The two films will be presented at the MIFF's Africa & Middle East strand.
Melbourne International Film Festival will screen Amjad Al Rasheed’s Inshallah a Boy, the first Jordanian film to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival, and Mohamed Kordofani’s debut feature Goodbye Julia in its 71st edition. The film festival will take place from August 3 to 27, 2023.
Goodbye Julia will have two screenings — the first on Wednesday, August 9 at 6:15 pm, and the second on Sunday, August 20 at 9:15 pm. Meanwhile, Inshallah a Boy will have three screenings throughout the festival’s run-time — the first on Friday, August 4 at 8:45 pm; the second on Sunday, August 13 at 2 pm; and the last on Friday, August 18 at 3:45 pm.
Inshallah a Boy, a co-production between Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, is overseen by Jordan-based producer Rula Nasser for The Imaginarium Films.
The film tackles the problematic issue of women and inheritance in Jordan, an issue which is prevalent throughout the Arab world, where, due to antiquated laws, men inherit twice as much as women.
Directed by Amjad Al-Rasheed and co-written alongside Delphine Augte and Rula Nasser, Inshallah a Boy stars Muna Hawa, Haitham Omari, Salwa Nakkara, Yumna Marwan, Mohammad Al-Jizawi, Eslam Al-Awadi, and Cilina Rababa.
Meanwhile, MAD Solutions and Lagoonie Film Production are in charge of distributing it all over the Arab world and Pyramide International is handling international sales and distribution in France.
Goodbye Julia follows the story of Mona — a northern Sudanese retired singer in a tense marriage — who is wracked by guilt after covering up a murder. In an attempt to make amends, she takes in the deceased’s southern Sudanese widow, Julia, and her son, Daniel, into her home.
Unable to confess her transgressions to Julia, Mona decides to leave the past behind and adjust to a new status quo, unaware that the country’s turmoil may find its way into her home and put her face to face with her sins.
Goodbye Julia stars Eiman Yousif, Siran Riak — the former Miss South Sudan — Nazar Goma, and Ger Duany, is written and directed by Kordofani, and produced by Station Films’ Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala in collaboration with Mohamed Al-Omda. Meanwhile, MAD Solutions is handling worldwide sales and distribution.
