANIMATION DOCUMENTARY stay a free man 2 min. Production: 2014 What is life on its own? My story is about a man living the good life until one day he finds himself being the only one without a partner. People all around him having romantic moments... everybody seems to be in love but him suddenly, lightning strikes and he is riding the love train but little did he know that this train is going to hit rock bottom at the end. 12 min. Cast: abou imad Production: 2014 Docu.fiction reflecting the lottery in the context of Beirut and hope, led by an old man who roams around Beirut trying to sell lottery to survive his redundancy. 23 lau DIRECTOR WHERE THERE IS NOTHING BUT WATER alba DIRECTOR MOHAMED SABBAH FICTION Hassan Julien Chehouri FICTION khalil 20 min. 26 min. Cast: Nasri Sayegh | Racha Baroud Production: 2014 Cast: CAROLINE HATEM | MAJDI MACHMOUCHI Production: 2014 Khalil is a middle-aged Lebanese man who leads a simple life, however, he’s got a big addiction, a haunting obsession. He likes to see women in emotional pain. Upon realizing that his only friend Racha is going through an emotional downfall, he takes advantage of her for his own benefit. A family is getting disintegrated... A cancer, a loss of memory, a desire and a lot of imagination... Under the hypnosis of the song of mermaids... 24 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL iesav 5d DIRECTOR therezia chalouhi aku DIRECTOR hiam hilal FICTION ANIMATION cupid, the angel of love 1 min. Production: 2014 Cupid is the little angel of love who, with a shot of an arrow, gathers two distant people together, or possibly fix a fight. 13 min. Cast: Charbel Sammour Production: 2014 Jack, an eighteen year old boy wakes up nervously in the morning on the alarm, and while going back to bed he tramples on the eyeglasses and breaks them. He goes searching for an optic gallery to fix them. Therefore, he finds the gallery where weird events happen with the “5D” eyeglasses that transfer him to Hollywood’s world… Afterwards, we notice that the cinema surpassed the “3D” phase to reach the “5D” phase, which is living the film by using the five senses. 25 upa DIRECTOR rabih al bitar exit ndu DIRECTOR Salma Dhaybi FICTION ANIMATION cars & crash 3 min. Production: 2013 Survive to win, that is the main race. They will have to do what they have to do and will never stop the motion. 15 min. Cast: Yara Fares | Hassan Mrad | Daniel Balabane Production: 2014 Living in stillness of emotions and feelings of a failing marriage, the wife engages in an “affair” with an outcast who shakes her world and brings it back to life. 26 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL upa DIRECTOR rebecca rustom bmout fik aust DIRECTOR Haissam Fawzi Masri FICTION DOCUMENTARY it’s my baby, sister! 15 min. 26 min. Cast: Rafka El Zir | Hiba Medjahdi | John Paul Semaan Production: 2014 Cast: Nadim Khoury | Layal Syriani | Elie Eid | Leen Abou Shaheen Production: 2014 Souad a 50 years old lady, doesn’t have children. Her young sister asks her to babysit her son Roudy. Dealing with Roudy was difficult, he cried, refused to take his milk... Souad had the idea to breastfeed him; Roudy stops crying. Souad was surprised and amazed, she felt something she never knew before, a maternety feeling. Souad started to make bonds with Roudy… A strange “love story” between a married woman and a stranger she meets in a hospital; The struggle of Basma with the cruelty of this man (Nadim Khoury) and what he forces her to do, may not end up simply. The desperate woman may not be able to keep him out of her life in order to live in peace with her husband Karim and only daughter Nay, especially after she discovers that he is her Cancer! 27 usek DIRECTOR ndu DIRECTOR rouhana el hage FICTION paula layoun undefined FICTION image 14 min. 13 min. Cast: Christine Choueiri | Charles Cremona Production: 2014 Cast: JuliEn Farhat | Wafa’a Halawi Production: 2014 Mona, a former actress in her forties, gets the chance to perform again in a play. However, she is now afraid of her new image. Ziad, a photographer comes and changes the way she perceives herself. Harvey is a successful man who owns one of the biggest advertising agencies in the world. The world sees him as the “Perfect” man, but in reality he’s struggling with an eating disorder and clinical depression. Harvey receives an old canvas he painted when he was a child, and through this painting he realizes how distorted and painful his life has become… He challenges himself to create a new painting that will reveal what is missing in his life. 28 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL lau DIRECTOR amir haffar kfarmatta iesav DIRECTOR maya el dib DOCUMENTARY DOCUMENTARY ramadan 8 min. Production: 2014 Ages 5 years old, Ramadan is the world’s youngest Muay Thai player, on his hard road to becoming a champion. 19 min. Cast: Hafez Gharib | Hassib Gharib | Chafik Gharib | Amin Khaddaj | Radwan El Dib Production: 2013 The film is about Kfarmatta, Druze and Christian’s village that has seen the fiercest fights in the civil war .The Christians where abandoned for 30 years. They returned in 2007 and began the quest for reconciliation. But the Druze have not forgotten the past. 29 aut DIRECTOR lau DIRECTOR Firas Bou Zeineddine FICTION elsa sawma The Eye’s Veil FICTION tichitchi 13 min. Cast: Serj Pannosian Production: 2013 A guy in his 20s has the chance to watch his Life uncovered behind the scenes. 17 min. Cast: Nay Tabbara | Roger Ghanem Bashar Al Khoury Production: 2013 The Eye’s Veil is based on a true story. Maha, a 17-year old girl is alienated by her family and friends due to her unique ambitions and behavior. The people of her community consider her an outsider to their accepted social norms. A harsh car accident paralyzes her and causes the loss of her eyesight. To her, the aftermath sympathy of parents and friends is nothing but the persistence of their real initial blindness. Through her drawing, she expresses her belief that vision is not a physical ability. 30 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL usek DIRECTOR hady chababy this is not fairouz upa DIRECTORs Jean-Claude Boulos & Joe Kazzi ANIMATION DOCUMENTARY Mydeos Rediscovered 3 min. 8 min. Production: 2014 Cast: Mostafa Hijazi Production: 2013 Long ago, a thriving piece of heaven came under threat from an evil force. To preserve the city, a spell was cast to hide it. Today, millenia later, our explorers find Mydeos. Abdo is a Lebanese journalist searching for Fairouz for an interview. He asks people what they know about her in order to get to her 31 DIRECTOR moe swaid Suspended survival lu1 DIRECTOR Nour Safieddine & Rolande Issa FICTION DOCUMENTARY a’oudi ndu 11 min. Cast: Ziad Seaibe Production: 2014 Youssef, an architect, is still obsessed with his dead wife who tries getting her back through mutual activities they used to have. The feeling of regret, sin and shame end up by Youssef getting related insanely to his wife’s work and wardrobe. Later on, Youssef gets to know that the feel of guilt can’t be released and that regret will remain his partner. 15 min. Cast: Mohammad Koteich | Najla Bazzi Zahra Abdalla | Hussein Al-Sayyed Production: 2014 A shepherd, a sewing woman, a farmer and an investor, all are surviving in different ways their presence on the Lebanese-Israeli border. 32 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL lgu DIRECTOR nour akiki the raisins iesav DIRECTOR raymond aftimos FICTION ANIMATION life to tape 15 min. Cast: CHRISTINE CHOUEIRI Production: 2014 Joe is a child with autism trying to share the bad behavior of his nanny with his mother Salma, busy preparing his birthday. Finally, Joe will communicate clearly with his mother as well as she will observe the truth, however it is all over. 17 min. Cast: Nader Moussally | Jamale Abou Hamad | Roula Khairallah Production: 2013 A poor, unsuspecting, nice and naïve young man who works in a dry fruit and raisin store finds himself fired. But when the nearby sea offers him incredible gifts, his perspective on life will change fiercely ... 33 LU2 DIRECTOR Celine Moukarzel afif ALBA DIRECTOR Julien Kobersy FICTION FICTION Coup D’œil 9 min. Cast: Elie khater Production: 2014 A clown living in his box watching the happy life of kids, feels motivated to get out and discover life. He regrets it after finding an audience of grownups waiting for him to always make them laugh and be their clown. 15 min. Cast: MURIELLE YAZBECK | JULIEN KOBERSY | ELIA EL HADDAD | FAYEZ ABOU KHATER Production: 2014 Afif is fired from his work. With no place to stay, he sleeps at the beach. In the morning, he wakes up to find his destiny... SHORTS SELECTION LEBANESE independent 35 DIRECTOR Arwa Al-Jardaly honeymoon 58 DIRECTOR Hady Zaccak ANIMATION DOCUMENTARY deep in her mind 6 min. 15 min. Production: 2014 Production: 2013 She wakes up to enter her imaginary world to live a unique experience between logic and fantasy. They met in 1955. She was his secretary. He was the boss. They fell in love and got married in 1958. One honeymoon started while another one ended. Honeymoon 58, a neverending Lebanese story of love and war. Based on the diary of the young bride and rare archive from Cinecitta in Rome, “Honeymoon 58” merges the personal love story with the collective History to resume a short forgotten rehearsal in 1958 for a long civil war that started 17 years later in 1975. 36 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR troubled waters DIRECTOR toufic khreich FICTION marwan kassis FICTION news bullet-in 5 min. Cast: Chirine Aoun | Lynn Abou Aoun | Marwan Kassis Production: 2013 Through the eyes of a Syrian family living in Lebanon, the film shows in a dramatic way the reality of the media war in the Middle East and its effect on innocent remote control addicts. 25 min. Cast: Rodrigue Sleiman | Camille Salameh Production: 2013 Twenty-seven years away, Eskandar comes back. Once in Beirut, he is haunted by his childhood memories, which bounce him between the past and the present. The same experiences that sent him away as a child, lead him back as an adult. 37 DIRECTOR tarek raffoul moneta DIRECTOR Jad Dani Ali Hassan FICTION DOCUMENTARY red white green 9 min. Production: 2013 A short documentary about a mother’s struggle, wanting to find a better place for her 37 year old son with down syndrome, before it’s too late. The short documentary Piros fehér zöld (Red white green) displays the tricky side of life, how it can force us play a double sided role even if it’s against our will. That is exactly what happened with Anna, the mother, who was forced to give him away to a home that would take care of him fearing that she would die anytime soon. 32 min. Cast: Jihad Marhaba | Albert Kanaan Production: 2014 A chronic alcoholic who constantly blacks-out investigates an unusual micro-cassette to find out how he spent the last five hours leading up to Christmas. 38 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR clement vieu FICTION the thorn 13 min. Cast: CLEMENT VIEU | YASMINA HATEM | JOSYANE BOULOS | TINO KARAM | LARA SAYEGH Production: 2014 A French journalist meets his first love in Beirut’s streets. In the same time, he feels a violent pain on his foot. A nostalgic postal card from Lebanon SHORTS SELECTION international 40 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL russia wedding cake DIRECTOR vitaly suslin germany DIRECTOR VIOLA BAIER FICTION ANIMATION shnir 10 min. Cast: Lashin Ivan Production: 2013 Rural trip fall in love in beauty. 8 min. Production: 2013 Two marzipan figures come to life on top of a wedding cake and start to sculpt the perfect marriage out of cake icing. And success! Everything seems sweet and perfect. But discontent soon sours the atmosphere. At first, they manage to find compromises, but the more insignificant the disputes get, the less they are willing to compromise until nobody is willing to give in anymore. 41 Belgium & Iraq MINIYAMBA DIRECTOR Bavi Yassin DENMARK DIRECTOR LUC PEREZ FICTION ANIMATION THE LOST VOICE 15 min. 19 min. Cast: Darina Al Joundi | Muhanad Mukhtar Production: 2013 The film is about Salma, an Iraqi singer who supported Saddam Hussein’s regime with her ‘propaganda’ songs. She decides to leave her former life behind hoping to find a quiet and peaceful future in Europe. In her mind she’s still the beautiful diva she once was. When faced with a young Iraqi man in a Belgian refugee centre, Salma’s life is turned upside down. She is torn between the harsh reality of the refugee centre and the poetic images and thoughts of the desert that occupy her mind. Production: 2013 Like thousands of people around the world who everyday leave their homeland, Abdu, a young Malian has decided to reach Europe 42 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL EGYPT DIRECTOR MAHMOUD YOSSRY THANKS GOD IT’S FRIDAY Morocco & France DIRECTOR Asmae El Moudir ANIMATION DOCUMENTARY A MAN SINCE LONG TIME 17 min. Cast: Amro Okasha | Ahmed El Attar | Ahmed Nabil | Mohamed Adel | Karim Galal Production: 2012 A short documentary about sexual suppression problems in Egypt. Guys can’t make a relation because it is a great sin and shame in their culture and religion. At the same time they can’t marry easily, because marriage needs money and responsibility. 13 min. Cast: Asmae El Moudir Production: 2014 In 1999, in the midst of the past, the present and the future, Asmae, a 10 years old girl, recalls scattered but coherent parts of her life, the life of her uncle Marzouk, and the history of her country, Morocco. 43 INDIA DIRECTOR SERBIA DIRECTOR Aleksandar Tokin FICTION Maaria Sayed SHE IS I! FICTION AABIDA 27 min. Cast: Lubna Salim | Siddharth Dudeja | Neha Singh | Dhananjay Singh Production: 2013 A political yet intimate drama about a Muslim woman dealing with life on different levels after she loses her husband, a police inspector in the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. The events unfurl in a day as Aabida finds her present life free of the influence of her chauvinist husband while she recalls her past through a press interview with journalists. But will society ever allow her this sense of freedom? 9 min. Cast: Aleksandra Bjelajac Production: 2013 The film is inspired by love verses from the poem “The Gardener“ by Rabindranath Tagore. 44 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AUSTRIA DIRECTOR EYE & MERMAID DIRECTOR SHAHAD AMEED FICTION HELEN PARKES SAUDI ARABIA FICTION ALWAYS ON MY MIND 8 min. 14 min. Cast: Susanne Gschwendtner | Rainer Zoffmann Production: 2014 Cast: Rashid Al-Sheeb | Sarah Dorani | Nadine Fadayel | Baseema Hajjar Production: 2013 In this dark comedy, a young woman tells the story about the man in her life: he wears a dark suit and carries an umbrella, he never says a word, and has never left her side in four years. And then of course, there’s that little habit of his… In the beginning, it almost drove her insane. But as we all know, there are some things in life that are simply here to stay -or at least so we think, or in some cases, we even hope. Ten-year-old Hanan lives in a fishing village on the coast of the Arabian Peninsula. She has always wanted to join her father on his night time fishing trips, but he doesn’t want her to come along. In the morning, he always returns with wonderful black pearls, but where do they come from? Does he harbour a secret? ‘Eye and Mermaid’ is an unsettling reminder that the lovely things in life may come at a hefty cost - one we are not prepared to acknowledge. 45 TUNISIA DIRECTOR Ismahane Lahmar Seven Minutes in the Warsaw Ghetto DENMARK DIRECTOR Johan Oettinger FICTION ANIMATION GET MARRIED 18 min. Cast: Fathi Haddaoui | Lotfi Ebdelli | Fatma Ben Saidane Production: 2013 Neila, an ugly Tunisian woman, wants to get married at any price. She pays Cupidland a special Agency to take care of her future. Cupidland guarantee the perfect wedding to their clients after 2 months of an intense and weird internship. “Get Married” is a satire on Tunisian bourgeoisie under the Ben Ali’s presidency. 7 min. Cast: Vibe Lilmoes | Ene Oster Bendtsen Production: 2012 The Warsaw Ghetto, 1942. Samek, an eight year old boy who is naughty and full of life, peeks through a hole in the ghetto wall and sees a carrot lying on the sidewalk just on the other side. He tries to pull the carrot through the hole with a piece of wire, unaware that two SS men are posted nearby and are following his every move. 46 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IRan Bahram & Bahman Hajaboullou behind the smoke screen netherlands & lebanon DIRECTOR Rami el Harayri & Niels de Groot FICTION DOCUMENTARY THE SUNBURNED DIRECTOR 15 min. 17 min. Cast: Ali Qsemi Production: 2013 Cast: Steven Sonneveld Production: 2013 The sunburned it’s a narrative about a lonely and disgruntle man who takes care of sun flowers. due to his jealous of sun he takes sun flowers to a dark place but under some circumstance he himself felt captive in darkness. Finally man comes back to farm again, however this time he conflicts with a mouse and put that mouse in cage. Steven is one of the four hundred adopted children who were smuggled into the Netherlands during the Lebanese Civil War in 1975. Until this day, the trace to their biological parents remains a path of unanswered questions. The more Steven is seeking for answers about his roots and identity, the more he is facing lies and obstacles. 47 Croatia & Macedonia DIRECTOR ireland DIRECTOR Sarah Lafferty FICTION DOROTEA VUČIĆ mama’s boy FICTION lilly on the moon 14 min. 11 min. Cast: REBEKA ČULJAK | KREŠIMIR MIKIĆ | ANITA MATIĆ - DELIĆ Production: 2013 Cast: Steve Harris | Breid Morris | Frank Lahiffe Production: 2013 Lilly is no ordinary girl. Her nights are filled with horror. Each night the Monster comes into her room and she can’t tell her parents about it. She can only take refuge in her imaginary world where there is a Girl just like her, who can help her shed the light on the Monster Gabe and Angela have a very strange mother-son relationship. They are incredibly co-dependent but each of them is hiding a secret from the other. Angela has a boyfriend and Gabe is a violent killer. What will happen when their secrets collide? 48 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR gavin hoffman SPLIT STRUCTURE CZECH REPUBLIC DIRECTOR Kristyna Bartosova FICTION ANIMATION Complicit ireland 4 min. 7 min. Cast: Shane Connelly | Jorden-Lee Mc Grath Production: 2013 Cast: Helena Št´ávová | Monika Částková Production: 2013 A man is seeking help to come to terms with his past actions. He is haunted by what he has been a part of and opens up about the nature of his complicity. However time is running out to make things right. Complicit is a film exploring the consequences of our actions. Me and my second Me. Inner dialogue. Dance film. 49 jordan DIRECTOR woman from the past slovakia DIRECTOR Csaba Molnár FICTION Hussen Ibraheem Ibraheem FICTION 3:30 14 min. Cast: Ahmad Massad | Peeka emna Bin Rajab | Jebril mohamad | Abdulellah jawarneh Production: 2012 A robbery by three men and a woman. Due to a lack of trust between each of them their plan ends up in a fiasco. 14 min. Cast: Éva Bandor | Géza Benko Production: 2013 Frank is living his everyday life, as a husband of a beautiful woman and a father of an adult son, when suddenly a mysterious woman shows up at his door, claiming that Frank is her long lost true love. The film is an adaptation of Roland Schimmelpfennig’s drama Woman from the past, shot on a mobile phone as the mysterious woman’s video-diary. 50 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL germany DIRECTOR Moritz Schneider the three of us england DIRECTOR james fox FICTION ANIMATION hArald 6 min. Production: 2013 Harald is a wrestler and the whole pride of his ambitious mother. But his true love are flowers. His mother fears her son could become a pantywaist and collects all of his flowers. Standing next to the rig during the fights, she threats Harald with lacerating the flower. One night Harald makes a plan: a plant stronger than his mother must be raised. Even if he loves her, he has to get rid of his mother, making his own decisions for the first time in his life. 13 min. Cast: Gareth Cooper | Oliver Wilkinson | Gemma Paget Production: 2014 Anthony, the best man, is hopelessly in love with Elaine, the bride, but is all hope lost when Anthony receives an instant message from Elaine asking him to come over the day before the wedding... Have Anthony’s dreams come true? 51 Army Forest and Estates DIRECTOR Mark Gerstorfer CZECH REPUBLIC DIRECTOR Jan Kacena FICTION DOCUMENTARY salvation austria 29 min. Cast: Daniel Helmer | Sarah Klein | Klemens Marschall Production: 2014 Salvation portrays the post-pubertal interlude of three young adults as a wasteland of squandered time, a day-to-day life drifting between nonsense, disco and fatality, conveyed through videos personally filmed by the protagonists. 8 min. Production: 2012 Documentary about inhabitants of Czech Army area in Doupov mountains. All the property there belongs to Army, not to the people, who live and work there. Few people, living in this huge space, are huntsmen, soldiers and forest workers. The film is taken within one day, during the huntsmen’s celebration. special showcase 53 Al-Hodoud SYRIA DIRECTOR Duraid Lahham CINE-JAM 4th BATCH 99 min. Cast: Duraid Lahham | Sabah Al-Salem | Rashid Assaf | Mohammed El Akkad Production: 1984 A traveler between two countries metaphorically named “Easternstan” and “Westernstan” loses his passport and identity papers. Stuck between the two countries he can neither cross the frontiers nor get back to where he came from. He’s forced to camp in the neutral area between the two countries, facing a lot of funny situations while there. The movie satirizes the ideology of Arab unity and cooperation at the state level. LEBANON & CZECH REPUBLIC DIRECTOR 8 Talents from FAMU-Prague 45 min. Production: 2013 8 Emotions, 8 Films, 8 Artists. A Muriel Aboulrouss Workshop, in collaboration with FAMU Film School (Czech Republic). Cine-Jam was created by Muriel Aboulrouss in 2012 where the only rule to follow is authenticity in cinema as in life. 54 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ZYARA LEBANON DIRECTOR Muriel Aboulrouss Sotto Voce MOROCCO & UAE DIRECTOR Kamal Kamal 21 min. Production: 2014 Zyara is a web-series that depicts intimate portraits of individuals sharing their stories and experiences. Zyara underlines our uniqueness through its visual poetic expression. It promotes oneness by exploring universal human emotions, away from anything that separates human beings. Zyara is an act of love towards Mankind with only one rule: authenticity in art as in life. Departure point: Beirut city! 94 min. Cast: Ahmed Benaissa | Khaled Benaissa Jihane Kamal Production: 2013 Algeria border is obstructed by the Morice line, a 430-mile long belt that is electrified and heavily mined. Moussa, a Moroccan friend of the revolution, helps refugees across the mountains. However, he finds out that the path he usually takes is no longer safe. Hans, a Communist militant of the GDR, loses a leg on the way, while trying to remove a mine from a passageway… 55 Fish and Cat USA & IRAN DIRECTOR Shahram Mokri 134 min. Videoinsight® Room by Videoinsight® Foundation ITALY 121 min. Cast: Abed Abest | Mona Ahmadi Ainaz Azarhoush Production: 2013 A number of students have traveled to the Caspian region in order to participate in a kite-flying event during the winter solstice. Next to their camp is a small hut occupied by three cooks who work at a nearby restaurant. Videoinsight Special Screening for the Promotion of the Well-Being. 56 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Agency USA DIRECTOR Georges Chamchoum Ode to My Mother USA DIRECTOR Georges Chamchoum 8 min. Cast: Angela Withworth | Cliffton Hall | Chris Manitius |Christpopher Kriesa | Matthias Hues Production: 2014 After losing an aging top client at a powerful talent Agency, two desperate agents see a young vulnerable actress as the last chance they have to save their job. It could happen 55 min. Cast: Rana Zaarour | Prince Gharios of Ghassan Al-Nu’man VIII Production: 2014 Tahra Abdul Hafiz Al-Siba’i was an acclaimed Saudi Arabian artist, author, poet and mother. She bucked all traditions, leaving Mecca in her 20s taking her young children from the Middle East to Africa to Europe for a good education, where she transformed herself from an unschooled matriarch to book author and regarded icon in the world of fashion. Ode to My Mother is an intimate portrait of Tahra’s rise against all odds. international guests 60 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Delwyn James Mooney IReland Delwyn Mooney, Irish producer, director, writer, graduated with a Degree in Advertising & Art Direction from Istituto Europeo di Design Barcelona and from St Kevin’s College Dublin, with a BTEC Higher National Diploma in Media Production (Moving Image) & Journalism in 2005. Delwyn has worked in various departments from editor, director, writer, producer to script supervisor. He has worked on many features and award winning shorts around the world, Iran, Philippines, Canada, France, England, Spain and Ireland. He set up a production company called Cardel Entertainment and produced two international documentary productions. Most recently forming a branding agency Gudwrk Agency and digital camera equipment company Digital Negative. He is also a founder and director of Silk Road film Festival. Delwyn is currently developing and packaging a slate of films with Cardel Entertainment. Carla Mooney IReland Born and living in Ireland, graduated with a BA in International Business and French, having studied in Ireland and France. Member of the Irish Film & Television Academy, Screen Producers Ireland & studied at the Irish Film Actors Studio. She is Board Member for Film Offaly film commission in Ireland and Notre Dame Student International Film Festival in Lebanon. She has extensive experience as a producer, director, actress including theatre, short films, music videos, international documentaries and television productions. She is co-founder and director of the Irish Production Company, Cardel Entertainment and Gudwrk Agency, a creative transmedia agency. In March 2013, she co-founded and is director of Silk Road Film Festival in Dublin, Ireland, which aspires to continue the Silk Road cultural heritage by facilitating international dialogue, understanding and cultural integration between filmmakers and filmgoers. 61 Thomas Ennis Ireland Thomas’ background was in Economics and most recently a management role in the private healthcare sector. He has now switched his primary focus to scriptwriting and production with Cardel Entertainment. Recently active on developing projects with Iranian as well as Lebanese partners to generate coproduction opportunities as well as developing original Irish based work with a view to bringing contemporary Irish voices to the screen. Besides involvement with productions he is also writing his own original work as well as co-writing some of the proposed productions. Also involved in the Silk Road Film Festival, Ireland as a creative director seeking and reviewing submissions from filmmakers and also engaging with potential sponsors both local and overseas. Steinar Oli Jonsson Iceland Steinar studied Information Technology & Multimedia Studies in Reykjavík Technical College, Iceland’s capital for three years before relocating to Barcelona where he graduated with a Degree in Advertising & Art Direction from Istituto Europeo di Design Barcelona. Working as a creative Director with nectar agency in Barcelona for two years before moving to Ireland to set up a creative agency (Gudwrk Agency) dealing with branding, commercials, film packaging, transmedia, mobile applications and web development. Steinar has vast experience working as a creative, having packaged and marketed films through different platforms in development stages to Marketing and Distribution (film360), web, poster, film investment presentations, online, social media presence. Founder and director of Silk Road film Festival and works with Cardel Entertainment in implementing the design of packages and marketing tools for film. 62 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Olga Podluzhnaya Russia Multi-talented Olga Podluzhnaya is a world renowned Throat Singer and Musician. Plays the khomus or Jew’s Harp and the Sakha Ritual Tambourine. very early on her interest was singing and playing the Khomus - and is the first Musician to ever combine folk & Traditional Yakut Music with Modern Rock, Club and Western Music. She has been performing from Norway to Kazakhstan to Japan and all over the Russian Republics. She is the recipient of all-Russia National Piano Competition and Festival. Has won numerous awards in several Regional & International Music Competitions. Her goal is to put on the map Sakha Music - and to keep on experimenting new sounds with her Khomus and deep Throat Singing! Irina Engelis Russia Irina Engelis , organizer and coordinator of the Yakutsk International Film Festival. Born in 1980 in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Graduated from St. Petersburg State University of culture and arts as a Culturologist. Worked as the assistant of rector of the Arctic state institute of arts and cultures. From 2007, she is working as the chief specialist of department of cinema and development of multimedia technologies of the Ministry of Culture and spiritual development of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Engelis was the curator and the organizer of cultural programs of Yakutia in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Italy, Mexico and China. Author of the main prize “Snow Glasses” of the Yakutsk International Film Festival. Assistant to the director of the movie “By the will of Genghis Khan”, coauthor of the screenplay of the movie “Leaving Hong Kong”. 63 Tatiana Leganteva Russia Tatiana Leganteva, born in the south of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), is a theater, cinema and television actress. Honored art worker of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Graduated from the Highest Theatrical School (institute) named after Mikhail Schepkin at the State Academic Maliy theater of Russia (Moscow) as an actress. Worked since 2002 in the Sakha Academic Theater Platon Oyunsky (Yakutsk). Participated in Republican entertaining TV-projects of which “Two stars”, “Clean Town”, “No Exit”, etc. Played in different films like “Heart of a She-Bear”, “While the Wind Blows”, “Unexpected”, “Moth”, “Outlaw” and “August”. Ilyana Pavlova Russia Ilyana Pavlova, theater, cinema and television actress. Was born in the north of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Graduated from the Highest Theatrical School (institute) named after Mikhail Schepkin at the State academic Maliy Theater of Russia (Moscow) as an actress of theater and cinema drama. Since 2002 works in the Sakha Academic Theater named after Platon Oyunsky (Yakutsk) In 2014 on the II Yakutsk International Film Festival she won Audience Award “Best Actress in Yakut films” for Elvira’s role in the movie “Aiyy Uola”. Participated in different films; “Heart of a she-bear”, “Manchaary - Bahylay” “Куоратчыт/ Towner “, “Father”, “By the Will of Genghis Khan”, “Leaving Hong Kong”, “Aiyy Uola”. 64 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Amin MousSalli Nigeria Engineer Amin Moussalli holds the GROUP MD of AIM Group Ltd., which he co-founded with Chairperson, Arc. Saada Elias Moussalli. AIM Group comprises AIM Consultants Ltd., Narelli International Ltd, STEAM Broadcasting and Communications Ltd. powering CoolFMs and CoolTV, Globe Broadcasting and Communications. The Group operates 11 FM radio stations and 2 TV stations in Lagos, Abuja, PortHarcourt and Kano. Amin holds a B.E Degree from American University of Beirut, and two Master’s Degrees in Mechanical and Civil Engineering from Texas A & M University. Moussalli holds a National Merit Award in the rank of “Member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” conferred to him by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2001, a Chieftaincy title from Anambra State presented by Ex-Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a higher National Award of “Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” conferred to him by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2014. Rebecca Russo Italy President of Videoinsight® Foundation, Director of Videoinsight® Center, Founder of Videoinsight® Advanced Course Degree at the University of Bologna, Faculty of Medicine. Researcher, Philantropist, Writer, Art Collector, Russo holds Ph.D in Relational and Systemic Psychotherapy. Her Videoinsight® Collection’s curatorial line is based on selecting contemporary Art that contains a high Psychological impact and offers a real Psycho-diagnostic and Psycho - therapeutic potential. She created Videoinsight® Method, Concepts and Formats: Videoinsight’s Rooms in Hospitals, Corners in Emergency, Art for Care Project, Collecting Room, Prize, Channel in Hotel, Word, Sport, Training, World, Walk, Interpretative Museum. The Videoinsight® Method has been tested since 2012 in Medicine Orthopedics in Scientific Ethic Researches at University Hospitals. Results have been published on international magazines and presented in many lectures in international congress in the world. 65 Zuzana Bartosova Slovakia Zuzana Bartošová studied film production at the Academy of Performing Arts,Bratislava. She absolved one term of Erazmus program at FAMU International. She has worked on many short student movies, commercials, 9 documents portraits of scientists, festivals, Visegrad Film Forum-production and finance department, BHS-Bratislava music festival; she attended Le festival International du Film d´amour de Mons in Belgium-young jury member, Midpoint workshop 2014 (prize for Best short film project). As a director of Áčko student film festival in 2013 Zuzana and her festival crew managed to invite students from 4 European film schools situated in London, Brussels, Budapest and Zlín to screen their students´ work and present their universities. Hermann Florin Germany Founder and managing director of Florin Film and Feine Filme GmbH based in Berlin and Cologne, as well as Benrae Florin Films Limited in Ireland. Hermann produced Conor McDermottroe’s award winning feature film debut “Swansong”, which garnered a runner up for Best Irish Film at the 2009 Galway Film Fleadh and an IFTA for Best Leading Actor 2011. Together with UFA Cinema, Hermann produced successful German family fare “Hanni and Nanni 1”, “2” and “3”which sold more than millions of tickets in German speaking territories. In addition to “Halal Daddy”, Hermann is developing the comedy “Wanderers”, and producing the award-winning script “Katte” by Johannes Reben, planned for autumn. Hermann worked on this film with screenwriter Christoph Silber and writer/director Sandra Nettelbeck. This new feature film “I’m Off Then” will be directed by Julia von Heinz. Herman taught at film schools in Berlin and Hamburg, is decision maker at EAVE, and a member of the German and European Film Academies. 66 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Milena Nicolic Austria Milena Nikolic studied Theatre, Film and Media Science at the University of Vienna. Is board member and head of festival production at VIS Vienna Independent Shorts, Austria’s biggest short film festival. She has been working for the festival since 2009 and is also a member of the selection team for the international competition “Fiction & Documentary“. Milena also works as head of festival production for the /Slash Filmfestival. Marija Milovanovic Austria Marija Milovanovic is program coordinator and board member at VIS Vienna Independent Shorts, Austria’s biggest short film festival, which she works for since 2008. She is in charge of international collaboration and head of the international competition “Fiction & Documentary“. She is working for various other Austrian film festivals like Diagonale (Festival of Austrian Film) and /Slash. Marija studied theatre, film and media science at the University of Vienna. 67 Susanne Gschwendtner Austria Susanne is based in Vienna and London. She studied at East 15 Acting School. After working with Ken Campbell and completing various theatre works across the UK, she moved to the Middle East, where she focused on international film and music production. In 2011 she moved back to Vienna, where she developed her own one-woman-show “The Photographer”. Susanne is best known for her role as Queen Ralia in “The Quest”, a new TV series by the producer of The Lord of the Rings. She recently performed in the critically acclaimed play The Flood by Badac Theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe 2014. Julia Fabrik Austria Julia Fabrick works as a curator and is member of the program department of VIS Vienna Independent Shorts, Austria’s biggest international short film festival. She has studied at the Institute of Theater, Film and Media Science at Vienna University and wrote her thesis about the political forms of a festival, using the example of the Viennale, Austrias biggest and oldest international film festival. Since 2008 she works for VIS and has presented several programs. One of the most popular venues, which she established at the festival, is “PopPorn Vienna’s most exciting porn night”. In her work as a curator she tries to create awareness for physicality in media and film. Her programs also deals with radical and critical realities of our society. She is in charge of national collaborations and head of the Vienna Shorts Agency, which tries to enhance the promotion of short films year round. Besides that she works for filmdelights, which is a world sales for Austrian films. 68 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Ferial Masry USA Ferial Masry, born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, ran for a seat in the California State Assembly. She is recognized as someone who is trying to break new ground and break down barriers. The mother of a U.S. soldier who served in Iraq, she has been an inspiration to people from all backgrounds as she pursues public office in California. She is also the author of the Book “Running for all the Right Reason” , Documentary Producer, Chairperson of Education Committee for the National Council on US- Arab Relation, Cultural Consultant for the L.A. Board of Education for two years, holding workshops, organizing conferences, lecturing, and sharing input on intercultural topics, Creator and coordinator of the Arab Children’s Cultural Exhibit for the Children’s Museum of L.A. 1992. The State Department Bureau of International Information Programs, called Ferial Masry “Saudi-American Woman Champions Democracy.” Sergey Shirinsky Russia Born on June 1, 1991, in Moscow. In 2014 graduated from All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after Sergey Gerasimov, scriptwriters department. Works as a Program director of VGIK International Student Festival since 2010. Prizewinner of festivals, including 32d VGIK IFF, 23d Open documentary festival “Russia”, “Saint Anna” Festival in 2011, 2012 and 2013, 12th Kansk Int. Video festival as a short films scriptwriter and producer of the films “2 in 1”, “Kardo”, “Not With Us” directed by Svetlana Sigalaeva. 69 Marc Anthony Rome Switzerland Marc Anthony Rome is a painter and installation artist, having trained at the Cardiff School of Art, Wales, UK (BA Hons) in the early 1990’s. He is currently undertaking another Masters course in socially engaged art practice at the Art School (LIT) in Limerick, Ireland. His previous undertakings amongst many, have seen him as a public art consultant, founder of a chain of art studios across the UK (Yazeni-kylo), co-founder of an independent record label in Wales (FF Vinyl), independent film maker in Zambia, Africa; BBC trained digital cameraman, co-founder and co-director of Simple Galerie, Gstaad, Switzerland and presently director of both Wandelbar Art International and the Gstaadfilm festival. Tahar Houchi Switzerland Tahar Houchi holds a BA French and Linguistics (University of Algiers), a Diploma in Development Studies (University of Geneva), and a Postgraduate Degree in Language, Literature and Civilization French (University of Lyon II). Journalist and film critic, he is a member of the Swiss Association Journalists (ASJS) and the Swiss Association of Film Journalists (ASJC). Founder and Artistic Director of the International Eastern Film Festival, Geneva, he has made two movies: “Yidir” first part of a trilogy about childhood, which has been selected in more than 15 festivals, and “Koceila” second part of the trilogy, followed by “Dihya” which will close the trilogy. * International Fiction Films Jury at the 8th NDUIFF 70 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Agnes Logina Latvia Program director at “Riga International Film Festival” Latvia. Agnese Logina has been studying film and working with film since the age of 13. So far, she has been a translator, festival volunteer, film critic, theoretician, archivist, festival producer, on-set assistant and curator. At the moment she is working as a coordinator of special screenings of special short films in Latvia. Jihane Kamal Morocco Jihane Kamal is an actress from Morocco, daughter of the Film Director Kamal Kamal, started acting in films since the age of 8; known for The Moroccan Symphony (2006) and Sotto voce (2013) 71 Charafa Cherif Haouat Morocco Charafa Cherif Haouat, is a Moroccan retired teacher of history and geography with passion to cinema; she founded a Cine Club in Rabat, active since 1970; Charafa visits all Moroccan Film Festivals and Arab Film Festivals to promote cinema culture and good young independent filmmakers, and to speak about the Moroccan cinema. Charafa is also an activist in human rights and women rights, member of “SOS Femme Battus” and of “Organisation Marocaine du Droit de l’Homme” Asia El Rayan NETHerland Dutch Writer and a Journalist, Born in Damascus Syria, Director of the Arab Women’s Film Festival in the Hague, and Public Relations and Communications Manager at the Arab House of Arts in The Hague, the Netherlands from 2011 Beside being a co-founder of both organizations. She is the First Arabic Female Film Festival Director in Europe. She has been appointed as a jury president for the Long Feature Film Competition at the 12th edition of Arab Film Festival in Rotterdam 2012, a jury member for the at the 4th edition of El Dakhla Film Festival in Morocco 2013 and at the 3rd edition of Malmo Arab Film Festival in Sweden 2013, a Women’s Film Panorama Director “Film Competition & Conference” and as a jury member at the 8th edition of Muscat International Film Festival in Oman 2014, a Film Selection Committee Member at the 12th edition of Al Ard Doc Film Festival on Italy 2014. She has published numerous stories, articles and interviews in newspapers and magazines. A member of the Short Story Club in Cairo since 1982, and the Dutch El Hizjra literature Club since 1998. 72 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Khashayar Mahmoodabadi IRAN Director and writer, Born in Esfahan, Iran in 1978. Attended the Esfahan Cinema School. Directed several short films, that were awarded several national and international prizes in festivals around the world. “There behind the Window”, won best film in the Iranian Youth Cinema Film Festival 2001 and was in competition at the Cannes Film festival in 2001. Worked as an assistant director with several famous Iranian directors, like Ramin Farooghi and Ali Rafiei. In 2008, a move to the Phillipines where he completed another degree at the IAFT and made more than 20 shorts & documentaries. Mahmoodabadi has worked on TV series, video clips, theatre productions and taught cinema as well. He wrote and directed his first feature documentary film in 2010 about the famous Persian carpet maker Master Haghighi. William Andreas Wivel Denmark William Andreas Wivel is Head of Program at the Copenhagen Short Film Festival. After a longer spell in Brazil, William, stud. mag in Film Science, is now working in Denmark as a film writer at the Danish Association of Cinematographers and works at the biggest film festival for children in Denmark Buster Film Festival. In Brazil, William worked at the Danish Cultural Institute in Rio de Janeiro with state projects like Cinema Para Todos and made film programs for Centro Cultural São Paulo and some other of the biggest cultural centers in the country. He founded the short film festival Hemisfério in Rio with Brazilian curators before graduating from film school in São Paulo in 2014. Jury Members 74 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Emile Chahine Head of the Jury Emile Chahine was born in Lebanon in 1942. He was involved in cinema by correspondence studies, trainings, seminars and festivals, after a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Saint Joseph – USJ. He wrote cinema reviews and analysis in addition to weekly articles for several Lebanese and European magazines; he created and presented television programs, he was the cinematic advisor for LBC and Tele Liban networks for several years. He founded many Cine Clubs around Lebanon; currently he animates a weekly Cine Club at NDU. Chahine is a cinema professor at NDU, ALBA and previously at LAU and INBA; he teaches Comparative Cinema, Art of the Film and world Cinema Survey. He is a co-founder of the NDU International Film Festival and Head of the Jury in Cinema’yat short Film Festival, in addition to his participation in several local and international Film Festivals juries. Chahine is also a member of the Ministry of Culture’s supporting scripts Jury Nadine Labaki Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Nadine Labaki was born on February 18, 1974 in Beirut, Lebanon. She is an actress and writer, known for Caramel (2007), Where Do We Go Now? (2011) and Rio, I Love You(2014). 75 Georges Khabbaz Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Georges Khabbaz is a television, theater and cinema actor in addition to being a director and producer and music composer. Georges has participated as the main actor in more than 25 television shows out of which he was the script writer and director of three sitcoms which were ranked as the most viewed. He won 4 Murex D’Or and Roter Dame Film Festival Prize as Best Actor for his role in the film “Under the Bombs” For the last 9 years, he has produced, directed and starred in nine plays, each of which was attended by an audience of more than 100,000 spectators. He was the main actor in”Under the Bomb”, “Silina” and he was the writer and lead actor of a new Lebanese movie “Ghadi” released in 2013. Nasri Brax Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Nasri Brax has a diploma in high studies in theatre and a Bachelor Degree in Law, both from Lebanese University, he taught law and acted and directed many plays and wrote several feature films and documentaries as “GBARA” a 4 Parts feature Documentary film. He is a member of the Cinema Committee in the Lebanese Ministry of Culture. 76 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Camille Salameh Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Actor,writer and director since 1972. Actor: Leading roles in Theatre, Tv and Cinema such as:Sane3 ela7lam ,10abid zghar ,Ghadi ,Satble Unstable..and many more. Writer and Director of several Plays such as Ammoura ,Torra Nackcheh, Kif hattemsil ma3ak, etc. Writer of many tv series sush as Beit Khelty ,Niyyel el Beit ,Ktebli Ossa, etc Professor at the Fine Arts Institute –Lebanese University 19862005.. One of the pioneers in introducing theater activities in Lebanese schools since 1973 Takla Chamoun Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Takla Chamoun graduated from the Lebanese University with a diploma of high studies in theater. Acted in more than 8 feature films including “Stray Bullet” by George Hachem, and more than 10 theatrical plays including “Araneb wa Quiddisine” by Shakib Khoury winning the best play in Cartage Festival, best actress for “Ma Yoshbi Kossat Hobb” in Casablanca, and the Murex D’or for outstanding TV and Film acting of the decade. Takla also acted in dozens of TV series. 77 Mohamad Hijazi Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Art critic in many written platforms (Beirut, Kuwait, UAE) a veteran broadcaster in Radio Liban since 1977. Cultural editor in Al Mayadin Television, he attended training courses in Radio and Television in the International Press Institute in Paris 1985. He has been covering regional film festivals in Cairo, Damascus, Cartage, Doha, Dubai and Algeria in addition to international festivals like Cannes and Venice. A member in the Lebanese Actors Syndicate. Ghida Majzoub Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Graduated from the Lebanese American University (L.A.U) with a degree Communication Arts/ Radio-T.V- Film. Ghida has been a main anchor in the daily morning show “Alam Sabah”, conducting interviews with political, medical and social figures in the Arab society. She has also been producing and presenting a segment called “Cinema” about the new releases in the movies and on DVD and covering all the major cinematic events and festivals in the world. She interviewed the great tenor Luciano Pavarotti, Hollywood star Cuba Gooding Jr., Mario Kassar, Elie Samaha, producer Malek Moustapha El Akkad, Hollywood stars Malcolm Mc Dowell, Tyler Mane, Danny Treho , Director Youssef Chahine, Adel Imam, Youssra, Leila Elwy, Loublouba, Ahmad Ezz, Mona Zaki, Hind Sabri, as well as Lebanese director Nadine Labaki, Romeo Lahoud, as well as many major Lebanese stars like Adel Karam and Nour, and many others. 78 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Fadi Helou Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Dental surgeon, implantology, esthetic dentistry, graduated from USJ Beirut and Garanciere - Pitie Salpetriere Paris. Founder of Murex D’or award festival since 2000. Founder of Ourjouan Lions club since 1997. Member of many juries (Miss USEK - Miss Universities - Lions events and many others ). Attended many international festivals (Cannes - Damascus Film Festival - Adonia - Cairo...). Attended many local and Lebanese festivals (NDU International Film Festival - Beirut Film Festival Cine club ....) RoseMarie Chahine Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Doctor in philosophy, psychotherapist and professor of philosophy and psychology at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences at the Lebanese University from 1988 to date. Lecturer in the Faculty of Arts of USJ 1980-1990. In charge of a course on the Psychology of the actor at the National Institute of Fine Arts (UL) from 1985 to 2005. Editor in the journal “Psychological Culture” published by Dar al Nahda from 1994-2012. Vice-President of the Lebanese Association for Psychological Culture. Co-founder of the Association Famiglia for the reconciliation of troubled couples. Author of several studies and articles, a book on personality and character with a study applied to literary characters. 79 Mansour Hojaili Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Mansour Hojaili holds a Higher Studies Certificate CES in pediatric from Lyon, France. His passion for cinema grew up with him as he was a child; he has in his memory thousands of films, journals, and books on cinema. Dr. Hojaili had many appearances on television where he gave his critics on movies. He held many conferences in medicine, pollution, children rights, adolescent rights and education. Dr. Hojaili is a member founder and member of CA of Sesobel, previous member of Higher National Committee of Caritas. Member founder of “Em el Nour” . previous executive member of the National Order of Medicine in Lebanon, previous honorary president of “Friends of NDU”. Georges Chamchoum Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Emmy and Multiple Award-winning Film Director & Producer born in Niger, West Africa of Lebanese origin. Entered film industry in 1968 after graduating from Conservatoire du Cinema Francais (Paris). Directed & Produced over 40 features between Europe, Africa, Middle East & the USA. Jury Delegate all through the 80’s for Le Festival du Film Fantastique et de Science Fiction de Paris. Board Member of Francophone Film Festival and Pan Pacific Film Festival (Los Angeles). From 2007-2013 was Executive & Program Director of The Monaco Charity Film Festival. Founder of the International Film Festival in Lagos (Nigeria). Currently International Director of the Yakutsk International Film Festival (Yakutia, Sakha Republic) & International Relations Executive for Notre Dame University Student Short Film Festival (Lebanon). 80 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Christine Choueiri Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Everyone has a path, the most important thing when you find it, is to walk it with passion… Mine was to be an actress against all odds… From the first feature film “The Report” passing by “In the Shadow of the City” until “Ghadi” the last one; my path was filled with wonderful projects. Recently I collaborated with the students in many short films; their stories go beyond what we’ve been seeing on TVs lately. To mention some: “Regarde moi”, “Tajalli”, “Hanine”, “Soura”, “27”, “Habibi”, “Christine”, and “Life to Tape”, not to mention many TV series in Lebanon and abroad, as “Bein Beirut and Dubai”, “Rasa’el Hob wa Harb”, “Nizar Kabbani” and “Tawk”… And finally my leitmotiv in life a citation by St Augustine “He who loses himself in his passion is less lost than he who loses his passion” . Hady Zakkak Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Hady Zakkak holds a Diploma in Audiovisual Studies and a Masters in Cinema Studies/Film Directing from IESAV Film School (Saint-Joseph University/ Beirut). He took part in workshops for film directing, editing and production at FEMIS (Paris-1996), INSAS (Brussels-1999) and HFF Konrad Wolf (Potsdam-2007). Wrote and directed more than 20 documentaries, awarded in several film festivals worldwide. Wrote a book in French about the history of Lebanese cinema “Le Cinema Libanais: Itinéraire d’un Cinéma Vers l’Inconnu”. He received multiple awards from FIPRESCI, Dubai International Film Festival, AlJazeera Documentary Channel Award, AlJazeera International Documentary Festival, Arab Cinema-Nabeuland Monaco Charity Film Festival, etc. Zaccak is a professor at IESAV Beirut. He gives courses in film writing and directing, history of cinema and film genres. He also gives workshops on documentary and cinema culture in several Arab countries. 81 Joseph Houssni Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Joseph Houssni teaches film history, theory and aesthetics as well as documentary film at USEK (University of Saint-Esprit of Kaslik) since 1999. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the San Francisco State University –USA, a Maitrise in Art (Cinema Studies) from the University of Paris 7-Denis Diderot, a Master in Theatrical Studies and a PhD in Cinema from USEK-Lebanon. Bahij Hjeij Lebanese & International Documentary Films Jury Bahij Hojeij studied Philosophy and Theater at the Lebanese University, and Cinema in France (Ecole Nationale Supérieure Louis Lumière- Université Paris 8 – Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales). Since 1990 Bahij is a Professor of cinema at the Institute of Fine Arts (Lebanese University). He produced and directed several independent documentaries “Beirut, Ruins Talk”, “The National Museum, a Challenge to Forget”, “Kidnapped”… He also produced and directed two feature films: “Zennar El Nar “(Ring of Fire) and “Chatti Ya Dini” (Here comes the rain). 82 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Carmen Labaki Lebanese & International Documentary Films Jury Carmen Labaki is a movie director & Producer. She has a Master in Communication Art studies from the Sorbonne (Paris). She also got a Master in Journalism – French language. She fluently masters French, Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish and English. She started her career in the French and Brazilian televisions. Carmen Labaki is the winner of the Best Documentary Film Award 2005 at the “Arpa International Film Festival” in Hollywood, for directing and producing “Armenians of Lebanon”. She also produced & directed social, cultural and artistic documentaries & reports during her stay in Brazil (1997 -2000) & then in Lebanon and other countries (Mexico, USA, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Mongolia, Armenia, UAE…). Her new release is “I Knocked on the Temple’s Door” a documentary about Freemasonry in the world. Khalil Zaarour Lebanese & International Documentary Films Jury Khalil Zaarour is an award-winning screenwriter/director/lecturer. Zaarour pursued his MFA in Filmmaking ; the year 2006 marks the birth of his career with his short film “The Window” that won the best film award at the 13th European Film Festival. Zaarour crafts films combining artfulness with audience appeal through working spatially and temporally with his characters without neglecting the emotional atmosphere. In 2011, his film career moved to a new frontier with his award-winning documentary “Malaki Scent of an Angel”. The film skillfully portrays the humane side of the mothers whose sons were abducted for more than 20 years. 83 Jaime Jacobsen Lebanese & International Documentary Films Jury Jaime Jacobsen’s documentary work has taken her to areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, where she produced and directed “The Water Carriers” for Engineers Without Borders, which won a Silver Telly Award. She also produced and directed “Homefront: United or Divided”, MontanaPBS’ companion program to Ken Burns’ “The War”, which was nominated for a Regional Emmy Award. Her MFA thesis film “Montana Fare” won a Cine Golden Eagle and a College Emmy. Her additional credits include work for The Discovery Channel, Yellowstone National Park, Mercury CSC, The Montana Office of Tourism, Terra, Untamed Science, Pearson Education and award nominations from the Mountain Film Festival and Montana Cine International Film Festival. Jacobsen has also taught film, writing and communication courses at Montana State University, and led Documentary On-Assignment Teams to Australia and Tanzania for National Geographic Student Expeditions. Hoda Maalouf Lebanese & International Animation Films Jury Hoda Maalouf received the Diploma of Eng. in Electrical Engineering from Ecole Superieure d’Ingenieurs de Beyrouth, Lebanon, in 1987, the M.Sc. degree in Communications and Signal Processing, in 1990, and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering, in 1998, both from Imperial College, London, UK. She worked as a research assistant at Imperial College between 1990 and 1995. She joined Notre Dame University in 1999 as an assistant professor and chaired the Department of Computer Science between Oct. 2001 and Mar. 2006 and from Oct 2010 till Present. In addition to her interest in scientific research, Dr. Maalouf has always been interested in mixing art and science, so she opened the undergraduate program in Computer Graphics and Animation (CGA) in Fall 2002 and contributed greatly to the success of this program. 84 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Amin Dora Lebanese & International Animation Films Jury A celebrated director and visual artist, Amin graduated with honors from ALBA, where he currently teaches. Dora won an International Digital Emmy Award for directing “Shankaboot”, the world’s first Arabic web drama series. His career began with the short stop-animation “Greyscale”, which received many awards in National and International festivals such as the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Bilbao. He is also distinguished in the advertising industry by his creative approach and his love of trying out new communication styles. Dora directed the most successful viral video in the Middle East, showcasing a flash mob TVC for Beirut Duty Free in 2011. His quest for contemporary ways of directing has also led him to start Beirutvisuals, along with a collective of visual artists with whom he created live visual performances locally and Internationally. “Ghadi” is Dora’s first feature film. Jacqueline Soghman Lebanese & International Animation Films Jury Jacqueline Soghman has been teaching the multimedia courses at Notre Dame University -Louaize (NDU) for the past years. While pressing her MFA from Savannah College of Art and Design, she has worked as a senior broadcast designer in Washington DC and previously was head of the design department in a web design firm. Her main interests are 2D animation, motion graphics and web design. 85 Najwa Mallah Lebanese & International Animation Films Jury Holds a B.A. in Visual Arts/Multimedia from Université Saint Esprit- Kaslik (USEK), and is currently completing an M.A. in Design at Notre Dame University -Louaize (NDU). Najwa has worked as an interactive designer and graphics animator in a leading web design firm in Lebanon, and gave several Multimedia workshops with different institutions. She is currently the Graphics and Multimedia Coordinator at the Division of Audio Visual Arts at Notre Dame University -Louaize. NDU Cine-Club Upcoming screenings Pierre Abou Khater Auditorium NDU Main Campus, Zouk Mosbeh Monday Nov. 17, 2014 | 7:00 pm Monday Nov. 24, 2014 | 7:00 pm Monday Dec. 1, 2014 | 7:00 pm The Shining Forrest Gump “Oci ciornie” Dark Eyes Stanley Kubrick – USA 1980 In collaboration with Emile Chahine Foundation Robert Zemeckis – USA 1994 Nikita Mikhalkov – USA 1987 Monday Dec. 8, 2014 | 7:00 pm Monday Dec. 15, 2014 | 7:00 pm Monday Dec. 22, 2014 | 7:00 pm Monday Jan. 5, 2014 | 7:00 pm Persona Goodfellas Alice “Il capitale umano” Human Capital Ingmar Bergman – USA 1996 Martin Scorsese – USA 1990 Woody Allen – Argentina 1990 olo Virzì– Italy 2013 film festivals at NDUIFF Silk Road Film Festival Vienna Independent Shorts Famufest VGIK Short Film Festival Acko Film Festival International Oriental Film Festival of Geneva Ireland Russia Austria Slovakia Czech Republic Switzerland Riga International Film Festival Latvia Gstaad Short Film Festival Switzerland Arab Women Film Festival Netherlands Copenhagen Short Film Festival Denmark Yakutsk International Film Festival Russia 90 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL NDUIFF’S MANAGEMENT Sam Lahoud NDUIFF Founder, Director, Lebanese Fiction Films Jury Member Sam Lahoud is a scriptwriter, a director, a producer and a script consultant. He has written, directed and produced theater plays, short films, and PSA’s. Lately finished his first independent feature film as a producer “Waynon” (Void). The Film was in Official Selection at the Dubai International Film Festival 2013, Nominated for the Golden Arab Muhr Award. And it was awarded the Best Feature Film at the Silk Road Film Festival 2014 in Dublin, Special Jury Award in Alexandria Film Festival in Egypt, Best Screenplay at Malmo Arab Film Festival. Currently working on producing his second feature film project, a coproduction between Lebanon, Germany and Ireland. He is currently the Director of Communication Strategy at Notre Dame University – Louaize (NDU), where he served as chairperson of the Department of Media Studies from 2012 till 2014 and founded and headed of Division of Audio Visual Arts from 2006 until 2011. He is the founder and director of the NDU International Film Festival, a founding member of the Emile Chahine Foundation for Cinema Culture, and of Film Festivals Cinergy; and serves as jury member in various local and international film festivals. He holds a MA in Media Studies - Electronic Journalism and Public Relations from NDU, a MA in Scriptwriting from Université Saint Joseph (IESAV) and a BA in Communication Arts, Radio, Television and Film from NDU. Mr. Lahoud has organized, participated and presented workshops and seminars on film, directing, acting, scriptwriting and sacred drama. Since 1996 he taught music, photography, and arts education. He currently teaches courses in scriptwriting, directing actors, directing techniques, and media laws and ethics. 91 Nicolas Khabbaz is a film and theater producer, writer and director; as of 2005 and till present, in television and theater; he has coproduced 11 theater plays, by the renowned Lebanese actor/ director Georges Khabbaz, and lately, produced and co-wrote his first independent feature film “Waynon” (Void); The Film was in Official Selection at the Dubai International Film Festival 2013, Nominated for the Golden Arab Muhr Award. And it was awarded the Best Feature Film at the Silk Road Film Festival 2014 in Dublin, Special Jury Award in Alexandria Film Festival in Egypt, and Best Screenplay at Malmo Arab Film Festival. Credited in the Feature film “Ghadi” as project developer and currently working on producing his second feature film project, a co-production between Lebanon, Germany and Ireland. Dr. Khabbaz is currently the Director of the Division of Audio Visual Arts at Notre Dame University – Louaize since 2011. He is the Co-Founder and Program & Artistic Director of NDU International Film Festival since 2007, and serves as jury member in various local and international film festivals. He also is the founding member of the Emile Chahine Foundation for Cinema Culture, and of Film Festivals Cinergy. Nicolas Khabbaz NDUIFF Co-Founder, Program and Artistic Director, Lebanese and International Fiction Films Jury Member 92 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL NDUIFF’S Team PHOTOGRAPHERS Sam Lahoud, Founder, Director Nicolas Khabbaz, Co-Founder, Program & Artistic director Emile Chahine, Co-Founder, Head of Juries Georges Chamchoum, International Relations Executive Georges Khabbaz, Creative Consultant Najwa Mallah, Creative Supervisor Andre Fahed, Director of Design and Brand Guardian Office Cherine Keyrouz, Festival Host Samer El Achy, Video Production Coordinator Naoum Abi Adam, Social Media Coordinator Rania Saadeh Zeidan, Logistics Coordinator Georges Tarabay, Program Coordinator Manon Nammour, Project Coordinator Jocelyne Issa, Sponsorship Coordinator Tatiana Rouhana Bou Hadir, Press Attaché Christine Dagher, Media Relations Reine Semaan, Volunteers Coordinator Sarah Hassoun, Guests Coordinator Tarek Korkomaz, Festival’s Promo Director Edwin Beaino, Radio Promo Ralph Matar, Backstage Manager Sahar Abou Khalil, Choreographer Mazen El Hage, Special Effects Natalie Nasr Abdo Bejjani Lynn Dagher AUDIO VISUAL TECHNICIAN Charbel Francis Milo Ghanem LIGHTING DESIGN Julien Kai Robin Touma DESIGN TEAM Rachel Shoucair Riwa Zouein Volunteers Amin Rhayyem Andy El Khawly Carlo Chedid Charbel Dahdouh Clara Atallah Daniel Seif Elias Nicolas Elige Merza Elissa Caracalla Fabienne Daghfal Gaelle Farah Gilbert Mhanna Hady Fahed Hisham Charafeddine Jane Zeinoun John Richard Tabbah Kassandra Abdo Katya Shouccair Luciana Boulos Lynn Kakhia Marie Therese Ghorayeb Marriane Ghorayeb Mohammed Salameh Nadim Khairallah Nathalie Moussa Nicholas Toubia Ornella Maalouf Rafah Nakib Rawad Sabbagh Rawad Hachem Samar El Hitti Sami Nassour Sara Dunya Serge Majdalani Siraj Sarieddine Tina Obeid Vivian Marquez Dancers Alexandra Bajin Christy Khoury Ghassan Bazzal Gilbert Mhanna Joyce Chamoun Judy Jalkh Khoder Nabouch Marie-Joe Campbell Murielle Hebbo Natasha Hamod Omar Dilati Peter Geagea Rita Bassil Sandra Aad Serge Majdalani Vicky Baz NDUIFF Board Sam Lahoud Nicolas Khabbaz Emile Chahine Carol Ann Goff Kfouri Georges Chamchoum Georges Khabbaz Carla Mooney Najwa Mallah Nasri Brax Marie-Therese Maalouf Jad Beyrouthy Tarek Korkomaz 94 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 95 MAIN CAMPUS ZOUK MOSBEH, LEBANON T: +961 9 208 000 NORTH LEBANON CAMPUS BARSA - KOURA, LEBANON T: +961 6 416 101/2/4 SHOUF CAMPUS DEIR EL KAMAR - SHOUF, LEBANON T: +961 5 511 202 www.ndu.edu.lb WASHINGTON DC OFFICE SUITE 300, 1629 K STREET, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20006 T: +1 202 349 1705