Founded by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organisation that actively advances the work of independent storytellers in film and theatre and its annual eponymous film festival the highlight of the year for cinephiles.
This year the prestigious festival had over 14,259 submissions from 152 countries.
These are the Arab films that have caught the public eye.
Dunya’s Day – International Shorts Category
Saudi Arabia, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Raed Alsemari)
Abandoned by her domestic help, Dunya fights to throw the perfect graduation soirée.
Gaza – World Documentary Category
Gaza/Ireland/Canada (Directors: Garry Keane, Andrew McConnell, Producers: Brendan J. Byrne, Garry Keane, Andrew McConnell, Paul Cadieux)
Gaza brings us into a place beyond the reach of television news reports to reveal a world rich with eloquent and resilient characters, offering us a cinematic and enriching portrait of a people attempting to lead meaningful lives against the rubble of perennial conflict.
Aziza – International Shorts Category
Syria, Lebanon (Director: Soudade Kaadan, Screenwriters: Soudade Kaadan, May Hayek)
A dynamic take on the life of Syrian refugees, told through black comedy.
Brotherhood – International Shorts Category
Canada, Tunisia, Qatar, Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Meryam Joobeur)
When a hardened Tunisian shepherd’s son returns home after a long journey with a new wife, tension rises between father and son.
