THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
 
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SAND STORM (SUFAT CHOL)
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Completed - ARABIC - First film, Drama - 87 minutes

Year of production : 2016

Director(s) : Elite ZEXER
Writer(s) : Elite ZEXER
Cast : Lamis AMMAR, Ruba BLAL-ASFOUR, Haitham OMARI

Producer(s) : Estee YACOV-MECKLBERG (2-Team Productions), Haim MECKLBERG (2-Team Productions)

Synopsis

Desert noon in a Bedouin village in southern Israel. Jalila plays hosts to an awkward celebration – the marriage of her husband to a second, much younger wife – while having to conceal the insult that boils inside of her.
Her daughter Layla is preoccupied with a different matter. Her secret, strictly forbidden, love affair with Anuar was just discovered by her mother.
Jalila believes that the world is harsh and cruel and that the only way to win is to keep your mouth shut and your head held high. The idea is not to draw too much attention to yourself and to struggle from inside against the limits of the traditional world.
Layla does not believe that there are limits to the world surrounding her. Everything can be hers if only she wishes for it hard enough.
But, as the story unfolds, each fails in her individual battle. Their entire family falls apart and everything they believe in is shattered.
Now the two women are forced to understand that if they wish to survive, they will have to start seeing the world through each other's eyes.

Production

Country(ies) : ISRAEL

AUSTRALIA Dec 01, 2016 JIFF DISTRIBUTI
USA Sep 28, 2016 FILM FORUM
USA Sep 28, 2016 KINO LORBER INC

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Festivals and Awards

Sundance Film Festival 2016 World Dramatic
Sundance 2016 (Winner of World Dramatic Grand Jury Prize)
Seattle International Film Festival 2016 (WINNER - New Directors Competition Grand Jury Prize)
Jeonju International Film Festival 2016 (WINNER - International Competition Grand Prize)
Israel Film Academy Awards 2016 (WINNER - Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Production Design, Best Make Up, Best Casting)
Berilin IFF 2016 (Panorama)
Toronto IFF 2016 (Discovery)
Traverse City IFF 2016 (WINNER - Best Foreign Fiction Prize for first time filmmaker)
Taipei International Film Festival 2016 (WINNER - Special Mention - International New Talent Competition)
Stockholm International Film Festival 2016 (WINNER - Best First Film Award)
Lisbon & Estoril International Film Festival 2016 (WINNER - Special Jury Award)


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