DANCING ON the edge of a volcano (2023)
FESTIVAL SCREENINGS & PUBLIC SCREENINGS HERE
FESTIVAL SELECTIONS
* 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Main Competition - Czech Republic, 2023 | WORLD PREMIERE
* 67th BFI London Film Festival, Documentary Competition - UK, 2023 | UK Premiere
* 14th DOC NYC, International Competition - USA, 2023 | North American Premiere
* 50th Gent Film Festival - Belgium, 2023
* 45th Cinemed Film Festival Montpellier - France, 2023
* 64th Festival Dei Popoli - Italy, 2023
* 38th Mostra de Valencia, Informative Section - Spain, 2023
* 54th International Film Festival of India - India, 2023
* 20th Reykjavik International Film Festival - Iceland, 2023
* 29th MedFilm Festival in Rome - Italy, 2023
* 20th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival - China, 2023
* 33rd Message to Man International Film Festival - Russia, 2023
* 23rd CINEMAMED – Festival Cinéma Méditerranéen de Bruxelles - Belgium, 2023
* 20th Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival - Hungary, 2023
* 16th This Human World – International Human Rights Film Festival Vienna - Austria, 2023
* 7th DokuBaku International Documentary Film Festival, Azerbaijan
* 3rd Lebanese Film Festival in France - France, 2023
AWARDS
* Special Jury Mention at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic, 2023
* Audience Award at the Mostra de Valencia, Spain, 2023
* Audience Award at the Festival Dei Popoli, Italy, 2023
* Best Film Award at the MedFilm Festival, Italy 2023
* Piuculture Award for Best Film at the MedFilm Festival, Italy 2023
* University Jury Award for Best Film at the MedFilm Festival, Italy 2023
* Special Jury Mention at the Cinemed Film Festival, France, 2023
* Main Prize (Viewfinder competition) at the Verzio International Human Rights Documentary FF, Hungary 2023
* Jury Prize at the DokuBaku International Documentary Film Festival, Azerbaijan, 2023
the swing (2018)
Dir. Cyril Aris, 74 Mins, Lebanon
Arabic/French/Italian with English subtitles
Viviane and Antoine have lived together for 65 years, and while she still has her strength, he has long been bedridden. And so no one is able or has any desire to tell the weakened old man the distressing news that his beloved daughter has suddenly died. Indeed, the grief might cause his death… A heavy, lyrical portrait brightened by the warming rays of loved ones’ smiles.
Official Selection:
* 53rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic 2018 | World Premiere
* 43rd Atlanta Film Festival, USA 2019 | US Premiere
* 40th Cinemed, Festival International du Cinéma Méditerranéen de Montpellier, France 2018 | French Pr.
* 8th Open City Documentary Film Festival, London UK 2018 | Closing Night Film, UK Premiere
* 2nd El-Gouna Film Festival, Egypt 2018 | MENA Premiere
* 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2018 - In Competition
* 24th MedFilm festival in Rome, Italy
* 10th Beirut Cinema Days, Lebanon 2019 | Lebanese Premiere
* 25th Minsk International Film Festival - Listapad, Belarus 2018
* 10th ALFILM - Arab Film Festival in Berlin, Germany 2019
* 2nd Documentary Convention Leipzig, Germany 2019
* ANA Contemporary Arab Cinema, BAM New York 2019
* 18th Istanbul Independent Film Festival, Turkey 2019
* 5th Budapest International Documentary Film Festival, Hungary 2018
* 20th Black Movie - Geneva International Independent Film Festival, Switzerland 2019
* 3rd Cairo Cinema Days, Egypt 2019
* 2nd Manarat Film Festival, Tunisia 2019
* Royal Film Commission of Jordan - Special Screening, Jordan 2019
* 6th Sudan Independent Film Festival, Sudan 2019
* 4th Haifa Independent Film Festival 2019
Awards:
* El-Gouna Bronze Star Award at the 2nd El Gouna Film Festival, Egypt 2018
* Honorable Mention at the 8th Open City Documentary Festival in London for "its impeccable judged framing and profoundly touching meditation on mortality and morality", UK 2018
* Jury Prize at the 24th Medfilm Festival in Rome, Italy 2018: "Director Cyril Aris delivers a painful and heartbreaking movie filming the silences, the unsaid and the grandparents' love, while reflecting on aging and death. The human condition is examined in a sweet way within a few rooms, and from a balcony overlooking Beirut."
* Jury Prize at the 2nd Manarat Film Festival, Tunisia - "It is a film about the last days of a couple, a story about death and love, about old age and memory. It triggers strong emotions and destabilizes with its ambiguity. It challenges us with questions of divergent answers. Eventually, we congratulate this film for the beautiful love story it depicts"
* Special Mention at the 5th Budapest International Documentary Festival, Hungary 2019
* Recipient of the AFAC Documentary Grant
beating hearts (2020)
The Karantina Hospital houses one of only two paediatric departments in Lebanon. It is a safe haven for ill babies unable to get treatment elsewhere. In 2014, this ward was established via the charitable work of ASSAMEH Birth & Beyond. Sadly, on the 4th August 2020 the hospital was badly damaged in the Beirut port explosion forcing it to shut down and relocate to a temporary location.
This short film takes us into the hospital a couple of months before the explosion to meet the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to help sick and vulnerable children. Through their struggle and dedication, we see the fragility of the Lebanese healthcare system in relation to its weak economy and precarious work force as well as the altruism of the Lebanese people, offering glimmers of life to ill, sometimes neglected and hopeless, babies.
the president’s visit (2017)
When a small coastal town of fishermen learns about the secret visit of the President of the Republic to its local soap shop, they embark in an everlasting struggle at cleaning up and maintaining the perfect image of their town.
Official Selection at the:
* 42nd Toronto International Film Festival, Canada 2017 | World Premiere
* 39th Cinemed Film Festival - Montpellier, France 2017 | French Premiere
* 14th Dubai International Film Festival, UAE 2017 | MENA Premiere
* 11th Kustendorf International Film Festival, Serbia 2018
* 24th Palm Springs International ShortFest, USA 2018
* 49th Nashville Film Festival, USA 2018
* 4th Qumra Film Festival (Doha Film Institute), Qatar 2018 | Qatari Premiere
* 45th Athens International Film and Video Festival, Ohio USA 2018
* 33rd International Short Film Festival (InterFilm), Germany 2017
* 33rd Valencia International Film Festival Cinema Jove, Spain 2018
* Festival Des Cinémas Arabes à Paris, France 2018
* 30th Galway Film Fleadh, Ireland 2018
* 20th Sarasota Film Festival, USA 2018
* 27th Indy Shorts - Heartland Film Festival, USA 2018
* 20th Guanajuato International Film Festival (Focus on Lebanese cinema selection), Mexico 2018
* 13th Show Me Shorts, New Zealand 2018
* 16th Festival of Mediterranean Short Film Tangier, Morocco 2018
* 22nd Arab Film Festival in San Francisco, USA 2018
* 23rd IFVA, Hong Kong 2018
* 22nd REGARD – Saguenay International Short Film Festival, Canada 2018
* 5th BBC Arabic Film Festival, UK 2019
* New Filmmakers Los Angeles, USA 2018
* 19th Kerry Film Festival, Ireland 2018
* Lebanese Short Films at Metropolis, Lebanon 2018 | Lebanese Premiere
* 13th Passaggi d’autore: intrecci mediterranei, Italy 2017
* 10th Heart of Gold Film Festival, Australia 2017
* 15th Bogotá Short Film Festival, Colombia 2017
* 13th FIFOG Festival International du Film Oriental de Genève, Switzerland 2018
* 5th International Bosphorus Film Festival, Turkey 2017
* 12th Big Sur International Film Festival, USA 2018
* Middle East Now Summer Nights Florence, Italy 2018
* 34th Festival de Cinéma Traversées - Lunel, France 2018
* 14th Akbank Short Film Festival, Turkey 2018
* 5th International Bosphorus Film Festival, Turkey 2017
* 20th Soria International Film Festival, Spain 2018
* 9th Arab Film Festival, Germany 2018
* 4th Arab Film Festival at the Arab American National Museum (AANM), Michigan USA 2018
* 7th Underexposed Film Festival YC, USA 2018
* 5th Literally Short Film Festival, Texas USA 2018
* 2nd Cairo Cinema Days, Egypt 2018
* 9th Festival de cine Al Este, Peru 2018
* 4th Arab Film Festival Zurich, Switzerland 2018
* 11th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, India 2018
* 3rd Festival International du Film Arabe de Gabès, Tunisia 2018
* 8th Postira Seaside Film Festival, Croatia 2018
* 3rd Batroun Mediterranean Film Festival, Lebanon 2018
* 5th FunCinema International Comedy Film Festival, Argentina 2018
* 6th Fairhope Film Festival, Alabama USA 2018
* Lebanese Film Festival, Australia 2018
* 4th C'est Right Short, Canada 2018
* 1st Elia Short Films Festival, Palestine 2018
* Open Visa Festival, Italy 2018
* 1st Lebanese Independent Film Festival, Lebanon 2018
* 4th All Lights India International Film Festival, India 2018
* 1st Reef Film Festival, Lebanon 2018
* Soria International Film Festival, Spain 2018
Awards:
* Grand Jury Prize, Nashville Film Festival, USA 2018 - Oscar qualifying award for the Oscars of 2019
* BAFTA student award - shortlist, UK 2018
* Muhr Short Film Jury Prize, Dubai International Film Festival, UAE 2017
* National Board of Review (NBR) Award, USA 2017
* Best Directing Award, Elia Short Film Festival, Palestine 2018
* Recipient of the Doha Film Institute Production Grant, Qatar 2017
* Recipient of the Katharina Otto-Bernstein Production Grant, USA 2017
* Recipient of a grant from the Ministry of Culture in Lebanon, Lebanon 2017