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17th Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts Opens the Call for Film Submissions in 2014 / Ismailia Co-production Platform Opens the Call for Film Entries as Part of Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts
CoProduction Platform
About coproduction Platform
Introduction to Ismailiya Documentary Co-Production Platform
The Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentary and Shorts is holding the second round of the Ismailia Platform, the co-production forum of the festival. This co-production platform for documentaries was the first of its kind to take place in the Middle East region last year. These co-production meetings will be an opportunity to have meetings with experts, sales agents, and funders. The event is unique because it is exclusively dedicated to documentary films from all over the Arab world. International projects that have an Egyptian or Arab connection are also welcome to apply.

The goal of the co-production platform is to support new and emerging filmmakers to make their projects see the light. The Ismailia International Film Festival wants to support creativity, imagination and freedom of expression through its commitment to endorse the work of creative filmmakers and artists interested in telling stories about the region.

This year the festival has selected extremely interesting and worthwhile projects. Some of them are by first-time filmmakers and some of them are by established documentary filmmakers. Many of the projects follow daring and new grounds in terms of subject matter and filmmaking. During our three days in Ismailia, we hope that the synergy and hard work will give birth to new thoughts and inspiration for both the filmmakers and industry delegates.

Co-Production Platform Team

Festival President
Kamal Abdelaziz

Festival Director
Mohamed Hefzy

Head of Co-Production Platform
Maggie Morgan

Co-production Platform Coordinator
Nawara Shoukry

Panels and Fundraising
Racha Najdi

Co-production Platform programs
A Training Program for Arab Creative Documentary Directors In Collaboration with Beirut DC LAB

The training will last for 2 days where the participants will analyze and develop the idea of a documentary film project with the help of Arab professionals.

During the training, the participants will:
• Apprehend the steps of writing a documentary film
• Learn the different components of a production file
• Benefit from the expertise of Arab professionals

The work will be done in two levels:
- Group work, all through the two days, with Syrian Filmmaker HalaAlabdallah
- One-to-one meetings, on the 2ndday, with Egyptian Filmmaker and writer Viola Shafik


Free Training for Documentary Filmmakers In collaboration with the MENA Training Program organized by Documentary Campus e.V as well as Screen Institute Beirut

To develop storytelling techniques and pitchdocumentary projects at international markets, the 2ndIsmailia Co-production Platform (ICP), in collaboration with Documentary Campus e.V and Screen Institute Beirut (SIB), launches a new free-of-charge training for filmmakers with documentary projects. Selected projects will be given the opportunity to apply to the Mena Goes Berlin workshop which will take place in Berlin in September, 2014. We are looking for documentary projects by Arab filmmakers which are already in an advanced development stage. They may also have a cross-media orientation.

The training will take place on 5th and 6th June; including lectures on storytelling techniques and pitching documentary projects at international markets. Participants will also get the opportunity to showcase their projects to the attending producers and they will also have several communication opportunities and networks. In addition, there are financial awards to the winning project.

With the help of remarkable Arab professionals, the training gives the participants the opportunity to develop storytelling skills and techniques; exchange knowledge and communicate with other filmmakers and get a chance to get financial support that goes upto 3 projects selected by ICP.

Co Production Platform Jury

Irit Neidhardt
Born in Germany in 1969 and raised in both Germany and Israel/Palestine, Irit Neidhardt received her education at SOAS (School for Oriental and African Studies) in London. Read More

Irit Neidhardt
Born in Germany in 1969 and raised in both Germany and Israel/Palestine, Irit Neidhardt received her education at SOAS (School for Oriental and African Studies) in London. Since 1995, she has been teaching and curating in the field of Middle Eastern Cinemas.

Running mec films, a distribution and co-production company for films from the Middle East and North Africa, Neidhardt had released films such as Rana’s Wedding by Hany Abu Assad, The One Man Village by Simon El Habre and Mahdi Fleifle's A World Not Ours in German theaters. Neidhardt is Associate Producer of Mahmoud al Massad’s award-winning feature-documentary RECYCLE and Co-producer of El Habre’s highly acclaimed The One Man Village. Neidhart wrote various articles on subjects related to cinema and the Middle East.

Jad Abi-Khalil
Born in 1973 in Lebanon, Jad Abi-Khalil studied Cinema at the IESAV (Institute of Performing Audiovisual and Cinematographic Studies) in Beirut. Read More

Jad Abi-Khalil
Born in 1973 in Lebanon, Jad Abi-Khalil studied Cinema at the IESAV (Institute of Performing Audiovisual and Cinematographic Studies) in Beirut. He directed many short films and feature documentaries such as Sorry (2011), Thirty (2003), Sir Mr. President (2003) and Arafat (2011). Since 2007, he started producing feature documentaries: The One Man Village by Simon El Habre and Diaries of a Flying Dog by Bassem Fayad (in post-production).

Abi-Khalil is a founding member of Beirut DC, the Cultural Association for Arabic Cinema, and he was the chairman of its board from 2009 till 2013. He has been the head of DOCmed Training Programme since 2011.


Tahani Rached
Born in Egypt, Tahani Rached kicked off her career in Canada where she studied at Montreal’s School of Fine Arts. After a brief hiatus, Read More

Tahani Rached
Born in Egypt, Tahani Rached kicked off her career in Canada where she studied at Montreal’s School of Fine Arts. After a brief hiatus, Tahani presented her directorial debut, Pour Faire Changement, in 1972, a documentary produced by Le Vidéographe. In 1979, she made her first feature debut, Les Voleurs de Jobs, which was about immigrants in Quebec, Canada. The film was produced independently, and was followed by a series of six half-hour documentaries for Radio-Quebec on Quebec's Arab community. Tahani's films participated in several international and local film festivals including Cannes International Film Festival in 2006, the Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts, Festival International du Cinema Mediterraneen de Tetouan in Morocco, and the Arab Screen Independent Film Festival, London. Tahani was a festival honoree in the Ismailia 16th edition last year and this year she is back as a member of the Co-production Platform jury.


Co Production projects in development

Dream Away
In Development ‎
Director: Johanna Domke, Marouan Omara
Synopsis: Longing for freedom and material gain, young Egyptians are lured to Sharm Al-Sheikh where Western tourists can be found
Read More

Dream Away
In Development
Director: Johanna Domke, Marouan Omara

synopsis:
Longing for freedom and material gain, young Egyptians are lured to Sharm Al-Sheikh where Western tourists can be found. Yet nothing in this larger-than-life sea resort is what it seems. “Dream Away” is a journey deep into the imagination of a generation that dreams to survive.

Director Johanna Domke:

Born in Germany, Johanna Domke is a Visual Artist and Filmmaker. She is producing work for a cross-over field between art and cinema with both structural and socio-political approach. Johanna received much attention in international exhibitions and film festivals around the world.



Director Marouan Omara:

Born in Egypt, Marouan Omara is a director who is engaged in film, video and photography. His films have been shown in major International film festivals. His films have been shown in major international film festivals.



Producer Roman Roitman:

Roman Roitman is the co-founder of Filmbucht Filmproduktion GbR. In 2013, Roman participated in the Producers Workshop at Cannes Film Festival, and was invited to join the co-production market, Conecting Cottbus # 15.

Miguel’s War
In Development ‎
Director: Eliane Raheb
Synopsis: From Lebanon to Barcelona, Madrid, Andalousia and Syria, the film tracks down Miguel’s journey of self-confrontation and his quest for true Love.
Read More

Miguel’s War
In Development
Director: Eliane Raheb

synopsis:
From Lebanon to Barcelona, Madrid, Andalousia and Syria, the film tracks down Miguel’s journey of self-confrontation and his quest for true Love.

Director and Producer Eliane Raheb:

Born in Lebanon, Eliane Raheb directed two short films for which she was awarded in several film festivals. Then, she turned to directing documentaries including So Near Yet So Far (2002), Suicide (2003), and Hayda Lubnan (2008) which received the Excellency Award at the Yamagata Festival.

Sumo Habibi Sumo
In Development ‎
Director: João de Mendonça Lima Filho
Synopsis: A sport film celebrates the fascinating world of contemporary Sumo; highlighting the unique life of Arabic/African
Read More

Sumo Habibi Sumo
In Development
Director: João de Mendonça Lima Filho

synopsis:
A sport film celebrates the fascinating world of contemporary Sumo; highlighting the unique life of Arabic/African Sumo wrestler Osunaarashi Kintaro, a charismatic determined athlete and a passionate for the most iconic Japanese sport.

Director and Producer João de Mendonça Lima Filho:

is a Rio de Janeiro-based Brazilian Filmmaker who has a various cultural background as he was raised in France, Germany, Paraguay, UK and Japan. He moved to London for a bachelor in Fine Arts at Goldsmith University focusing on photography and videos (art installations and experimental videos). Mendonca directed 4 short films. He wore, directed and starred in his third directorial effort, IDORU, which was shortlisted at the Rio Film Festival

Ward Number 3
In Development
Director: Aida Elkashef
Synopsis: Different reasons, same result, a dead husband and a murderous wife.
Read More

Ward Number 3
In Development
Director: Aida Elkashef

synopsis:
Different reasons, same result, a dead husband and a murderous wife.

Director Aida Elkashef:

Based in Cairo, Aida Elkashef is an independent Director and Producer. She is the co-founder of Ganoub Film. As a director, her short film, Rhapsody in Autumn, received the Silver Arab Muhr Award at Dubai International Film Festival. Her acting debut in the Indian independent film, Ship of Theseus, earned her the Best Asian African Muhr award at the Dubai International Film Festival along with many other awards.

Producer Ganoub Film for Production and Distribution:

Established in 2000 by the late Director Radwan El Kashef, Ganoub Film’s first production was El Saher (The Magician) which was the third and last film of the late director. El Kashef’s death put the company's business in a halt, but young Filmmaker Aida El Kashef brought it back to life in 2014 by producing two feature documentaries; the first is Mammar El Sahafa by Basel Ramsis and the second is Ward Number 3 by Aida El Kashef.

At the Wind’s Mercy
In Development
Director: Hisham Saqr
Synopsis: Occupied by his fear of not belonging, a filmmaker sets off a stream-of- consciousness journey across Egypt to meet several Egyptian citizens
Read More

At the Wind’s Mercy
In Development
Director: Hisham Saqr
Producer: Ines Khedira

synopsis:
Occupied by his fear of not belonging, a filmmaker sets off a stream-of- consciousness journey across Egypt to meet several Egyptian citizens from different backgrounds and how they relate to their lands in time he is desperate to leave his own country.

Director Hisham Saqr:

At the age of 18, Hisham Saqr started his career as an Assistant Editor and Technical Supervisor. As an editor, he took part in 5 fictions and 3 documentaries; winning Best Film Editor award at the Dubai International Film Festival 2010. Saqr is also an alumnus of both the Berlinale and Durban talent campuses.

Producer Ines Khedira:

Studied Mass Communication and Film at the American University in Cairo, Ines Khedira is an Egyptian Tunisian Director who helped the launch of the first Cairo Film Connection (a networking platform). Despite her extensive experience in the filmmaking industry as a volunteer and an assistant, “At the Wind’s Mercy”is Khedira’s debut as a professional producer.

Dance with a Bullet
In Development ‎
Director: Dhyaa Khaled Joda
Synopsis: A diary written by Jehanne, a Bedouin girl, forms the base for an experimental documentary that traces real-life revolution stories by
Read More

Dance with a Bullet
In Development
Director: Dhyaa Khaled Joda

synopsis:
From the safety of an exiled existence in Sweden, an Iraqi dancer returns to Baghdad to perform in the place where he was shot several years earlier – to dance with the bullet still lodged in his chest in hopeful defiance for a better future for his country.

Dance with a Bullet

Director Dhyaa Khaled Joda:

Dhyaa Joda was born in 1979 in Baghdad, Iraq where he studied Cinema at the University of Fine Arts in Baghdad. Dhyaa worked as a Cameraman and Filmmaker for several Arabic TV channels; Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabia and Al-hurra. Many of his films screened in Europe including: "Last 30 days in Baghdad" in Belgium, “Message for Dar el Salam" at the Academy of Kuma, Belgium; "Sunset Trip" at the Film Festival Offline Baghdad, Milan, and at the Arabic Film Festival, Rotterdam.

Producer Maarten Schmidt:

Graduated from the Brussels film school St-Lukas, Schmidt is a renowned international documentary producer. Having founded Storyhouse, he is currently producing 5 documentaries, 3 of which are international co-productions with Huystee from The Netherlands and Al-Muhanna from Kuwait.

In Grey Depths
In Development ‎
Director: Mona Lotfy
Synopsis: Exploring the two-faceted definition of darkness through the story of “El Maghara”, the only coal mine in Egypt, the film tackles
Read More

In Grey Depths
In Development
Director: Mona Lotfy

synopsis:
Exploring the two-faceted definition of darkness through the story of “El Maghara”, the only coal mine in Egypt, the film tackles two types of darkness: the first is the psychological darkness found in fear and loneliness, and the other is a physical one found in the tunnels of the mine.

Director and Producer Mona Lotfy:

Born in Cairo, Mona Lotfy studied filmmaking at The Jesuit Cinema School in 2011. Her short film A Walk in the Grey Sun participated in the Arab Film Festival Rotterdam in 2012. She is currently working on her first feature-length creative documentary, In Grey Depth.

Co Production projects in Post Production

Esmi Nidal
Post-Production ‎
Director: Nidal Hassan
Synopsis: Nine years after shooting his film “Salty Skin”, Filmmaker Nidal Hassan returns to his small coastal city Tartous.
Read More

Esmi Nidal
Post-Production
Director: Nidal Hassan

synopsis:

Nine years after shooting his film “Salty Skin”, Filmmaker Nidal Hassan returns to his small coastal city Tartous. There, in those shabby poor neighborhoods nearest to the sea where he was born, is where he tracks his new film.

Director Nidal Hassan:

Born in Syria, Nidal Hassan completed his first film “Salty Skin” which is a long film combining between the documentary and feature style. His documentary “Al Hob, Al Hayah, Al Mawt w Ahyanan Al Thawra” is about the Syrian revolution and was chosen to participate in the DIFF.

I Am A Script Girl
Post-Production ‎
Director: Mina Nabil
Synopsis: Using a flashback narrative style, the film tracks the life of Sylvette Baudrot who spent 65 years working as a script girl with Laurel & Hardy, Hitchcock and Roman Polanski. Read More

I Am A Script Girl
Post-Production
Director: Mina Nabil

synopsis:
Using a flashback narrative style, the film tracks the life of Sylvette Baudrot who spent 65 years working as a script girl with Laurel & Hardy, Hitchcock and Roman Polanski. It leads us back to watch her journey that started in Alexandria where she was born.

Director Mina Nabil:

Born in Alexandria, Mina was the director and scriptwriter of his first feature film Book of the Entry which belonged to the experimental cinema. In 2012, his film Away From the Heat received the golden prize of the Masry Asly Film Festival.

Producer Marianne Khoury

Marianne had worked with late iconic Filmmaker Youssef Chahine for more than three decades. Her first documentary is The Times of Laura (1999) and Women Who Loved Cinema (2002). Her last project Zelal was an official entry in the Venice Film Festival 2010 and won DIFF’s FIPRESCI of the same year.

Producer Mark Lotfy

After graduation, Mark established a post-production house for both audio and video production. He joined several workshops about filmmaking, screen writing, editing and documentary directing. From 2005 till 2011, he directed and produced short movies and documentaries and worked as a Line Producer for some features.

Man Behind the Microphone
Post-Production ‎
Director: Claire Belhassine
Synopsis: Known as the "Frank Sinatra of Tunisia", Papa Hedi's songs continue to inspire revolutionaries and conservatives alike. But why did he keep his fame a secret from his family?
Read More

Man Behind the Microphone
Post-Production
Director: Claire Belhassine

synopsis:
Known as the "Frank Sinatra of Tunisia", Papa Hedi's songs continue to inspire revolutionaries and conservatives alike. But why did he keep his fame a secret from his family? “The Man Behind the Microphone” reveals the incredible story behind such legend and offers a fascinating insight into Tunisia's cultural evolution.

Director Claire Belhassine:

Claire Belhassine holds a Bachelor of Arts from London University in Drama and Film Arts. She has worked extensively in the British Media as a Writer and Stylist. As a Producer-Director, she has dealt with many prominent clients such as Sony, MTV and Deutsche Bank.

Producer Anne Lund :

Anne has a master in directing documentary from The National Film and Television School in the UK. She has a background working on feature length documentaries in Denmark. Anne is currently based in London working as a development producer at Roast Beef Productions.

Waiting for Justice
Post-Production
Director: Ahmed Fawzy Saleh
Synopsis: The film traces the escape journey of two fugitives sentenced to death for their alleged participation in murdering 72 Cairenes of Al-Ahly fans.
Read More

Waiting for Justice
Post-Production
Director: Ahmed Fawzy Saleh

synopsis:

The film traces the escape journey of two fugitives sentenced to death for their alleged participation in murdering 72 Cairenes of Al-Ahly fans. Through this exceptional situation, we see the contradictions of Egypt three years after the ouster of Mubarak as we question people’s acceptance and justification of violence.

Director: Ahmed Fawzy Saleh

Production House: Haut les Mains Productions

About Ahmed Fawzy Saleh

Ahmed Fawzi Saleh is a creative Egyptian director and a human rights activist. Born in Alexandria, Saleh was raised in Port Said and holds a degree in History from Suez Canal University. He then studied Screenwriting in High Cinema Institute (2009). As a Researcher and a Scriptwriter, he took part in several documentaries. He directed an experimental short film, Mocha, then, he directed his documentary Living Skin that screened in 20 international film festivals and received 3 awards.

About the Producer: Haut les Mains Productions

hautlesmains is a brand new production company based in Lyon (France) and founded in 2009 by independent producers Karim Aitouna and Thomas Micoulet. The company aims to produce features and documentaries with captivating stories that focus on social and multicultural matters, by collaborating with talented filmmakers and production partners from Southern Europe and Middle East.

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