Book of projects Interchange 2011

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book of projects 2011 Interchange Programme

with the support of

Just recently, when at the IFP Film Week in New York, Savina met one of last year’s teams that had gone through Interchange (Khsara). Their project, they said, was not only getting great attention; but was constantly growing as was their energy and enthusiasm. They talked for a long time about Interchange and the other participants, how connected they were and supportive of each other, a real family in a world that sees many Arab filmmakers constantly travelling and moving to different places.

TorinoFilmLab Interchange Programme

We feel very proud: Interchange has succeeded in defining a space that filmmakers can call home. A place to cultivate your ideas when they are still very fragile and undefined, a place where the exchange of knowledge and experience is mutual, a place where you learn to nurture the relationship with your project, with your producer, other filmmakers and the industry.

Many Interchange 2010 projects are progressing well. Beirut I love you has entered the TFL FrameWork and will have competed for a production award by the time that this Book of Projects goes to print. Heaven Sent has been selected to participate in the Dubai Film Connection 2011 and Smile! You’re in Jeddah met a producer from the US and one from Germany in Dubai last year and they have now signed co-production agreements. We are delighted when we hear news from the participants and these developments are great achievements for the projects, but they also reiterate to us that Interchange is not just a workshop that enhances projects but one that goes further and also nurtures the filmmakers who create the projects.

It takes a great deal of vision to fund a programme for projects that are at an early stage of development, that have to apply in teams of writer/director and producer, when in many Arab countries the distinct roles are not yet so defined.

But, it is the only way that things can actually grow, change and improve. And looking at the events that have shaken the region in 2011, it makes even more sense. We would like to thank the teams at the TorinoFilmLab, the Dubai International Film Festival and EAVE for having joined forces to work towards creating a programme that brings together Arab and European writers and producers and gives them a forum where they can learn, share and grow. Thank you also to Media Mundus, whose support makes Interchange possible. And next year, there will be another 27 “Interchangers” to meet around the world: good luck!

Savina Neirotti, TorinoFilmLab Director Jane Williams, Dubai Film Connection & Film Forum Director

EAVE

EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs) is extremely happy to be working together with the TorinoFilmLab and the Dubai International Film Festival on the second edition of Interchange which continues a five year relationship with the festival.

During this time we have worked on producing and script development with producers, writers and writer-directors from the Gulf and Middle East regions. The idea of Interchange is to bring writer and producer teams from these regions and Europe together with the purpose of enabling the participants to build long term relationships of knowledge exchange and co-production.

For over twenty years EAVE has been well known for its European Producers Workshop which by now has over 1200 graduates and numbers some of Europe’s leading producers amongst its graduates. More recently we have been very keen to work on a global scale and now run workshops bringing together European producers with their counterparts in Latin America (the Puentes Workshop) and the far East (the Ties that Bind Workshop) as well as the Middle East and Gulf through Interchange.

We believe that the support of independent voices, creative imagination and culturally driven companies is an urgent necessity in the 21st century and through our work aim to contribute towards the creation of strong networks of producers and to encourage the exchange of knowledge and skills which will strengthen independent production across the world.

It has been a pleasure to work with the Interchange 2011 participants – good luck with your projects and future work!

Alan Fountain, Head of Studies, EAVE

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Index 10

Tutors

Projects 14

Beautiful Spirit Ahmed Abou Zeid - Ihab Ayoub

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Breathe Jihane Chouaib - Nathalie Trafford

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Heat Wave Fareed Ramadan - Riyad Deis

26

Ali, the Goat, and Ibrahim Ibrahim El Batout - Ahmed Amer - Hossam Elouan

30

One Day and 124 Nights Sabine El Chamaa - Andreas Atzwanger

34

Beirut Solo Sabah Haider - Pierre Sarraf

38

The Mimosas Oliver Laxe - Felipe Lage

42

No Return Ahmed Salah & Hesham Issawi

46

Bell William MacKinnon - Samir

50

The World is Pink Myrna Maakaron - Nicole Gerhards

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3000 Nights Mai Masri - Charlotte Uzu

Story Editors 58

Naji Abu Nowar

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Nadia Eliewat

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Malak Quota

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Staff

Antoine Le Bos - France

Jacques Akchoti - France

Nicola Lusuardi - Italy

Roshanak Behesht Nedjad - Germany

scriptwriter & story editor

scriptwriter

scriptwriter

producer

Antoine Le Bos is a French screenwriter and script consultant with more than 25 feature film scripts delivered under contract as a writer or co-writer and the experience of over a hundred feature projects followed as a consultant.

After his studies at NYU Film school, Jacques Akchoti worked in different areas of film production with directors such as R. Bresson, JJ. Beineix, L. Von Trier.

Since 1990, Nicola Lusuardi has been working as a playwright in collaboration with several production companies and as a screenwriter with television networks. He also writes essays (La Rivoluzione Seriale, Dino Audino Editore, Roma, 2010) and teaches dramaturgy at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (national school of cinema), and RAI-Script school for screenwriters (endorsed by the Italian national television network).

Roshanak Behesht Nedjad started her career in the film business during her studies at the University of Karlsruhe by organising film festivals and programmes and working as a freelancer for various TV programmes.

Following a first life as a sailor and an interrupted Phd in philosophy at the Sorbonne, he graduated from the CEEA in Paris (the French conservatory for film writing) in 1996. After directing short films and on-stage experiments, he co-created the 3D animation series Ratz, which aired in more than 20 countries and in 2002 created the Ciné-Ecritures workshops in Paris.

Soon he discovered a deep taste for dramaturgy. He has worked as a consultant for the Moulin d’Andé (CECI, France), tutoring their 2005 to 2007 rewriting sessions, as well as on the European Short Pitch 2007 to 2010 sessions and teaches screenwriting at Brest University.

He won the Gan Foundation Prize as a writer in 2005 and works with, among others, the Afghani director and Prix Goncourt Atiq Rahimi.

Since 2007, he has been the Artistic Director of Le Groupe Ouest, European centre for film creation in Britanny and recently co-created the Cross Channel Film Lab between France and Great Britain.

Since 2007, he has been a tutor for the Script & Pitch Workshops and TorinoFilmLab as well as for Interchange since 2009.

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He then became a screenwriter, script consultant and headed the development of many French and international films for cinema and television, which obtained selections and awards at major film festivals. Most recently, A Screaming Man by Haroun Mahamat Saleh, which received many awards, notably the Jury Prize at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

He has directed a feature film for television and written several screenplays. His latest script, Don’t Look back, a film by Marina De Van featuring Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci was part of the Official Selection of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

Jacques has been teaching writing and directing at the Femis (National French Film School) since 1988 and has facilitated many international screenwriting and development workshops, among which EAVE, Sud Ecriture, DV8 films, Vision Cinema, Ekran and Interchange.

He is the National Coordinator of the “Associazione 100autori” which is the largest Italian guild for screenwriters and directors.

Screenplays: Un amore e una vendetta - directed by Raffaele Mertes; L’ultima Trincea - directed by A. Sironi; Little Dream - directed by D. Marengo, story M. Carlotto; Puccini - directed by G. Capitani; Pantani - directed by C. Bonivento; Morte di un Confidente - directed by Manetti Bros., story M. Carlotto; The Black Arrow - directed by F. Costa, based on the novel by R.L. Stevenson; La Monaca di Monza - directed by A. Sironi; Daddy - directed by G. Battiato; Casanova - Directed by G. Battiato; Renzo e Lucia - directed by F. Archibugi; Ultimo II – The Challenge - directed by M. Soavi.

In 1999, she started the production company Flying Moon with Helge Albers. Since then, they have been producing fiction and documentary films with a strong focus on international co-productions.

Their films have been screened at international festivals and sold around the world.

Roshanak also works as an expert and consultant for various institutions and training organisations such as MEDIA International, EAVE for their European and international programmes, TorinoFilmLab, Focal and the Academy of Children’s Media, Germany.

Roshanak is a member of the German and European Film Academy, an EAVE graduate (2003) and since 2010, also a group leader at EAVE.

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Tutors Sibylle Kurz - Germany pitching expert

Sibylle Kurz specializes in pitching training, project presentation, proposal development and dramaturgical doctoring. She also offers communication skills, negotiation training and personal coaching for companies and individuals.

With an academic background in media & communication science, sociology and psychology; she has a postgraduate education as a communication skills trainer and is a certified NLP Trainer (INLPT Associational standards). She works as a Pitching Trainer and consultant for film schools and film institutions all over Europe. Her experience in “The Art Of Pitching“ is a result of more than 15 years experience in the acquisition, distribution and co-production of theatrical, video, and TV films in the German-speaking market at a distribution company that she co-founded in 1981. She left the organisation in 1995 to start her own company.

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Kurz’ intensive workshop sessions enable producers to hone and time-tune their projects prior to pitching as well as gain insight into their own professional practice.

In 1995, she co-founded d-net-work, an alliance of young European producers (feature & documentary) to help find co-production and distribution partners for their projects.

She is a member of the European Documentary Network and the author of two books.

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script & intention The initial idea about a group of friends haunted by their past as political activists and how that affected them on professional and personal levels was instantly intriguing for me. I was very much attracted to the personal and ethical dilemmas the protagonists face from the strong beliefs they carry in their hearts on the one hand and the hard choices they have to make with forces working against them on the other, and how that ends up impacting all their relationships.

Youssef, the businessman from a rich aristocratic family is trying to buy a factory that represents all the sets of beliefs that he (along with the other members of the old leftist group) once believed in. He will have to fight authority figures, suspicions from some of his old friends and his own doubts about the real motivations behind his desire to get the factory. He has personal dilemmas to overcome regarding his wife Mona who is still in love with their mutual friend and her former fiancĂŠ Ali, who is helping Youssef in his fight to get the factory; and with Rashad (now an Islamist) who hates Youssef because he still believes and old rumor that Youssef betrayed the group.

Activists usually define themselves through their beliefs and when the interests of certain authorities in society collide with these beliefs, those in authority will use all their power to oppress and manipulate not only the ideas but the activists as well.

Beautiful Spirit Ahmed Abou Zeid

Egypt synopsis In the beginning of 1977, huge demonstrations against the new open market economic policies exploded all over Egypt. One leftist group of young students and workers were tried in a military court and, except for Youssef, the son of an influential businessman, they all served time in prison. Fifteen years later, another set of economic policies for the privatization of the public sector were enforced by the government.

Motivated by the same old ideas and beliefs as the leftists, Youssef and Fadl (political mentor of the old group) join forces to rescue the emotionally and economically significant factory that Fadl works in, from a corrupt deal. But, their efforts are challenged when the state police re-open their old files.

Threatened by the police and facing a tight situation regarding time and money, Youssef calls on the help of his friends from the old group, but first they have to resolve some old conflicts both on a political and personal level. When they finally reconcile, the factory becomes a kind of salvation and redemption for each one of the friends and the struggle for the factory carries on even after it’s sold to other buyers with a hidden agenda.

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Is it possible to keep your true self in times of oppression and manipulation?

In the face of such severe manipulation and oppression, a person sometimes tends to lose sight of his true self. And then the fight becomes two fights and the struggle becomes two struggles. This is what happens to all of the friends. They eventually realize that they first have to resolve their inner, personal and very private conflicts in order to be able to work together to resolve the bigger conflicts and external challenges they are facing. But, was it a bit too late to reach this realization?

The question is still valid now and I guess will be for some time.

Finally, if I have to define the style of the film it would be a naturalistic one. The acting, the photography, the locations and the sets will be very realistic. It will almost have the feel of a documentary film, but with no shaky camera work. The breakdown will be that of a classical feature film, which will help the audience not feel alienated from the story and privileged for being able to follow the protagonists from close quarters.

Ahmed Abou Zeid writer & director Ahmed Abou Zeid was born in Egypt and he has a degree in Mass Communication from Cairo University.

He worked as an assistant director on TV series and feature films in Egypt before going to the US to study TV and film production. He returned to Egypt to promote the creation of more independent films.

In 2000, he established with other directors, the first independent production company in Egypt (SEMAT) where he wrote and directed the short film From Afar which became the first digitally shot film to win the prize for best short film at the Egyptian national film festival in 2004.

In 2005, he established Collage Productions with the producer Ihab Ayoub and in 2007 he wrote and directed his first feature length film The Deviles.

Ahmed has also made a number of award winning documentaries for Egyptian television and Al Jazeera.

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production notes Since it was established in 2005 in Egypt, the main focus of Collage Productions has been to make quality independent films that still appeal to a large portion of the mainstream cinema audience. We have successfully produced two films Basra, winner of five awards from local and international festivals and The Ring Road which was recently completed.

We became attached to Beautiful Spirit almost two years ago. At that time there were absolutely no indications of any of the recent changes in the Arab world in general and in Egypt in particular, but we were attracted to the initial idea of the story and we believed that it could be developed into a simple tale with a powerful character study about

original title Halawet Al Rouh Post, which is specialized in editing and sound editing, fully attached to the project. We also managed to secure most of the film’s main crew (the art director, the cinematographer, the editor and the music composer) which adds up to almost 20% of the total budget of the film.

As for the cast, we are still considering options but we have some primary approvals for the main characters which could help in securing a local distribution deal that could cover another 40% of the budget. We are also planning to find support from international funding programs such as Fonds Sud Cinema, World Cinema Fund, Egyptian Cinema Fund and the Dubai Film Connection.

total production budget $ 2,000,000 current financial need $ 1,600,000 production status financing / in development

Beautiful Spirit

Ihab Ayoub producer Ihab Ayoub’s career in the film industry began in 1992 when he started working as a production assistant at Misr International Films. Over the next few years, he worked himself up the ranks to line producer.

Ihab has worked on several national and international feature films with acclaimed directors such as Youssef Chahine and Dawood Abdel Sayed.

Ahmed Abou Zeid

Egypt friendship and love in times of hardship and oppression. But, after an intensive research period and many interviews with real leftist activists from the seventies era, the story developed into a more complex multilayered one about a country shifting from one direction to the other; and of a society that once had a tendency towards the progressive left now moving rapidly and violently to the extreme right. Our project was not appealing to the Egyptian authorities and even though we were more interested in the ethical dilemma of the protagonists and their personal storylines rather than the political background, last year the censorship authority in Egypt (still working within the same system the film criticizes) rejected the script, claiming that it was too aggressive and inciting. But recently things have changed in Egypt and after the 25th of January revolution, the script was approved by the censorship board which encouraged us to go on with the preproduction phase.

production company Collage Productions 9A Al A’anab st, Mohandseen, Cairo, Egypt T +20237482055 F +20237482060 M +201129585407 www.collagefilms.com info@collagefilms.com

The subject of the film is even more relevant now than it was before, both locally and regionally. And although the general atmosphere in Egypt now is much better, the economic situation is still critical and it could be a bit hard to finance the entire production with local resources. We at Collage Productions strongly believe that despite the local political references in Beautiful Spirit, we can still attract the interest of a worldwide audience. The human and personal struggle of the protagonists have a universality that will resonate with people everywhere which is important since we are seeking international funding and aiming for an international release.

In 2002, he took on the role of executive producer on Yousry Nasrallah’s Bab Al Shams produced by Ogno Films (France). In 2005, he established Collage Films with director Ahmed Abou Zeid and produced two feature films Basra and The Ring Road for the Orbit channel.

Ihab continues to work as an executive producer on award winning films and documentaries by both Egyptian and international production companies.

Ihab holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Cairo University

So far, we have the full production crew of Collage Productions along with its sister company Collage

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script & intention Mon Souffle (Breathe) tells the story of an obstinate young woman who attempts a necessary yet impossible return to the land of childhood. Lebanon as a world of sweet memories, boogeyman stories and absolute convictions.

Like a modern-day Antigone, Nada sets herself a mission: to find the body of her grandfather who disappeared during the war and to give him a decent burial place. Her quest is fueled by violent stories passed on by her great-aunt Nour. She chooses imagination as her playground and her field of investigation. The abandoned family house and garden are haunted by her fears and fragmented (or reinvented) memories.

Jihane Chouaib writer & director

My general approach of the film is sensualist, as the character’s relationship to identity unfolds itself through a specific place, with its light, its nature, trees, stones, fruits, skin... But my work will also consist in revealing an imaginary Lebanon as a lining to a “real” contemporary Lebanon. I want to play with various strata of this country (the matrix of the ancient Mediterranean, the idle life of the 60s, the barbarism of war...). And I want to make audiences “feel” the invisible presences that surround Nada.

Breathe

This project explores the family “from within”. The family as a body tormented by ghosts, born from silence and secrets. The family as the place of the most tender, yet the most suffocating love. Together, as brother and sister living in a ruin like kids would in a tree house, Nada and her brother Sam travel in the freedom and powerlessness of childhood. Their relationship allows me a certain fantasy and lightness of tone, keeping the gravity of the subject matter beneath the surface.

Jihane Chouaib

France synopsis Nada, 26, returns to Lebanon, the country she was forced to leave as a child. Taking care of Nour, her ailing great-aunt, she wants to reconnect with her roots. But she comes up against a taboo issue: nobody wants to remember that her grandfather vanished during the civil war.

Nada settles in her grandfather’s house, with the walls partially destroyed and the garden full of garbage. She is challenging the villagers and her own family.

After Nour dies, Nada’s brother, Sam, comes to Lebanon. She asks for his help to find the truth about their grandfather, swearing that he has been murdered. But Sam has been sent by their father to sell the family house and cut the last link that ties them to the country.

With the help of Jalal, a teenage neighbor, Nada starts digging in the garden with fervor, looking for a body – in vain. When a former militia man tells her that her grandfather was not a victim but had blood on his hands, she is driven to the edge of madness.

How do you come home when everything has changed? An inner adventure through secrets and lies for a young woman in search of her own identity in Lebanon.

What Nada learns over the course of the film is that there is no absolute, overwhelming, naked truth to be discovered and revealed.

On the contrary, what exists is a multiplicity of stories, echoing the variety of the Lebanese world. It is the acceptance of plurality, subjectivity and ambiguity which, in the end, gives Nada the freedom to choose a future and an identity for herself.

Jihane Chouaib was born in Beirut (Lebanon) just before the civil war. She spent most of her childhood in Mexico.

As a teenager, she moved to France, where she studied philosophy and theater. Then she began working as a writer and acting coach.

Jihane has directed five short films in France, including the critically acclaimed Sous mon Lit which won the award for best short film from the French journalist union and was presented at the festival of Cannes - Semaine de la critique in 2005.

She has just finished a feature documentary, Pays Rêvé (shot in Lebanon and first shown at the WFF 2011 in Montréal). She is currently writing her first feature film, Breathe.

To save her from herself, Sam takes Nada on a road trip to the South, following a new lead. Nada doesn’t find the truth about the grandfather’s disappearance but she understands something about herself, her exile, and the place she could find in Lebanon.

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production notes budget & financing Paraíso Production Diffusion is based in Paris and has been producing art house films since 1996.

We look for emerging directors with a creative and personal approach to filmmaking, developing with them long term collaborations.

Jihane Chouaib is an essential director in our development strategy. We have been working closely with her for more than ten years, producing most of her shorts films. We strongly believe in her artistic vision.

The budget of Breathe is estimated at 1.600.000 Euros. We expect to find 70% of it in France, mainly through public subventions and TV presales.

original title Mon souffle distribution & sales This is the first time that Jihane Chouaib has based a fiction film in her birth country and puts forward her own way to tackle the classic theme of the identity quest. Through Nada, a character fully dominated by her imagination, she takes us on a very unusual journey in present-day Lebanon.

A Lebanon made of memories, inventions, emotions and perceptions. A journey through immense beauty and hidden horror.

Breathe will display a very unique blend of Arabic textures, French musicality and Mexican colors – all cultures relevant within Jihane’s personal journey.

Breathe

production company Paraiso Production Diffusion 7 impasse des Chevaliers, Paris 75020, France T +33143159191 F +33143159100 paraisofilms@libertysurf.fr total production budget € 1.600.000 production status in financing

Nathalie Trafford producer Nathalie Trafford, born in Santiago de Chile, spent her childhood in Spain.

After graduating at the Lycée Français in Madrid, she settled in Paris to study Art history at the Sorbonne University.

France

Simultaneously, she discovered the world of cinema working as an assistant on French and Spanish film shoots.

We are looking for a European co-producer as well as for a co-producer from the Arab world to raise the gap.

As such, it aims for a powerful, rich aesthetic and for a provocative and contemporary take on the notion of homeland.

In 1995, she started working as an executive producer in Chile. One year later, she set up Paraíso Production Diffusion in France.

In France we are in preliminary process of financing.

The script has received a subsidy from the French Ministry of Culture and the project is actually on the final stage of selection for the main public production subvention.

It will seduce a young adult audience as well as a “cinephile” public.

Jihane Chouaib

We intend to shoot the film in Lebanon in the Autumn of 2012.

The exposure and the distribution of the film will be eased in France thanks to the cast playing Nada and Sam. Two emerging actors up rooted in the Mediterranean, with name recognition in France.

We will start looking for distributors and sales agent once these actors are confirmed and the most important ingredients of the project are set.

She has produced nine feature films as the delegate producer or co-producer, and approximately twenty shorts films.

She sees her production career as a way of building bridges among different cultures and countries, revealing young talented filmmakers.

Sous mon Lit, the fourth short film of Jihane Chouaib, was presented at the Cannes festival in 2005. We hope to start the career of this upcoming film in Cannes 2013.

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script & intention Heat Wave is a 90 minutes satirical comedy where reality is presented in an exaggerated fashion. As the name of the title implies, the whole film will take place during a summer heat wave, so we will see the effect of the high temperatures on the people and how they respond to this unusual summer. It will look at how heat affects their behavior, their surroundings and their relations with others.

Heat Wave is inspired by my experience and memories as a Palestinian born three years after the 1967 war, in a city under occupation. I did not understand what it meant to have a foreign army control our city, until one day in the early eighties when my older brother and I where entering the Damascus gate, and my brother got slapped by an Israeli soldier. I don’t remember why and how but later that day we laughed about it. We found it funny because it was a hot summer day and demeanor had been languid and the slap was so sudden that my brother did not see it coming.

In this film, I see Jerusalem, which is known for its seriousness, religious fanaticism and political upheaval, as a source of laughter.

It often happens that moments of laughter can arise from serious situations and what more can one ask for than Jerusalem as a setting for these scenarios. The city inhabits many different religions and cultures that include Muslims, Christians, Jews, Armenians, Black Africans and Gypsies. Jerusalem has been at the center of negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis and a resolution for the city is a major element for there to be a lasting solution. But while a solution continues to be negotiated, the inhabitants live their daily lives and some have come to believe that a resolution may never be found.

Heat Wave Fareed Ramadan & Riyad Deis

Palestine synopsis Heat wave is a drama/black comedy that takes place in Jerusalem during an unusually hot summer. The film tells the stories of five people who are going through an exceptional period of their life.

Abu Khalil, an old shopkeeper has one mission to accomplish before he dies: to buy a grave near Alaqsa mosque. Despite all his planning, he ends up being buried in the family cemetery.

Lilian, one of Abu Khalil’s customers and an old love, desperately wants to connect to her son who died in a mysterious accident when he was a child. One night she encounters a saint in the empty streets. He carries her groceries and helps her get in touch with her son.

Hassan, a young man who works for Abu Khalil, discovers that he can only marry his fiancée after he fulfills his mother’s will: he has to go to Hajj on her behalf.

Faris on the verge of getting divorced and having an affair has to deal with his new neighbor, Mayer, who just moved from New York. Mayer, while renovating his new house, falls through the wall into Faris’ house.

Frustrated because of the political situation and his personal problems, Faris ends up holding Mayer captive in his house, not knowing why.

During this hot weather; things reach an unexpected turning point for each of the characters.

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This is Jerusalem and it’s hot, hot, hot! Emotions and tempers run high.

Some are looking for love, some for salvation and some for peace, but everybody is looking for ways to escape the heat!

It is from the reality of everyday life in Jerusalem that I got the inspiration for this film. The stories of the characters from the film are all inspired in some way by accounts and memories of people who live in the city. The film is based on the multilayered plot lines of five main characters. Although the stories of each character are not linked, the parallelism amongst them will be created in the way the film is edited so that their different lives are interwoven to create one story. We will also use editing to emphasize the comedic aspect of the film, to highlight the characters’ dilemmas and bring humor into situations.

Fareed Ramadan writer Fareed Ramadan is a Bahraini author who has written eight books. Some of his books have been translated into English, German and Danish.

Fareed has a particular interest in cinema. He is the writer of two feature film scripts, Bahraini Story (2006) and Another Visitor (2003).

He has also written five short film scripts which have all been produced and directed

by Bahraini filmmakers. He has participated in numerous regional and international symposia, conferences and film festivals.

In general, the style of the film will have a humoristic approach, with all that it carries along with it in terms of mise-en-scène. It also will stick to the basic comedy rules of exaggeration, repetition and surprises.

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production notes Heat Wave is intended to be a new wave of cinema production in Palestine, both in the way it is produced and the subject matter. This film will come at a time when the political situation in the Middle East is still unclear and there are new things happening every day. The eyes of the world will always be directed at this area and it never disappoints the spectator of surprises and new realities.

Jerusalem, which is at the center of the region and one of its main sources of troubles, is also the main character of this film. Through the city, the story of the film will be told but unlike what we have seen before, in this film, the city will have humor to it.

obstacles, and middle age and senior citizens.

This film is a perfect family film that tells the story of family tales in a humorous way.

The film has three forms of romantic stories, the first and the most unique one is between two senior citizens, in addition there are two more romantic story lines in the younger generation.

The development strategy of the film will consist of securing seed money to complete script development and then to get things going into the financing and pre-production stages. To achieve this, the project is participating in various film market events and building networks of contacts

Fareed Ramadan & Riyad Deis

Palestine

The cast of the film will not specifically be chosen because of their previous acting experience in theatre or cinema, but more for their physical look and realistic embodiment of the role and their originality. Therefore, most of the actors and actress will be first time actors who are residents of the old city. Their houses and shops are the set of the scenes.

The film will be directed to international audiences between the ages of 25 to 80, especially a European audience interested in world cinema.

The film is made up of characters from three generations; young people in their twenties and the challenges they go through with socio-political

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total production budget $ 475.000 current financial need $ 475.000 production status development/financing

Riyad Deis director & producer Riyad Deis has produced, directed and written several short films that have been screened at international film festivals.

He studied film production at the San Francisco City College in the United States. Riyad currently resides in Jerusalem where he has directed short films, documentaries, TV commercials and promotional films.

Heat Wave

There are many reasons why we decided to shoot the film in Jerusalem. One is the artistic side and what the location has to offer in terms of architecture, light and depth. In addition, one location for all of the scenes has a production advantage in terms of reducing travel expenses and saving time. The third reason of deciding to shoot in the old city is because of the cast.

production company Janan Films, 10 Masyoun Street Ramallah Palestinian Territories T +972597038944

from different countries. A European producer is about to join the project and so our main funding will come from Europe. However, the Arab states will also be as important source for funding. The various funds from the Gulf always encourage and are interested in Palestinian cinema and it annually supports Palestinian film production.

He also manages a mobile cinema group which screens films in villages and refugee camps throughout the West Bank. Riyad currently works at Birzeit University at the Audiovisual department and is developing his first feature film.

There are two main goals for producing “Heat Wave”. First we want to produce a successful film and second to break the ground for small budget cinema production in Palestine. The total budget of the film is about USD 475,000, which is a reasonable budget to raise in a fairly short time. A local Palestinian production company will manage the production on the ground and will secure all permits and locations in the old city. In short, we believe “Heat Wave” is a good business and artistic project that has great potential to be popular with international audiences.

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script & intention Ali, the Goat, and Ibrahim has never been more relevant. It is a film about marginalized Egyptians trying to find a place for themselves in the world. I saw guys like Ali and Ibrahim everyday at Tahrir square.

Ali the Goat and Ibrahim is a dark comedy with some magic realism. Nevertheless, we see this film as very political. It is a fable in the Egyptian tradition of storytelling with political undertones, like the ones I heard as a child. Ali’s relationship with the goat, Nada, sums up our generations’ frustration and hopeless existence. Ali’s loss and healing is a metaphor of what Egyptians lost the last 60 years and the healing process they have to go through. Are those voices Ibrahim hears cries from within urging him move forward and find hope in life?

Ali, the Goat, and Ibrahim Ibrahim El Batout & Ahmed Amer

Egypt synopsis Ali loses his girlfriend, Nada, during Egypt’s revolution and refuses to accept her death. He believes her soul is reincarnated in a goat.

The situation persists and the gossip in the neighborhood becomes unbearable. Ali’s mother drags him to a healer who gives Ali stones to throw in the coasts of Egypt to reverse the “curse”. At the healer’s place, Ali meets Ibrahim, a depressed sound engineer who hears “voices” he cannot decipher.

Ali, his goat and Ibrahim embark on a journey of friendship and selfdiscovery. They cross Egypt to throw the stones hoping to be cured. At the beginning, mistrust gets in the way but eventually the odd trio form a strong friendship. Ali shares with Ibrahim the burden of his loss, but Ibrahim’s introversion and shame hold him back. Ali feels betrayed when Ibrahim tries to drown himself and fails.

After Ali’s return to Cairo, his mother seeks extreme measures to cure her son. Lost and confused, Ali flees home and gets attacked by thugs.

Ibrahim uses those “voices” that he was finally able to record as a weapon to save Ali. He then forces Ali to meet Nada’s parents for the first time since her death so that he can heal from his emotional wounds. Ali gives them his condolences and cries in their arms. Ali finally understands that Nada’s spirit is not in the goat but in his heart. Through helping Ali, Ibrahim finds hope in life.

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In Egypt, the revolution is still on its way... Ali, his goat and Ibrahim embark on a surreal journey looking for hope; but the answers will only come from within.

In Tahrir square and since the first day of the revolution, humor has been used in unexpected ways.

Jokes were heard even in the most hopeless moments. Humor was circulating on facebook more than pictures of martyrs. Egyptian sarcasm is our way of dealing with our harsh reality. We feel there is no better way to tell Ali and Ibrahim’s tragic story except through humor.

This is because we continue to see hope in the future of Egypt in spite of everything.

Ahmed Amer

Ibrahim El Batout

writer

writer & director

Ahmed Amer attended acting and directing classes at the American University in Cairo as well as at UCLA.

Ibrahim El Batout (Writer/ Director)

He moved to New York City in 2003 where graduated from the New York Film Academy.

He has directed, written and edited two short films and worked as an assistant editor on several film and TV projects including PBS Art 21. Recently, Ahmed co-wrote Ibrahim El Batout’s latest feature film called R 4 Revolution.

Born in Egypt in 1963, Ibrahim started his filmmaking career in 1985 as a war cameraman.

In 2005, El Batout made his first low budget feature film Ithaki (2005) reflecting on his return to his homeland.

His second film Ein Shams (2008) won the Golden Tauro, the top prize at the 54th Taormina Film Festival in 2008.

Ibrahim’s third feature film Hawi (2010) won the Best Arab Film Award at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival and premièred internationally at the Rotterdam International Film Festival.

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production note Ali the Goat, & Ibrahim is a project that tries to prove that with low budgets, human stories and international co-productions we can produce high quality films that can put Egypt back on the map of world cinema. This film has a story that is related to the revolution in Egypt.

Due to the originality of the story, the tone of comic relief in the narration albeit of dramatic nature, this story can attract various audience groups, especially the young generation that took part in this revolution. Ali, the Goat, & Ibrahim can become quite a successful film, both artistically and from a commercial point of view because the film has a visual quality in its dramatic elements that makes it accessible to a worldwide audience.

Ali, the Goat, and Ibrahim Ibrahim El Batout & Ahmed Amer

Egypt Our main goal for this film is to structure it as a coproduction, not only to build its international profile but also to collaborate artistically.

I believe that the tastes of traditional Egyptian cinemagoers have prevented the creation of cinematic work in the country that can compete artistically and intellectually with international independent films. Egyptian cinema needs a new wave of filmmakers and filmmaking and this will not be possible unless independent filmmaking in the country is strengthened.

production company Hossam Elouan Ein Shams Films 16 Street 44, 5th Floor, Diplomats Quarter Mokattam, Cairo, Egypt T +20160528732 hossamelouan@gmail.com total production budget € 590.000 current financial need € 530.000

Hossam Elouan producer Hossam Elouan earned an M.A. in Cinema Studies from San Francisco State University.

Hossam returned to Egypt in 2008 to work as an independent film producer.

Hossam collaborates with established and emerging filmmakers who can become a source of innovation for alternative cinema in Egypt.

In 2010, Hossam worked as a delegate producer on Ibrahim El-Batout’s feature film Hawi.

Currently, Hossam is working on the development of several projects besides his ongoing projects: Ali, the Goat, and Ibrahim, and The Art of Flying.

One way we can achieve this is to partner with professionals from European countries where there can be an exchange of artistic knowledge and skills which will help develop this new form of Egyptian cinema in this era of change.

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script & intention The inspiration to write this film came from unanswerable questions about the way in which people’s steps are invisibly linked to the lives of strangers.

The story of the film starts with a young woman’s suicide attempt because of a similar incident I witnessed ten years ago in Beirut. Saved by three young men at the beach, she was brought to safety but ended up in jail that night. As she related the life she wanted to leave behind to those around, one of the young men that had brought her to safety expressed a deep regret, feeling they had made that woman’s life harder by having saved her.

Sabine El Chamaa writer & director

What are the steps that put these men on the scene of this woman’s suicide, and how could they not have made the choice to save her?

It is that invisible link between choice, destiny, and responsibility that the film questions.

There are no claims to any answers in the story which is rather a look into the small details and private thoughts running in the protagonists’ minds that make up the ebb and flow between “destiny” one moment and “choice” another.

One Day and 124 Nights Sabine El Chamaa

When war occurs in the film, it situates the story in a specific time frame July 2006, while remaining in the intimate intricacies of the individual stories. War is explored as a ‘forced’ destiny on the city of Beirut. This is what each of the characters ultimately realizes: That someone else’s actions is changing their lives drastically and that their fates are now under the scrutiny of invisible aerial bombers.

Lebanon synopsis Beirut.

On a cloudy July day, four destinies intertwine when runaway Hajr (age 17) fails in a suicide attempt from the rocks by the sea, leading to intense havoc on the streets. Overtaken by the commotion, university student Fadi (age 29) temporarily loses control of his motorbike and is hit by taxi driver Rafik (age 58).

Circumstances lead Hajr and Rafik to the same jail that night, while Fadi ends up in hospital where his girlfriend Yasmina (age 27) is informed that he is in a state of prolonged unconsciousness.

It is on another July day, later that same week that Beirut becomes the target of Israeli aerial bombings. Realizing that every day could be their last, the outlook of each of the protagonists on their pasts and uncertain future shifts.

While Yasmina sneaks into Fadi’s hospital bed to sleep by his side at night at the risk of getting caught, Hajr tries unsuccessfully to return to her bombed out village in order to reunite with her family. As for Rafik, he confronts his conscience tormented by a criminal past and starts to risk his life in order to save as many lives as he can.

And their paths meet again...

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Beirut. Hajr’s suicide attempt changes the lives of Fadi, Rafik, and Yasmina. Yet they have never met.

Can one act change the lives of total strangers?

The inspiration to explore the themes for my film came from a heightened sense of responsibility experienced during war where it seemed as though I, my family and friends and total strangers were all walking hand in hand in a minefield where every small step made by each one of us changed the paths of all the rest and thus had to be very delicate.

Sabine El Chamaa is a Lebanese filmmaker. She graduated from the University of Southern California’s Film School in 1997.

She has worked as a freelance editor in the United States and in Europe before shifting her focus onto writing and directing her own projects.

Sabine’s films include, the short fiction How Beautiful is the Sea, the animation Black on White, the documentary Passages From a Winter in Bosnia, the partially animated short fiction film Promenade, recipient of a Berlin Today Award production grant, that premiered at the 59th Berlin Film Festival in 2009 and the short fiction Un Mardi, winner of first prizes in the Muhr Arab Shorts competition at DIFF 2010 and at the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur 2011 (FIFF).

Sabine currently lives in London where she is pursuing a doctorate in Media at Goldsmiths University.

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Production notes budget & financing Established in Munich, Germany in 2000, NEOS Film is an independent production company that develops and produces films for cinema and TV. Our vision is to tell original, moving stories that provide a refreshing challenge for an international audience. Besides German content, we focus on projects with a potential for international coproduction and distribution. Since 2009, we have also been developing stories for interactive media and games. Over the years, NEOS Film has acquired a portfolio of feature films, numerous prize-winning short films as well as documentaries. Recent productions include internationally co-produced feature projects Jane’s Journey (doc., 2010),

distribution & sales The script of One Day and 124 Nights is currently being rewritten and will be available by the end of 2011. By this time, the co-production structure should be in place and initial casting begins. Our strategy is to approach distributors, sales agents and funds at this time and have a more complete package including an advanced draft of the script ready by then.

One Day and 124 Nights is a multi-character drama set in war torn Beirut in 2006. It is a poetic snapshot of the intertwined fates of the 4 main characters and the city itself. The story’s narrative appeals to a regional Middle-Eastern audience and has, in

One Day and 124 Nights Sabine El Chamaa

Lebanon Treasure Knights (2011) and Clara and the Secret of the Bears (2011).

The project One Day and 124 Nights is in the advanced development phase. It will be the first feature film of Lebanese director Sabine El Chamaa and our second collaboration with her after the short film Promenade in 2008. The filming will entirely take place in Lebanon, where we will be working with Sabafilms and a local service production company.

its core a universal and emotional approach that equally translates to an international audience.

The film is set to be a co-production between Lebanon/ME, Germany, France and possibly Switzerland where we are looking for a coproducer. The total production budget is estimated around Euros 1.3 million. Our financing strategy in Germany is to target public funds (Regional, FFA, World Cinema Fund), TV (ARTE) and distribution / sales. For France the financing strategy includes public funds (CNC, Francoph., F. Sud / Cinema du Monde) as well as Pay-TV (C+ / CC). As for the Middle East, we are looking for funds and investors as well as a distribution-deal in the region (all rights).

Production is set to start in the autumn of 2012.

Sabine El Chamaa’s previous short films Promenade and Un Mardi have been selected and awarded in various prestigious festivals (Berlinale, Dubai IFF, Warsaw FF, Sarajevo IFF, Montpellier, FIFF Namur, Arab FF Australia, New Beijing IF). Un Mardi has won first prizes in the Muhr Arab Shorts competition at DIFF 2010 and just recently at FIFF in Namur 2011.

Building on this history, we hope to screen One Day and 124 Nights at a major international festival that could spark interest in the film and give it a boost for distribution.

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Given the film’s structure and strong, unconventional storyline, the film clearly identifies as international art-house. We truly believe the film has a potential to travel and a high potential in the festival circuit. It is essential to find distribution in the co-producing countries and a sales-agent who has experience with art-house features.

production company NEOS Film GmbH & Co.KG Andreas Atzwanger Metzstrasse 14b 81667 Munich - Germany T +498962502870 F +49896250287111 andreas.atzwanger@neosfilm.de co-producer Sabafilms (Lebanon) total production budget € 1.300.000

Andreas Atzwanger

production status In development / financing as an international co-production between Europe (Germany, France / Switzerland) and the Middle East (Lebanon).

Andreas Atzwanger was born in Austria in 1973 and currently lives and works in Munich, Germany.

producer

He has over a decade of experience in the film business as a producer and is a graduate of Filmakademie BadenWürttemberg (Germany) and the University of California LA Extension.

He has also gained experience in the field of international film financing while working as an administrator for the film fund EURIMAGES in 2005.

In 2008, he was able to produce his first project in the Middle East (Lebanon), Promenade by Sabine El Chamaa that was screened at the Berlinale and Dubai IFF in 2009. Recent projects include internationally co-produced documentary feature Jane’s Journey (2010) as well as European feature films Treasure Knights (2011) and Clara and the Secret of the Bears (2011).

Andreas Atzwanger is the cofounder and managing director of NEOS Film GmbH & Co.KG, an independent production company established in Munich in 2000.

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script & intention Having come of age in Canada as the daughter of immigrants, I was always aware of socially marginalized communities and how it feels to be part of the periphery. Living around the world as an adult fanned this feeling of otherness.

When I moved to Beirut in 2009, for the first time I felt at home, but I immediately became aware of marginalized communities there, who despite having resided in Lebanon for decades in many cases, are isolated from mainstream Lebanese society due to their racial and cultural differences. In Beirut, as in much of the world, this is a reality for migrant labour communities. Beirut has a thriving and longestablished migrant labour community of Sri Lankans, Ethiopians, Filipinos and Bangladeshis, who lead rather invisible personal lives to most Lebanese.

I was drawn to the stories of these people and learned a great deal about their lives and relationships. I became inspired by their challenges to achieve happiness. What also fascinated me is how Lebanese many of them had become. For most of them, their second language is Lebanese Arabic, used to communicate with their employers and with each other since they come from diverse backgrounds.

Beirut Solo Sabah Haider

Lebanon synopsis On a Sunday morning in the Spring of 2009, men and children yell at each other as they try to move in a traffic jam of taxis, cars and bicycles in a quite Beirut street. A young soldier lies on a tank smoking. Two others eat and hiss at girls. YASSA, a Catholic Sri Lankan housekeeper, appears with two friends, silencing the soldiers. At 19, a widowed Yassa left her baby son with her mother and came to work in Lebanon. Since then, she has been employed by a Muslim family whose children she raised and she now cares for MADAM, their old dependent mother.

Yassa’s son is now 16 and she works to pay for his education. One day she meets RAJ, an educated Muslim Bangladeshi janitor. He is a socialist who is living illegally in Beirut. The only language they share is Arabic.

After some chance encounters they fall in love against the Madam’s wishes. Yassa battles with her obligations to Madam and her son with the chance of love; and chooses love. Feeling betrayed Madam fires Yassa, who finds a job as a concierge in a shabby building. She and Raj marry and live in her windowless room. Soon, Raj is arrested at a protest and is deported for having no papers, leaving Yassa grieving. She rises from her pain, and reassumes her life of living for others in a city where the absurd is the norm.

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Sometimes we are destined to live for others.

Most Arab films made in the Arab world tend to tell Arab stories about Arabs. But Beirut Solo tells a socially and linguistically Arab story of non-Arabs. As the Middle East becomes increasingly multicultural, I feel it is so fitting and beautiful to tell the story of two non-Lebanese longtime Beirut residents falling in love with each other. It is a story that transcends all cultures and people, and resonates with Arab and non-Arab societies. In the increasingly globalized world we live in, I believe social, cultural and national communities are part of our individual or collective imaginations. As a film that explores the lives of two socially marginalized “others” in Lebanese society, Beirut Solo addresses that.

Beirut Solo explores Beirut society, through the perspective of a Sri Lankan housekeeper who falls in love with a Bangladeshi janitor. They communicate with each other in Arabic, the only language they have in common, and exist in a city where the ordinary is the absurd.

Audiences will be able to identify with the ideas of sacrifice and otherness in Beirut Solo, enabling them to rethink their beliefs in an increasingly mixed world. These are ideas that will resonate with audiences and stay with them long after the film ends.

Sabah Haider writer & director Sabah Haider is a filmmaker and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon. Born in The Hague, Netherlands and raised in Canada, Haider started her career as a journalist and has lived and worked in the US, Canada, Europe, UAE and Lebanon. She has a degree in political science from the University of Guelph in Canada and an MA in Film Studies from University College London.

Haider began her career as a filmmaker between New York and London in 2007; where she studied filmmaking. She moved to Beirut in the spring of 2009.

She has made four short films, The International Bowie Fun Club (2008), The Punters (2009), Cercando Maria (2009) and her latest, Beirut, My Heart (2011).

Having grown up between many cultures, Haider has a deep understanding of being the other, and her journalism background gives her a critical understanding of the region.

These are both reflected in Beirut Solo, her first feature film project, which in May 2011, was selected for development by TorinoFilmLab, DIFF and EAVE.

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production notes budget & financing ..né.à Beyrouth was established in 2003 to develop, produce and co-produce fiction films. Our aim is to produce unique films that move audiences and tell stories that are timely and relevant. The company plays an active role in supporting emerging regional talent and the projects we support have a strong potential for international co-productions and distribution. In addition, the company also produces TV shows, music videos, corporate films, commercials and curates a DVD of Lebanese short films.

distribution & sales Although set in an Arab country, what makes Beirut Solo unique is that the story revolves around two migrant workers in Lebanon and the lives they lead on the periphery of mainstream Beirut society.

It is a drama that will give international audiences an insight into the lives of migrant workers in Arab countries.

Beirut Solo is currently in the script development phase and is the first feature film by Sabah Haider.

Regionally, most of the countries in the Arab world have large numbers of domestic workers who are

In addition, the overarching themes of the film are universal ones which a global audience will be able to relate to.

Sabah Haider

Lebanon

Due to the nature of the story, we will be looking for co-producers in Lebanon-Canada-Europe and the Middle East. We feel that the project has the potential to travel internationally especially if we are able to secure popular actors. If we are not able to find the right actors for the roles in Lebanon we will aim to get international talent. This would help later on for our marketing and distribution strategy. Both the producer and director are Canadian citizens, so we hope to find partners there that could assist with securing public funding and casting in Canada. We also plan on approaching film funds in Europe as well as the Middle East.

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total production budget $ 800,000 current financial need $ 30,000 for development costs production status in development

Pierre Sarraf producer Pierre Sarraf is one of the founding partners of ..né.à Beyrouth, the Beirut-based film development and production company.

Born in Beirut in 1975, Pierre grew up in a city divided by civil war. In 1990, he emigrated to Italy, France and then Canada to study Biochemistry and Business Management (MBA).

Beirut Solo

The film will be shot in Lebanon and ..né.à Beyrouth will be able to get preferential rates on the crew and equipment. As we are still working on the story, we estimate the production budget to be approximately USD 800,000. Our current need is to secure USD 30,000 so that we can complete the development of the script.

production company ..Né.à Beyrouth Productions CEC Building, Bloc B 5th Floor Mkalles, Lebanon T/F +961(0)1499606 M +9613137649 pierre@neabeyrouth.org www.neabeyrouth.org/

originally from Asia and the sub-continent and so the story of Yassa and Raj is one that regional audiences will also be able to connect with.

We believe that the film has the potential to do well at international festivals and theatrically. Its storyline is distinctive and the protagonists are novel. Our aim will be to partner with co-producers that can help with the distribution in their territories to ensure that the film gets to the widest audience possible.

After a few years of professional experience, he returned to Beirut in 2003 to set up ..né.à Beyrouth Productions which develops, co-produces and line produces fiction films (short and long).

In addition, ..né.à Beyrouth has played a major role in fostering the film industry in Lebanon.

Since 2001, it has organised the Lebanese Film Festival in Beirut. The company also serves on the board of the Cinema Committee at the Lebanese Ministry of Culture and it curates a compilation DVD of Lebanese short films. Pierre Sarraf also teaches Cinema Production at ALBA University.

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script & intention There are two myths that form the basis of The Mimosas, the eastern tales of Mullah Nasruddin (Djoha in Arab countries) and the western story of Faust and his pact with the Devil.

The search for the absolute carried out by Faust is what interests me the most from that story and it is the same one that the caravan travelers of The Mimosas share. The ambitious pursuit of power and knowledge always goes against them and it is somehow ridiculous and beautiful at the same time. This is how human nature is.

Djoha is a mythical character who embodies all the traditional knowledge and talent intrinsic in the basic Sufi principles, an elegant and fitting way to face the complex reality of the world today. Most of the characters that the travelers meet will try to seduce them with their ingenuity and apparent insanity; characteristics that are timeless and classical, who “unintentionally” always find an answer thanks to innocence and humility. I want to reflect Nasruddin´s insanity as an act of extreme lucidity.

The Mimosas Oliver Laxe

Morocco synopsis Akrám, Shakib and Nábil travel from Al-Andalus to Tumbuktú. They are full of ideals and great desires of self-improvement. But on their way, they bump into the Devil and are forced to stay in the Country of Idiots for a period of time. This country is such an enigmatic place that they have to adapt to it and pretend to be idiots. That is the only way they will be able to find what they have been looking for so eagerly: the secret of life.

They will learn that there is nothing more lucid than idiocy, nothing saner than insanity and they will also discover that truth lies in silence not in words.

However, this is not going to be an easy task. In fact, the demanding Devil is constantly threatening them and wants to have fun at their expense. For him, the three are samples of contemporary anti-heroes that embody the most ridiculous features of humanity. For us, they represent tenderness and beauty.

The slow pace of life in the Country of Idiots will gradually turn some aspects of reality into fantasy and vice versa: as all mysteries, the ones from this country come from an excess of reality.

In the Country of Idiots we all act like idiots; the wise man though does it seriously.

In this adventure film, both myths will allow me to alternate in The Mimosas between a tragic and solemn tone and a lightweight one.

These tones are antagonistic but necessary ways of looking at life.

“The truth lies not in one dream but in many dreams”, as it is said in the One Thousand and One Nights. The different scenes of The Mimosas will apparently look for contradictions rather than defined ideas. It is also an exercise with the otherness: we cannot grasp the truth of things, which is the aim of the travelers. However, we can do as the inhabitants of the Country of Idiots do and step aside to see things from a different perspective, break with the typical way of thinking and therefore open new dimensions to the perception of reality.

Oliver Laxe writer & director Oliver Laxe was born in Paris in 1982. He is the son of Spanish emigrants. After finishing his studies in cinema and filmmaking in Barcelona at the Pompeu Fabra University he moved to London, where in 2006, he filmed Y las chimeneas decidieron escapar, a 16mm short film made in collaboration with Enrique Aguilar.

He then ventured to Africa, spending the last five years in Tangier. In 2007, he filmed Suenan las trompetas – ahora veo otra cara and París #1.

These short films were screened in several festivals, including the BAFICI, the IndieLisboa International Film Festival, L’Alternativa in Barcelona and Las Palmas International Film Festival.

In Tangier he developed and implemented Dao Byed, a 16mm filmmaking workshop for disadvantaged children (daobyed.wordpress.com).

This experience gave birth to Todos vós sodes capitáns, his first feature film, which made its international premiere at the Quinzaine des Realisateurs in Cannes in 2010 and received the Fipresci award.

The Mimosas is an idealistic film about the absurdity of idealism.

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production notes budget & financing The Mimosas is Oliver Laxe’s second feature length film. It is now in the mid-development stage, with an estimated budget of € 1.1 million.

Oliver’s first feature, Todos vós sodes capitáns (You all are captains), made its debut at the Quinzaine des Realisateurs in Cannes 2010 (where it received the Fipresci award) and was internationally distributed in Spain, France, Portugal, USA, Mexico and Argentina.

For this new project we are looking for coproducers in Europe, Morocco and the Middle East.

We have already started negotiations with some production companies in Europe.

original title Las Mimosas distribution & sales The multiculturalism debate is of paramount importance. The Mimosas will not be a Moroccan film, neither a Spanish one. It will not be about the vision of Morocco from a European filmmaker; the intention is to reflect how cultural identities are interconnected and de-territorialized. We deeply believe that this approach would interest a worldwide audience.

We want to seek distributors and sales representatives with a complete screenplay and final co-production and financing plan already in place. As we plan to target urban art-house audiences all over the world, we will look for a sales agent with a strong experience in this field.

The Mimosas Oliver Laxe

Morocco At the time of printing, 15% of the budget had been secured. For the rest of the budget our strategy is to target funds in Europe (regional and national funds in Spain and in the other European countries we will co-produce with), broadcasters (TVG Spain, TVE Spain, Arte France and ZDF Germany) and theatrical distributors.

The script is being rewritten and will be completed by the beginning of spring 2012. Shooting is set to take place in the autumn of 2012, mainly in Morocco and probably also in Europe.

The participation of The Mimosas in the Interchange workshop and the Dubai Film Connection, as well as other co-production forums and markets in 2012 will help us find partners for the projects, in order to refine, develop, fund and market the film.

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We produced a teaser of The Mimosas which we plan to show to selected professionals in the film industry. This teaser will show our potential partners the visually outstanding atmosphere and the specific restlessness we want to reflect in the film.

Our objective is to repeat the festival strategy we had for our first feature film, debuting in one of the most important film festivals (Cannes, Locarno or Venice), which would give the film a visibility that will help its international distribution.

production company Zeitun Films Plaza de la Gaiteira, 2 15006 A Coruña - Spain info@zeitunfilms.com www.zeitunfilms.com total production budget € 1.100.000 current financial need € 940.000 production status mid-development

Felipe Lage producer Felipe Lage was born in Paris in 1979. He lives in A Coruña (Spain), where he is currently head of Zeitun Films. The company was created with a cultural and artistic commitment to produce Oliver Laxe’s projects as well as projects by other emerging auteurs.

Todos vós sodes capitáns (You all are captains) by Oliver Laxe, which travelled to all the most prestigious international festivals and received countless awards, was Felipe’s first production.

He was also responsible for the international sales and the Spanish distribution of the film.

Felipe has coproduced films from other young filmmakers: Arraianos by Eloy Enciso and El quinto Evangelio de Gaspar Hauser by Alberto Gracia.

The Mimosas and Sombie (by Santiago Fillol) are the projects he is currently working on.

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script & intention As an Egyptian filmmaker I believe that we can use the visual medium of cinema to bridge cultures and create better understanding of our humanity. I have the intention of seeing this film through an uncompromising lens as much as possible. I want to get to the heart of things and capture all the hidden thoughts and feelings of my characters without any judgment. I want to paint a picture of what happened and why people revolt. I want to show the truth and be committed to the truth rather than understanding it.

Egypt is going through a revolution. A change that we all wanted but never thought would happen in our life time. As a filmmaker I want to tell the story of an unmarried Egyptian girl who grew up conforming to her own social class, her own traditions and in a flash, she changed with no turning back. The story is told in chronological order.

The main character exists only within its own space, a space of itself formed by the state of mind of the people around her. In this strange double reality, the viewer sees double perceptions of the main character and the other world she wants to get out of it. The viewer will witness both worlds; the world that the main character wants and the world that was imposed on her, therefore permitting both proximity and separation.

No Return Ahmed Salah & Hesham Issawi

Egypt

The characters in the story are looking for a dreamy place where good things can happen or may happen. A place where hope seems possible and where coexistence can occur. But, it is not enough to wish for these things, they must work and fight toward them.

synopsis

In visualizing the film, I want to maintain a steady camera movement that brings out the psychology of the scenes and the emotion of the characters. My interest is to create a realistic cinematic work where camera, lighting, and actor movement are all unleashed to assume an authority to tell a straight forward linear narrative. The color plateau is natural brown for Egypt and vivid blue for some scenes. The mood is realistic and the sound design is an extension of the daily reality in the culture.

Wafa, a girl in her 20s, lives in Cairo. She is a conformist and sometimes a cynic, but only because deep down she is a disillusioned idealist. She feels helpless in the face of the economic events that wreak havoc on her family, yet her boyfriend Ali is hopeful that things will change.

Wafa struggles to survive like most Egyptians. She tries to help her family by working regularly while maintaining an independent life with Ali. But then, Ali dies in front of her in a prison cell.

Ali’s murder changes Wafa’s life. She embarks on a suspenseful journey to discover the truth about his death. Clinging fiercely to her sense of pride, yet at times feeling humiliated, she dives into a whirlpool of police corruption, violence, and deceit. She meets Karim, an activist and a blogger who helps her in her quest to find Ali’s killer. She is attracted to him but by delving into the political underground scene she soon finds out that Karim is yet another trap to monitor her movements.

A single girl chooses not to be afraid at a time when every one around her remains silent.

Film can be an important instrument for bringing greater awareness to serious social issues and for shaping national and sometimes international dialogue about a variety of subject matters. My goal is to show what happens when different mentalities collide, when dreams and realities confront each other.

Ahmed Salah writer Ahmed Salah is an Egyptian filmmaker. He studied information systems and communication in Egypt, before changing his career path to filmmaking and screenwriting.

At the beginning of his career in film, Ahmed worked as an assistant director on several films and TV series. He has also worked as a creative director on TV commercials. In 2009, he wrote and directed his first short film called Hold On which won for best cinematography at the Moscars Film Festival in 2011.

Inspired by the new independent filmmaking movement in Egypt, Ahmed has worked on several independent movies like Cairo Exit. In 2011, Ahmed wrote and directed a feature length documentary called The Imam about Radical Islam in Egypt. The film was produced by Fingerprint Production.

Ahmed is currently working with the director Hesham Issawi as the script writer on his next feature.

She finds herself in the middle of a plot of corruption that endangers her life. But Wafa, now with a sense of independence and strength and not afraid anymore, decides to speak out when everyone around her remains silent.

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production notes The budget is USD 1 million (around 6 Million Egyptian Pounds). We have approximately 20% of the financing in place with an equity investment from Egypt.

No Return is targeted at an international audience.

Our strategy is to have the script developed to a stage where we are competitive enough to approach potential partners for our project. We are looking for European and Arab co-producers to help finalise the budget, but would also like to approach broadcasters from both Europe and the Middle East. Therefore, we plan to present our project in the first half of 2012 at international co-production markets in order to find partners.

No Return Ahmed Salah & Hesham Issawi

Egypt Master Film Productions is a Cairo & LA based film production company focusing on unique stories from the Arab world with an international appeal and discovering new visions of filmmaking.

The company was established after the events of January 25th in Egypt and the departure of the Mubarak regime in 2011.

The goal is to offer fresh perspectives of everyday Arab life and social issues that have existed for generations and were being ignored or censored.

We want to encourage independent voices in Egyptian and Arab cinema. The hope is to collaborate with international partners in order to open the market for Arab films and create greater understanding of our culture.

character and the audience delve into the layers of complexity in Egyptian society. We discover the different social structures and the challenges and problems of Egypt. No Return is a “whodunit” story but it also gives an insight into the realities in Egypt.

We believe that this film has the potential to appeal not only to festivals but also to an international audience as it uses genre as a vehicle to transport social realities.

Despite the genre, No Return is a character driven story. We are currently looking for a named cast that has the potential to work in both the Egyptian as well as the international market.

production company Master Film Productions.

Maser El Gaddida, Cairo. Egypt Contact: Shirin Thabet or Hesham Issawi T +20111956620 (Cairo) T +12138042040 (LA) heshamissawi@yahoo.com total production budget $ 1,000,000 current financial need $ 800,000 production status financing, seeking co-producers

Hesham Issawi director & producer Hesham Issawi was born in Egypt and moved to the US in 1990 to study anthropology but changed his major to filmmaking. He graduated from film school at Columbia College (Chicago) in 1998.

In 2002, he produced and directed his first short film The Interrogation which won Best Creative Short film at the New York Film Festival and best Music Score at the California Film Festival. In 2003, he produced and directed the short film, T for Terrorist.

Hesham co-wrote and directed his first feature film AmericanEast in 2008 and followed this with Cairo Exit in 2010.

He works between Los Angeles and Cairo, which gives him a fresh perspective on the two cultures.

He has also co-produced the documentary, Saving the Sphinx (1998) for the Learning Channel.

No Return fits this profile precisely. On the surface and in the foreground, it is a thriller. The main character Wafa needs to find the motives behind her lover’s death and step by step she, and along with her, the audience, dive into the suspenseful plot behind the murder. But behind the genre structure and by using it, Wafa, the main

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script & intention Writer’s intention I am Scottish, living in Berlin, but have also travelled extensively in the Middle East and Central Asia, and studied and taught for substantial periods of time in West Africa and India. These experiences are not wholly different from that of my father and his forefathers. But with one distinction. I undertook my travels as a student, writer or teacher, the first in many generations of my family not armed and uniformed and obliged to murder in the forced ‘adventure’ of British colonialism.

While I felt an early repugnance to this history, my imagination was nonetheless stimulated towards horizons very far distant from a home in working class Glasgow. I am not proud of this legacy. Yet I do want to deal with that subject.

In my experience as writer and script editor, I have often had to deal with strong, active female characters. Gertrude Bell was (as she described herself) such ‘A Person’.

And finally, crucially, we touch on the subject of Iraq. BELL will be a feature film, not a history lesson. First and foremost, it is the story of a restless, enterprising woman. But I hope, too, it will ease a viewing public in to some understanding of the successes, failures and fault lines of the early creation of this sometimes perplexing, modern nation-state, Iraq.

Bell William MacKinnon & Samir

Switzerland synopsis This is the story of two modernities: of a challenging and assertive Englishwoman, courageous before her time; and the re-emergence of Arab identity into its modern, if separate nation states. The context is the creation of Iraq. The period begins in 1914. The background consists of imperialism, war, religious conflict, and oil. The woman is Gertrude Bell.

Bell drew up the boundaries and maps, had intimate knowledge of the desert and its tribes and campaigned vigorously to weld together the diverse and often conflicting social elements that would form this new country. Escapist, mountaineer, explorer and spy; she would finally adopt the cause of Arab independence, leading to her alienation from the British authorities in Iraq.

It was a time of intrigue, shifting loyalties and bitter factional infighting.

With her familiarity of the desert, Gertrude Bell was in a singular position to negotiate the situation. Her reputation stretched from London to Delhi and she was regarded as a very gifted intelligence officer. Highly implemental in placing the deposed Syrian King Faisal onto the throne in Baghdad, she became his friend, earning the epithet, “The Uncrowned Queen of Iraq”.

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She was pursuing a dream: restore Iraq and install an Arab King.

She was a British spy. She was Gertrude Bell.

Director’s intention I was born in Baghdad in the 1950s and it seemed that the conversations between the adults were always affected in some way by the British colonial past and its influence on the history of Iraq.

When I was a boy, I witnessed the 1958 coup against the Iraqi king and his British backers very closely. Despite the anti-colonial attitude my family had, one figure of the British colonial administration in Iraq was always spoken of positively: Gertrude Bell.

William MacKinnon writer William “Billy” MacKinnon was born in Glasgow, Scotland.

He has written screenplays for several critically acclaimed films including Small Faces and Hideous Kinky, starring Kate Winslet.

He has also worked on screenplays as a script-editor, such as Jane Campion’s Academy Award winning script The Piano. William MacKinnon has lectured at various institutions such as the Scottish Film Council and BAFTA. He currently lives in Berlin, Germany.

Gertrude Bell has an accumulation of very interesting and dramatic character components. Not only does she have to make her way in a secret service organization dominated by men, but she also has to complete a colonial mission as a European woman in the midst of a misogynistic Arab society.

I think that Gertrude Bell is an excellent character that allows me to show the relationship between the Orient and the Occident in a completely different way. I am an Arab filmmaker, who lives and works in the west, but I am very closely tied to the Arab world, especially Iraq due to my heritage, and it is my desire to build this bridge.

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production notes Since 1994, Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion develops, produces and markets films about cultural, political and social issues. Dschoint Ventschr’s documentary and fiction films are based on the themes of cross-cultural encounters, changing national identities and unconventional interpretations of history.

A biopic about Gertrude Bell fits perfectly into the profile of our company. Bell had a complex personality and although she was a spy for the British she was very fond of the Arab culture and its people. The complex interdependence of British and Arab interests that manifested themselves Gertrude Bell’s actions can be seen

from many different countries have expressed their interest in this moving life story, pointing out many different possible strategies. Dschoint Ventschr sees itself as a gateway between cultures and we are certain that with Samir, a director who has made documentaries on the historic transformation processes in the Arab world, especially in Iraq, our project will live up to Gertrude Bell’s legacy.

co-producer Enlil Film & Art Production Company Ltd., Iraq distribution & sales BELL will have an international cast and we expect it to premiere at a major international festival. Due to the good working relationship of the writer with international stars like Kate Winslet and Tilda Swinton, we are confident in winning the interest of actors with an international market potential.

William MacKinnon & Samir

Switzerland

BELL might be the most ambitious and challenging project our company has ever undertaken. The historic setting and the complexity of Gertrude Bell’s life story demand a production scale that clearly goes beyond the scope of regular European film funding opportunities. This is one of the reasons why we are looking for possible coproducers and financial partners in Europe as well as from the Arab world. We are looking forward to pitch BELL at the 2011 Dubai Film Connection - the co-production market of the Dubai International Film Festival and to discuss our project with potential co-producers from the Arab world.

Our project has attracted the attention of European producers and co-producers. BELL was presented at the Nordic Co-Production and Film Financing Forum at the Norwegian International Film Festival in August 2011. Potential co-producers, financial partners, distributors and world sales representatives

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total production budget € 10.000.000 current financial need € 9.000.000 production status in development

Bell

as a cross-cultural encounter and in its historical setting, it additionally meets Dschoint Ventschr’s primary topical interests.

production company Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion AG Molkenstrasse 21 8004 Zürich - Switzerland T +41444563020 office@dschointventschr.ch www.dschointventschr.ch

The part of Gertrude Bell, even for a leading actress, is a particularly strong one.

We envisage Europe and North America to be the main markets. A European release should be followed by a US release and a Middle East platform release to maximize publicity.

More detailed talks with distributors and world sales agents will commence once we go into production financing. Our film has the potential to appeal to festivals as well as broader cinema audiences which is why we expect to work with an internationally established Sales Agent.

Samir director & producer Samir was born in Baghdad in 1955 and grew up in Switzerland.

He started working in the film industry in 1982 as a freelance writer and director.

Today, Samir is well known for his unique work in video and electronic cinema on over 40 films. In 1994, he cofounded Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion together with the director Werner Schweizer.

Directing several feature films and series, he has worked for various German broadcasters such as SAT1, RTL, Pro7, WDR, ZDF and the French-German ARTE. His films have won many awards and he has gained recognition for the innovative aspects of his work. Samir also teaches at several film schools in Switzerland and Germany.

We can rely on Disney, Warner or Pathé to become our national distribution partners in Switzerland, as there already have been earlier collaborations with these organisations.

Prior to shooting we expect to have multiple pre-sales (or securing MG’s) from other European countries – which should be feasible once the cast is in place.

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script & intention I have been living in Germany for the past nine years. Since my first day here I’ve never stopped comparing it to my own country, Lebanon.

I now feel the need to talk about my two cultures, the people, their traditions, their ways of thinking and the inevitable clash.

With this film I wish to stress on how little we know about each other, how ignorant we are when it comes to history and its influence on people, how different Lebanese and Germans are and yet how similar they remain when it comes to feelings.

During my childhood, despite the wars my family and I endured, everyone portrayed the world to me in pink. They thought they would protect me by not telling me the truth about life. During those years, I grew older but never really grew up. Life stopped so often for us while it was going on for the rest of the world. We had no electricity and no water but jasmine blossomed on our balconies. We had picnics, holidays and birthday cakes but in between we ran so often to the shelters. Bombs and cockroaches frightened us and ceasefires made us happy. Ceasefires equalled silence and birds twittering.

As is the case with the main protagonist, DALIA, the women of my generation - Christian and Muslim alike - were not only traumatised by the war but they also were constantly being brainwashed into studying for an honours degree, getting married and having children before the age of thirty!

The World is Pink Myrna Maakaron

Lebanon / Germany synopsis Dreaming of romance and freedom, DALIA (30), a Lebanese woman falls in love with a German musician, STEFAN (33). She runs away to marry him in Berlin regardless of her Catholic and bourgeois parents.

Once in Germany, Dalia is puzzled to discover that Stefan lives in a tiny flat and can hardly earn a living. Dalia’s pink expectations collide with reality. Ashamed, she leads her parents to believe she has an idyllic life.

Her neighbours, a gay Jewish cook and a retired prostitute, try to raise her flagging spirits. Despite love, Dalia feels homesick and lonely.

Her control freak mother, MARIE-CLAUDE, suddenly appears without notice. Nauseated by her daughter’s lifestyle, she tries to persuade Dalia to return to Lebanon. Disregarding Stefan’s opinions, Marie-Claude disrupts the couple‘s daily routine to the point where Dalia revolts and refuses to give in. Dramatizing her pain, Marie Claude heads home, having made sure she has fractured the couple’s integrity.

Stefan loses his job and cannot pay the rent. The lovers clash. Disillusions are finally voiced. Anxious and insecure, Dalia sells her grandmother’s ring and flies home.

Feeling out of place in Beirut, Dalia misses Stefan and finds out she is pregnant. Whilst she is secretly planning to go back to him, Stefan appears at her door!

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In Beirut she was afraid to die, in Berlin she was afraid to live.

On the other hand, our mothers had lost their youth and passions over the long years of war. Some could not express their love without disregarding their children’s real needs and, in a way, damaging their development. This trait is shared by many Lebanese and Arabic families and characterizes the colossal influence mothers have on their children’s lives.

The world is pink is a love story that doesn’t shy away from butterfliesin-the-stomach, complexity and pain. The lovers are from such different cultures, Lebanese and German, that the narrative inevitably combines humour and drama. It hinges on a central dichotomy that contrasts war-torn children with fairytales. It is also a story about embracing our families despite the harm they might have done. It is about not giving up our pink expectations and learning to grow from disappointment. And mainly it is about committing when we love despite all the differences.

Myrna Maakaron writer & director Myrna Maakaron was born in Beirut during the war. Her love of cinema began in childhood because of her grandfather, one of the first Lebanese film distributors. Since the age of fifteen she has acted on stage and in films such as Once Upon a Time Beirut and Civilised People. She studied filmmaking at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA) and theatre at the Sorbonne Nouvelle. Since 2002, she has been living with her husband and children in Germany.

Myrna has directed several short films. Une Rencontre won a prize for the script in a competition by FEMIS, Conte d’adulte was awarded at the Beirut Film Festival, Confusion was selected at several festivals and BerlinBeirut was invited to more than 100 festivals and won nine awards including: Berlin Today Award (Berlinale), Discovery Channel Film Award for Best film (Leipziger Dokfilmfest), Best Short Film (Carthage, Tunis).

Myrna is also a film programmer and consultant running the children film sections for the Dubai and Beirut International Film Festivals.

The World Is Pink is her debut feature.

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production notes We established NiKo Film in Berlin in 2006. Our focus is on international art-house feature projects for cinema and television.

Exceptional films are our passion: stories that take us away to a different world and make us happy, if only for a moment; films bearing a distinct signature and unique identity. We consider ourselves the accomplices of our authors and directors, help them realise their visions.

We have produce such films as Lumber Kings, The Stranger in Me and Kill Me and co-produced The Prize, Every Day is a Holiday and Double Take.

All these films were doted with awards, screened worldwide in prestigious film festivals and were released in many countries.

distribution & sales The World is Pink has the potential to appeal to a wide audience thanks to its humour, freshness and depiction of universal conflicts in life and love. It is a charming tale about the clash of cultures between an Arab and a German, the clash between men and women, between mothers and daughters, and finally, the clash of sweet dreams and bitter reality.

Though all this may be extremely painful in life, it is funny to talk about and to watch.

The film will have a sensitive, playful, fresh approach to the cinematic form, with a strong and entertaining narrative that touches the hearts of it’s audience. Myrna’s films are poetic and she

production company NiKo Film Nicole Gerhards Prinzessinnenstr. 16 10969 Berlin, Germany n.gerhards@nikofilm.de T +4917610162977 T +493027582836 www.nikofilm.de total production budget € 1.500.000

Nicole Gerhards

current financial need € 1.280.000

producer Nicole Gerhards studied Theatre and French in Paris as well as Producing at the dffb (Deutsche Film and Fernsehakademie) in Berlin. Besides working for various production companies as a production manager and freelance producer, she graduated from the dffb with the film Charlotte which screened in 2004 at both the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes and at the Perspektive Deutsches Kino at the Berlin Film Festival.

production status script development

The World is Pink Myrna Maakaron

Lebanon / Germany budget & financing The World is Pink is both a bittersweet drama and a fresh, playful, life affirming and uplifting love story. It is the first story of its kind about a Lebanese woman and a German man. There is a playful originality to Myrna’s scripts that has proven realisable on the big screen in the past. The World is Pink is still in development; the final draft is to be completed in summer 2012.

approaches drama with a light and amusing touch whilst tenderly considering her heroes. The World is Pink is targeted at a European and Arab audience and appropriate festivals. The characters of the story will appeal to at least two generations as well as to women and men. Our goal is to have a well-developed script and an initial idea of casting by early 2012 before we then approach distributors and sales agents.

In 2006, Nicole founded NiKo Film. She has produced successful, award winning films such as The Stranger in Me, Double Take and The Prize which won two Silver Bears at the Berlinale 2011, amongst other accolades. Nicole is a member of EAVE and ACE as well as the German Film Academy.

The film will be a co-production between Germany, Lebanon and possibly a third country. The budget is approximately € 1.500.000.

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painter: Arjan van Helmond

We plan to receive financing from German and international funds as well as television stations.

We are looking for co-producers and commercial investors in Europe and the Middle East.

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script & intention 3000 Nights is inspired by the true stories of the children who were born in Israeli prisons and the young girls coming of age behind bars.

It is first and foremost a human story that will follow the journey of a young mother as she struggles to raise her child behind bars: finding, through her relationship with the other prisoners, the time and space to reflect, develop, and mature as a young woman. The freedom she gains through her struggle inside the prison walls will give her the strength she needs to face the injustices of her own society.

I am drawn to this story because it allows me to explore the complex relationships that take place within the intimacy of a confined, hidden space of a women’s world. Prison is a powerful metaphor for the condition of the Palestinian people and Palestinian women in particular. The film takes us into the personal lives of the Palestinian political prisoners and the Israeli criminal offence inmates whose shared incarceration triggers not only fierce conflicts but also unique and unexpected moments of solidarity.

This story has been living with me for such a long time that I feel that I have been imprisoned with these women and seen the same walls and heard the same sounds. I am approaching my first fiction film from a long experience in documentary. My aim is to preserve the authenticity of the true stories of the women and to put them into a dramatic and cinematic framework.

3000 Nights Mai Masri

Palestine / France / Switzerland synopsis LAYAL, a young newlywed schoolteacher from Bethlehem is arrested after a speeding Israeli military patrol gravely injures one of her students, provoking her teenage brother to throw a Molotov cocktail at the jeep.

Accused of helping him escape, she is incarcerated in an Israeli prison where she discovers that she is pregnant. To her shock, her husband insists she abort the child. She feels terrified and alone. With the help of the women around her, she learns to stand up for herself and fight for her child.

She is taken in chains to a military hospital where she gives birth to a baby boy. The child transforms her life and gives her hope. The Palestinian women prisoners go on hunger strike. The prison director threatens to take Layal’s child away if she joins the strike. She is torn between her terror of losing her child and the difficult decision she must make. In a moment of truth, she decides to join the strike. The guards are sent in to take the child away by force. Layal and the women barricade themselves inside their cells. The soldiers attack them with clubs and tear gas. Layal learns to fight back. She must stay strong for herself, her child, and the day they will be reunited.

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A young woman gives birth to a baby boy in prison, through her struggle to protect her child, she finds the strength to survive and resist.

The darkness of the solitary cells will contrast with the blinding light penetrating from the outside. The seedy side of prison will contrast with the scenes of the village and warmth and humor of the prisoners.

The women secretly sew colorful clothing and crave seeing a piece of blue sky, a green plant or a colored insect. These flashes of color will contrast with the oppressive mood of the prison where colors are forbidden. The characters will often be framed through the bars, hatches, and barbed wire. The camera will be subjective, focusing on details (eyes, hands, body language). It will capture the magical world of a child embarking on his journey of discovery. .

3000 Nights will be coproduced by Les Films d’Ici (France), Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion (Switzerland), and Nour Productions (Lebanon). One third of the funding has been raised so far. We are in the final stage of script development and have begun casting and location scouting. We are aiming at a strong cast comprised of experienced actors along with first time talent.

Mai Masri writer & director Mai Masri studied film at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University (USA) where she graduated with a BA degree.

She directed and produced several films that were broadcast on more than 100 television stations worldwide and received over 60 international awards including the Luchino Visconti Award in Italy, 2003 and the Mipdoc Trailblazer award in Cannes, 2011.

She founded Nour Productions in 1995 with her husband, filmmaker Jean Chamoun.

Filmography includes: 33 Days (2007), Beirut Diaries (2006), Frontiers of Dreams and Fears (2001), Children of Shatila (1998), A Woman of her Time (1995), Children of Fire (1990), Suspended Dreams (1992), War Generation-Beirut (1989), Wild Flowers (1986), Under the Rubble (1983).

She also produced several films

by Jean Chamoun, including: In the Shadows of the City (2000) Hostage of Time (1994), Women beyond Borders (2004), Passion of the Laurel (2008) and Lanterns of Memory (2009).

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production notes Nour Productions is in charge of the fundraising in Arab countries and worldwide except for France and Switzerland. Nour Productions has already secured the following funds: EIC Jordan (300.752 € euros), Ministry of culture of Palestine (15.037 €), JCC Award Carthage (7.519 €).

3000 Nights was one of the 13 projects selected out of 260 applications for Sorfund (Norway) and was one of the 10 shortlisted projects out of 170 for the Shasha Grant Award in Abu Dhabi.

Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion is in charge of raising funds in Switzerland (through TV, funds, theatrical distributors).

3000 Nights Mai Masri

Palestine / France / Switzerland Les Films d’Ici handles the fundraising in France (through TV, funds like Fonds Sud, theatrical distributors…) and has secured l’Aide à la Francophonie (40.000€ euros). They are also in charge of finding a sales agent for the film and will assume the leadership of the production.

3000 Nights is a perfect editorial fit for our company: it is extremely strong, both emotionally and politically. This is exactly how the films - we have produced and will produce - must be.

It is a great honour to team up with Mai on her journey into fiction which is based on her huge documentary background.

Mai Masri’s documentaries have been shown on TV and in festivals all over the world (“Frontiers of Dreams and Fears” won 14 international prizes). Mai has received many honours for her work both in the US, Europe and the Middle East. We know her reputation will raise strong theatrical and festival interest for 3000 Nights in the Middle East.

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original title 3000 Layla We are currently polishing the script in order to establish a universal human story in the foreground, thus allowing the political background to stand out in a more organic way.

Mai is also working on the cast and will start scouting soon. A mood board and strong cast, together with the new version of the script, are the tools we need to convince the New Fonds Sud, sales agents, distributors and TV stations - who are willing to read a new version of the script - and to take the film to festivals like Cannes or Berlin.

production company NOUR PRODUCTIONS MAAMARI Street Majdalani Building Beirut, Lebanon T +9611372801 mai.masri@hotmail.com LES FILMS D’ICI 62 Bd Davout 75020 Paris, France T +33144522329 charlotte.uzu@lesfilmsdici.fr www.lesfilmsdici.fr DSCHOINT VENTSCHR FILMPRODUKTION Molkenstrasse 21 CH- 8004 Zurich, Switzerland T +41444563020 tunje@dschointventschr.ch www.dschointventschr.ch total production budget € 1.579.924 current financial need € 1.300.000 we already have more than € 300.000 in place production status in-financing

Tunje Berns

Charlotte Uzu

co-producer

producer

Tunje Berns (Dutch/Swiss) was born in 1979 in Amsterdam.

She graduated in 2000 with a B.A. (Hons) in Film, Media & TV Studies from Buckinghamshire New University, UK. After her studies she lived in Portugal, London and Sydney working on various productions as a production assistant and/or manager.

Founded in 1984, Les Films d’Ici, is one of the most firmly established companies in France, with a catalog of over 700 films including: Waltz with Bashir by Ari Folman, Buried Secrets by Raja Amari and Michel Petrucciani by Michael Radford.

In 2005, she moved to Zurich, joined the Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion team and became a partner in 2008, responsible for international fiction coproduction and sales.

In 2007, she participated in the EAVE Producers Training Programme. She also teaches film finance and budgeting at Zurichs’ SAE Institute.

She has produced Operation Libertad, a feature by N. Wadimoff, Puppe (2011), a feature coproduction with Germany by S. Kutzli, Robber Girls (2009), a feature coproduction with Luxembourg

by C. Monti, and the short films Heart Pouch, Flower Room and Chronomaniacs. Currently in pre-production: Dawn by Romed Wyder, a Swiss/UK/ German/Israeli coproduction set in Palestine in 1947.

Following an MA in art history and anthropology in Canada and Mexico (University of Montreal - Puebla), a graduate degree in production (Nancy 2) and a European Master of Management (INA); Charlotte Uzu began her career in the film industry as an assistant.

Since 2003, she has been responsible for the international development of Les Films d’Ici and structures the financing of films with co-producers and broadcasters worldwide.

She has produced documentary and fiction films with international directors. Recent titles include: Cerro Bayo by Victoria Galardi (TVE prize in San Sebastian 2010), El Velador by Natalia Almada (The Director’s Fortnight Cannes 2011) and The Look - Charlotte Rampling by Angelina Maccarone (Official Selection Out of Competition Cannes 2011).

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Trainee Script Consultants Naji Abu Nowar Jordan

Nadia Eliewat Jordan

biography

biography

Death of a Boxer (2009), Naji Abu Nowar’s latest short film, played at the Palm Springs International Shortfest, Dubai International Film Festival, Miami Short Film Festival, Horcynus Film Festival, the Franco-Arab Film Festival and the Jordan Youth Forum.

Nadia graduated from the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts with an MFA in Screenwriting and Producing in 2010. Prior to that, she had started her filmmaking career by writing and producing short films that won national and international awards. With her first feature script Where to London?, Nadia participated in RAWI, the Middle Eastern screenwriters lab in 2010 and produced her first feature film When Monaliza Smiled in the summer of 2011. She currently teaches Digital Production and Story-telling in the Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication at the American University in Dubai.

It has also aired on Roya TV and Yalla TV. Naji is an alumni and on the selection committee of the RAWI Screenwriters Lab in association with the Sundance Institute. He is currently in pre-production for his first feature length fiction film, The Guest.

intention

contact naji@shakoush.com

Script consultancy is extremely rewarding for two reasons. The first is that you get to help a writer improve their script. You help them solve problems or answer questions that perhaps they were unable to before.

When I Script Edit, I try to let the writer realize the problems in their script themselves, rather than telling them. I always find I understand something better if I come to the realization myself and so I try to encourage the writer to do this. The result will hopefully be the writer reaching an organic solution that is fully in line with their own vision, rather than imposing one on them. This is something I learned from my experience at the RAWI Screenwriter’s lab in collaboration with the Sundance Institute.

The second reason is that, as a screenwriter myself, script consultancy teaches you a great deal. It provides a wealth of new knowledge that can prove extremely productive to your own writing. So you are advising and learning at the same time in an exchange where both parties benefit. To me that is a rare and wonderful thing. As a script consultant trainee I have been doubly blessed in that I have learned from both the Script Consultants and the Writers.

Script Consultancy is about asking the right questions so that writers realize the problems with the script themselves and find their own solutions.

intention Being a screenwriter and producer, I am fascinated by how hearing the right word or story from someone at the right time can change the path of a scene and sometimes an entire script. I have seen scripts develop drastically based on these magical words and I made it my intention to learn how and when to say them.

My writer brain: Teaching screenwriting has enabled me to build experience and tools for story editing. The most challenging part, yet the most important part for me, is to help writers edit the stories that they want to tell as opposed to what I want to hear, by making the writer always focus on the core of their story. However, it is sometimes difficult to maintain that. Being a writer, it is easy for my brain to go into its own space and start imagining the story as I would like to write it and I have to keep switching it back to the brain mode of the writer I’m working with.

My Producer brain: It is a blessing to be a producer as well; I never look at script with one mindset, there is always a producer in the back of my head. When I work with a writer on editing their script, my producer brain tries to see the end result and looks to solve problems in the writing stage and not in post. My Writer and Producer minds are inseparable.

contact M +971567249517 nadia.eliewat@gmail.com skype: nadiaeliewat

If writing a script is giving birth to a new story, story editing would be helping the new born child to walk.

Together, they look for problems, put them on the table for the writer to see and look for answers based on the writer’s intention. I make sure I always have at least one solution in mind; I never point out a problem for the sake of it, being a writer myself I know how devastating it can be.

I respect each writer’s “Baby” and I handle them with care.

My long term intention, in addition to growing as a creative producer, is to become a professional script editor, so that I can work with Arab writers from the region on making their babies’ fly all over the world.

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Trainee Script Consultants Malak Quota Saudi Arabia

biography Very few things are as complex as the creation of a successful film. It is a medium that inherits so many aspects of life and most importantly it is a vehicle through which the ideas and expressions of the filmmaker are projected back to the world. To me film is all about relationships. The relationship of the film to the audience, the auteur to the medium and the relationship between the structure and characters present.

As a writer, developing a script can be both exciting and easily overwhelming. There is an endless array of expressions and directions one can take. Finding the right one means to hone in on what is necessary.

Working as a script consultant gives me a chance to assist the writers on such a challenge. My objective is to always listen in order to understand the message the writer is trying to convey. We then work on analyzing the text by determining what is necessary and lacking. Once that is done we can then begin to create a structure with characters that tell a captivating story that embodies the needed message.

Being part of the Interchange workshop has helped me develop my skills further and collaborating with so many talented filmmakers has been truly remarkable. I thank everyone in the program and wish all the filmmakers the best of luck.

contact T +966568435212 malakbq@yahoo.com malak@malakq.com www.malakq.com

Keep is simple.

Keep it honest.

intention Malak Quota is a filmmaker specializing in animation and live action integrated with animation. She is from Saudi Arabia and moved to the US at the age of sixteen where she studied animation and film. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Media from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, where she produced successful short films. She has worked at motion graphics companies, games companies and nonprofit organizations. She has worked in the USA, Saudi Arabia and Dubai and is now working on another short film, Dumya which is a mix of live action and animation. She currently lives in Saudi Arabia. Malak’s films have been nominated for several awards and screened at festivals all over the world. She continues to experiment with many mediums, infusing art through animation and film, creating pieces of moving art that move the audience both visually and emotionally.

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Ic Savina Neirotti TorinoFilmLab Director Jane Williams Director of Dubai Film Connection & Film Forum

Staff

Alan Fountain Head of Studies Mercedes Fernandez Alonso TorinoFilmLab Project Manager Ayesha Chagla Assistant Manager, Dubai Film Connection & Film Forum Trupti Ashar Coordinator, Dubai Film Market

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