The film festival is scheduled to take place from February 10 to 14, 2024.
MAD Solutions, a prominent film distribution and PR powerhouse in the MENA region, has announced the submission of three short films from its distribution slate to feature and compete in the Short Film Competition of the upcoming Baghdad Film Festival. Scheduled to unfold in the Iraqi capital from February 10 to 14, the festival promises to be a showcase of cinematic talent and cultural exchange.
The trio of films from MAD’s lineup includes the Palestinian drama Hamza: Chasing the Ghost Chasing Me by Ward Kayyal, the Lebanese documentary The Birds Have Left Beirut by Khalil Dreyfus Zaarour, and the Yemeni animation Zoo by Tariq Rimawi.
First in the lineup is Ward Kayyal’s debut Palestinian drama Hamza: Chasing the Ghost Chasing Me, which has previously competed in esteemed festivals such as the Sultanbeyli International Short Film Competition and featured at the Beirut Shorts International Film Festival. The film follows the story of Hamza, a middle-aged man entrenched in a daily routine that leads him on a quest to hunt a mythical lion in the woods. Starring Kamel El-Basha, the film has garnered critical acclaim and accolades, including the Best Director Award at The Notre Dame University-Louaize International Film Festival.
First in the lineup is Ward Kayyal’s debut Palestinian drama Hamza: Chasing the Ghost Chasing Me, which last competed in the Sultanbeyli International Short Film Competition and featured at the Beirut Shorts International Film Festival, and tells the story of Hamza — a middle-aged man who refuses to abandon a routine he has kept since his release from Israeli jail; every day, he goes into the woods to hunt a lion that the locals don’t believe exists.
Khalil Dreyfus Zaarour’s documentary The Birds Have Left Beirut offers a poignant exploration of the aftermath of a pivotal event that shook Beirut on August 4, 2020. The film, which recently screened at the Babylon International Documentary Film Festival, delves into the personal narrative of Zeina as she navigates the aftermath of the disaster. The Birds Have Left Beirut has already earned recognition, including the Silver Tower Special Jury Award for the Documentary Film Competition at the Cairo International Short Film Festival.
Rounding off the lineup is Tariq Rimawi’s animated short film Zoo, which tells the tale of Sami and a little tiger named Laziz as they navigate through the remnants of war in search of a safe haven. Zoo has garnered international acclaim, winning awards at prestigious festivals such as the Bahrain, Tangier Film Festival, and Beirut Shorts.
Written, directed, and edited by Tariq Rimawi, the film is produced by Moritz Mayerhofer and Aminah Abdat of StudioNICE Creative, was supported by Jordan’s Royal Film Commission, and received a co-production prize from the Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation.
