I met the young producer/ writer/ director Halima Ouardiri at Tiff 12 through their mentoring program. Born of a Swiss mother and a Moroccan father in 1977 in Geneva where she spent her childhood and adolescence experiencing various activities such as dressage of horses and close protection of Saudi Arabian princesses. She now lives in Montreal where she studied political science and then cinema at Concordia University. Working at EyeSteelFilm , she gained experience in the production of independent films. She wrote the screenplay and directed a fiction short, Au Sol in 2004 and La Robe in 2009, a documentary short. She won the Grand Prix of the 'Cours écrire ton court!' Competition organized by Sodec with the screenplay for Mokhtar which she then directed.
Her next project, Body, really sparked my interest. It tells the story of a young woman who enters a world of intrigue when she is hired as the bodyguard for a visiting Saudi princess. Body is drawn directly from her experience as a bodyguard. Back in 2003, she became the bodyguard of a Saudi princess on holiday in Geneva. She was only twenty-five years old and had taken the job to make some money over the summer. Halima told me, "The opportunity has since inspired me to make a film that offers a unique exploration into a closed and unseen world, where the ultra-privileged can escape reality, and as a result loose touch with humanity. I like to observe what makes us human today, and so I must look at concrete and extreme situations which society has constructed."
Halima just travelled back to Geneva where she is planning to shoot Body, in the Summer of 2014. She finds the city of Geneva very inspiring, a catalyst to finishing the script in the next 3 months.
Previously, Halima wrote, directed and produced the award winning short, Mokhtar. Based on a true story, it recounts the tale of a young boy who lives with his family of goat herds in a remote Moroccan village. One day, the boy finds a fallen owl and decides to keep it despite the fact that the owl is considered a bad omen. Mokhtar’s new pet becomes a symbol of rebellion against his family and an icon of his fledgling independence. Kinship, religion and spirituality are all confronted in this film that celebrates inner and outer strength.
Filming was no small feat. Halima shot on super-16 in the remote countryside of Morocco near Agadir casting local villagers, goats, and an owl to be the stars of the film. Of all the cast, only the owl was trained as an actor. Since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Canada Short Cuts), Mokhtar has traveled to a hundred international film festivals (Dubai, Rotterdam, Berlin, SXSW), and has won numerous awards for Best Short.
Her next project, Body, really sparked my interest. It tells the story of a young woman who enters a world of intrigue when she is hired as the bodyguard for a visiting Saudi princess. Body is drawn directly from her experience as a bodyguard. Back in 2003, she became the bodyguard of a Saudi princess on holiday in Geneva. She was only twenty-five years old and had taken the job to make some money over the summer. Halima told me, "The opportunity has since inspired me to make a film that offers a unique exploration into a closed and unseen world, where the ultra-privileged can escape reality, and as a result loose touch with humanity. I like to observe what makes us human today, and so I must look at concrete and extreme situations which society has constructed."
Halima just travelled back to Geneva where she is planning to shoot Body, in the Summer of 2014. She finds the city of Geneva very inspiring, a catalyst to finishing the script in the next 3 months.
Previously, Halima wrote, directed and produced the award winning short, Mokhtar. Based on a true story, it recounts the tale of a young boy who lives with his family of goat herds in a remote Moroccan village. One day, the boy finds a fallen owl and decides to keep it despite the fact that the owl is considered a bad omen. Mokhtar’s new pet becomes a symbol of rebellion against his family and an icon of his fledgling independence. Kinship, religion and spirituality are all confronted in this film that celebrates inner and outer strength.
Filming was no small feat. Halima shot on super-16 in the remote countryside of Morocco near Agadir casting local villagers, goats, and an owl to be the stars of the film. Of all the cast, only the owl was trained as an actor. Since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Canada Short Cuts), Mokhtar has traveled to a hundred international film festivals (Dubai, Rotterdam, Berlin, SXSW), and has won numerous awards for Best Short.
- 11/12/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
SXSW Film Festival Announces Midnight Features & Shorts
Austin, TX – Today the SXSW Film Festival revealed their Midnight Features & Shorts program.
The Midnighters section of SXSW is known for premiering the work future stars of the horror genre. Filmmakers Eli Roth, and Ti West, are a few notable directors who have had their films screened during the Midnight Features.
”Our midnight programs are the bloody, beating heart of SXSW,” said SXSW Film Conference & Festival Producer Janet Pierson. “Since the beginning, midnight films have been an essential ingredient to what makes SXSW so exciting and fun, and this year’s selections are no exception.”
Out of over 3000 short films submitted, only 150 were chosen, and will screen as part of twelve overall shorts programs.
“After months of reviewing a record number of submissions, we’re tremendously happy to share the final program,” said Shorts Programmers Claudette Godfrey and Stephanie Noone, “The short films...
Austin, TX – Today the SXSW Film Festival revealed their Midnight Features & Shorts program.
The Midnighters section of SXSW is known for premiering the work future stars of the horror genre. Filmmakers Eli Roth, and Ti West, are a few notable directors who have had their films screened during the Midnight Features.
”Our midnight programs are the bloody, beating heart of SXSW,” said SXSW Film Conference & Festival Producer Janet Pierson. “Since the beginning, midnight films have been an essential ingredient to what makes SXSW so exciting and fun, and this year’s selections are no exception.”
Out of over 3000 short films submitted, only 150 were chosen, and will screen as part of twelve overall shorts programs.
“After months of reviewing a record number of submissions, we’re tremendously happy to share the final program,” said Shorts Programmers Claudette Godfrey and Stephanie Noone, “The short films...
- 2/11/2011
- by Albert Art
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Following the unveiling of the fantastic 2011 feature line-up last week, the South by Southwest Film Festival has announced the films selected to play at midnight throughout the nine-day event, as well as the complete list of short films.
Insidious, a haunted house flick from Saw director James Wan, is among the midnight program, along with Xavier Gen’s sci-fi thriller The Divide, Sundance favorite Hobo With a Shotgun, Argentinean entry Phase 7, and Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block. In previous years, the midnight and SXFantastic programs has helped launch the careers of Gareth Edwards (Monsters) and Eli Roth (Hostel).
Spike Jonze returns to the festival with another short film titled Scenes from the Suburbs, his second collaboration with (and about) the band Arcade Fire after his moving feature Where the Wild Things Are.
For those of you attending the festival, the schedule will be released on February 15 along with details about film-related panels.
Insidious, a haunted house flick from Saw director James Wan, is among the midnight program, along with Xavier Gen’s sci-fi thriller The Divide, Sundance favorite Hobo With a Shotgun, Argentinean entry Phase 7, and Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block. In previous years, the midnight and SXFantastic programs has helped launch the careers of Gareth Edwards (Monsters) and Eli Roth (Hostel).
Spike Jonze returns to the festival with another short film titled Scenes from the Suburbs, his second collaboration with (and about) the band Arcade Fire after his moving feature Where the Wild Things Are.
For those of you attending the festival, the schedule will be released on February 15 along with details about film-related panels.
- 2/10/2011
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
Today the midnight features and short sections were announced for SXSW 2011.
This year the midnight features section has some awesome films, including Hobo With A Shotgun, James Wan’s Insidious, Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block, Xavier Gens’ The Divide, and Ben Wheatley’s Kill List. This years shorts include 150 films including, Spike Jonze’s Scenes from the Suburbs and a doc short from Jay Duplass.
Here's the full list of SXSW 2011 midnights and shorts:
Midnight Features
Midnighters
Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.
Films screening in Midnighters are:
Attack The Block (UK-England)
Director & Writer: Joe Cornish
A funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of alien monsters. It turns a tower block into a sci-fi playground. It’s inner city versus outer space. Cast: Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard,...
This year the midnight features section has some awesome films, including Hobo With A Shotgun, James Wan’s Insidious, Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block, Xavier Gens’ The Divide, and Ben Wheatley’s Kill List. This years shorts include 150 films including, Spike Jonze’s Scenes from the Suburbs and a doc short from Jay Duplass.
Here's the full list of SXSW 2011 midnights and shorts:
Midnight Features
Midnighters
Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.
Films screening in Midnighters are:
Attack The Block (UK-England)
Director & Writer: Joe Cornish
A funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of alien monsters. It turns a tower block into a sci-fi playground. It’s inner city versus outer space. Cast: Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard,...
- 2/10/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Every year 'round about this time the Toronto International Film Festival Group announces their selections as Canada's Top Ten Feature Films and Short Films. Selected by a jury of industry professionals it's general a pretty good guide for what's happening here in any given year.
This year's selections were announced today and while I personally consider the absence of Jacob Tierney's Good Neighbours to be a significant omission it's pretty hard to argue with the titles that are actually in there. The films selected will all screen at the Tiff Bell Lightbox beginning in January. Here's the full announcement:
Toronto -- Tiff revealed the top 10 best features and top 10 best short films of 2010 this evening at the 10th annual Canada's Top Ten industry event, hosted by Peter Keleghan and Leah Pinsent. Established in 2001, Canada's Top Ten celebrates excellence in Canadian cinema and raises public awareness of Canadian achievements in film.
This year's selections were announced today and while I personally consider the absence of Jacob Tierney's Good Neighbours to be a significant omission it's pretty hard to argue with the titles that are actually in there. The films selected will all screen at the Tiff Bell Lightbox beginning in January. Here's the full announcement:
Toronto -- Tiff revealed the top 10 best features and top 10 best short films of 2010 this evening at the 10th annual Canada's Top Ten industry event, hosted by Peter Keleghan and Leah Pinsent. Established in 2001, Canada's Top Ten celebrates excellence in Canadian cinema and raises public awareness of Canadian achievements in film.
- 12/15/2010
- Screen Anarchy
The 29th annual Vancouver International Film Festival concluded its 16-day run, October 15.
The Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema went to Hirohara Satoru of Japan for the film "Good Morning To The World", with Special Mentions for "Don't Be Afraid Bi!" and "Rumination".
The Et Canada Award for Best Canadian Feature Film went to Quebec director Denis Villeneuve for "Incendies", with an Honourable Mention given to Denis Côté's "Curling".
The Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film award was presented to Quebec's Halima Ouardiri of Quebec for "Mokhtar".The Best Canadian Actress Award was given to Lubna Azabal for "Incendies" and The Best Canadian Actor Award was presented to Alexander Gammal for director Ingrid Veninger's "Modra".
Audience Awards included the Rogers People's Choice Award for the UK/Brazil co-pro of Lucy Walker's "Waste Land";
the Viff Most Popular Canadian Film Award was awarded to "Two Indians Talking", directed by Sara McIntyre.
The Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema went to Hirohara Satoru of Japan for the film "Good Morning To The World", with Special Mentions for "Don't Be Afraid Bi!" and "Rumination".
The Et Canada Award for Best Canadian Feature Film went to Quebec director Denis Villeneuve for "Incendies", with an Honourable Mention given to Denis Côté's "Curling".
The Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film award was presented to Quebec's Halima Ouardiri of Quebec for "Mokhtar".The Best Canadian Actress Award was given to Lubna Azabal for "Incendies" and The Best Canadian Actor Award was presented to Alexander Gammal for director Ingrid Veninger's "Modra".
Audience Awards included the Rogers People's Choice Award for the UK/Brazil co-pro of Lucy Walker's "Waste Land";
the Viff Most Popular Canadian Film Award was awarded to "Two Indians Talking", directed by Sara McIntyre.
- 10/24/2010
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
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