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SANAD funded film, Madame Courage by Merzak Allouache, selected for Orrizonti Competition 

twofour54 today announced that its film development and post-production fund, SANAD, has partnered with Final Cut in Venice, a workshop of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, to support the best Arab film participating in the workshop’s selection.

In an initiative to further support Arab filmmakers, SANAD joined forces with one of the most prestigious film events that provide tangible support for Arab and African films. The Final Cut in Venice workshop consists of two days in which the working copies of selected films are presented to producers, buyers, distributors and film festival programmers. The workshop will conclude with the awarding of prizes to winning films in support of their post-production phase and the winner of Best Arab Film will receive a cash prize of 10,000 Euros provided by SANAD.

The 72nd Venice International Film Festival, which opens 2 September 2015, today announced their official selection which includes a SANAD funded film, Madame Courage by Merzak Allouache, as part of their Orrizonti Competition for 2015. At the 2013 edition of Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Allouache received ‘Variety Filmmaker of the Year’ award and ‘Best Arab Director’ award for directing SANAD funded film, The Rooftops, which was the only Arab film to be screened at Venice that year.

Ali Al Jabri, Director of SANAD, said: “Arab films and filmmakers are making strong strides towards international recognition; not only are they being featured and screened at various film festivals, but they’re also commendably competing and winning prominent accolades. Our partnership with the Final Cut in Venice workshop will provide Arab filmmakers with another level of support and exposure internationally and we are confident that Arab cinema has a lot to offer the international scene.”

Over 50 films were submitted for the Final Cut in Venice workshop and six projects were selected to participate, these are:

• Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim by Sherif Elbendary (Egypt)
• House in the Fields by Tala Hadid (Morocco)
• Path of Paradise by Atia Al Daradji (Iraq)
• Roosters of Beirut by Ziad Kalthoum (Syria)
• Separation by Hakar Abdulqadir (Iraq)
• Zaineb Hates the Snow by Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia)

Additionally, Venice Days recently announced their official selection which included another SANAD funded film, As I Open My Eyes by Leyla Bouzid, which was supported in both its development and post-production stages.

The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world and one of the ‘Big Three’ along with Cannes and Berlin. It aims to raise awareness and promote the various aspects of international cinema in all its forms. The Festival also organises retrospectives and tributes to major figures as a contribution towards a better understanding of the history of cinema.

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