Two Jordanian films win at Sundance festival
January 27th, 2008
Captain abu Raed
A film by Amin Matalqa won the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Awards.
Director Amin Matalqa accepts the World Cinema Audience Award for his film ‘Captain Abu Raed’ at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008. Sundance said that it was the first feature film from Jordan in 50 years
(sundance interview with matalqa and Sawalha)
Recycle
Inspired by his reporting on al Zarqawi and Al Qaeda for international news agencies, Jordanian/Palestinian filmmaker Mahmoud al Massad returns to Zarqa, where he grew up, to make Recycle. With ravishing cinematography that belies the unforgiving landscape, Massad charts the daily life of a religious Islamic man trying to survive in one of Zarqa’s poorest neighborhoods.
Mahmoud al Massad – Independent filmmaker Mahmoud al Massad was born in Zarqa, Jordan. After studying film and art at Jordan’s Yarmouk University, he worked in the television and film industry in Romania, Italy, and Germany. Since 2002, al Massad has been consistently returning to Jordan to work on projects including Recycle, Jackie and the 40 Yellow Cabs, and DNA. Recycle was made with the support of the Sundance Documentary Lab and the World Cinema Fund, Berlin.
Mahmoud Al Massad won the World Documentary Cinematography Award.
Congrats to Matalqa and his crew,Masaad and his crew ..we are so proud of you
January 28th, 2008 at 11:28 AM mabrook amin and massad. this is amin's second award with the first being at the dubai festival where his film got best actor. this is mahmoud massad's third award. his film, even before it was finalized, won an award at San Sabastian's and at the Berlinale. the amazing thing is that mahmoud massad had no money and no support from anyone when he started. he did not even go to film school. he used a cheap video camera. mahmoud massad's gives those poor arab filmmakers hope that they too can do it.
January 28th, 2008 at 01:18 PM Mubruk / Congradulations are so in order! But I did'nt know Mahmoud was born in the Zarka and the movie was filmed there? Hmmm, I wonder if Iwas there the year he filmed? Where can we see the movie? I would love to see it!
January 28th, 2008 at 02:02 PM >>> Sundance said that it was the first feature film from Jordan in 50 years This lie has got to stop. I don't understand why the jordan royal film commission keeps spreading these lies ignoring so many Jordanian filmmakers who made a number of feature films during the last 50 years. Someone needs to teach the rfc the basics of decency and a lesson about jordan's movie history 101.
January 28th, 2008 at 06:42 PM odeh thank you so much for providing us with this info.i wish there is more coverage on massad's film.if you can link us for more info or a trailler we'd appreciate it faten yes faten me too,i would love to see both.and i wish we had more like masaad and matalqa. Samaha The royal film commission did that? i wonder why!! i thought it was the Sundance .i am sure we had movies made through that period of time.
January 29th, 2008 at 09:35 AM A review of Recycle and Captain can be found at www.7iber.com.
January 29th, 2008 at 07:50 PM thanks Ramsey :)
January 29th, 2008 at 08:12 PM the opening of Captain abu Raed in jordan will be on the 6th of february 2008
February 29th, 2008 at 11:15 PM How can we see both movis? we are in the USA , thanks