Abdullah Al-Wazzan

Last updated
Abdullah Al-Wazzan
Born1990
Kuwait City, Kuwait
NationalityFlag of Kuwait.svg Kuwaiti
Other namesAbdullah Alwazzan
Alma mater(B.Arch)
Occupations
  • Film director
  • film producer
  • screenwriter
  • film editor
  • cinematographer
  • entrepreneur
  • architect
Years active2013–present
Notable work Falafel Cart (2019)
Awards
Website abdullahalwazzan.com royaltales.com

Abdullah Al-Wazzan is a Kuwaiti filmmaker, entrepreneur and Architect. [1] He was born in Kuwait City, Kuwait in 1990.

Contents

Film career

Al-Wazzan developed an interest in filmmaking in his early preteens. [1] At the age of 17 he studied Architecture, And graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Architecture. [2] [3] [4] [5] In 2010 Al-Wazzan created the short animated sci-fi film "Down from Above", It was his first film to play in theaters. [6] Al-Wazzan went on to create the animated short film Falafel Cart (2019) which was officially submitted to the 92nd Academy Awards in the animated short film category making it the first short film from Kuwait to ever be submitted to the Academy Awards. [7] [1] [8] [9] [10]

In 2020, Falafel Cart by Abdullah Al-Wazzan became Kuwait's first film to be officially selected at the prestigious Hiroshima International Animation Festival in Japan where it received a "Best of the World" honorable mention. [11] [12] [13] Al-Wazzan won best international short film at the 2019 Los Angeles Animation Festival [14] and In 2021 he won best animated short film at the Burbank International Film Festival in California, United States. [15] [16] [17]

Al-Wazzan received nominations for his film Falafel Cart at D.C. Independent Film Festival in Washington, D.C., [18] Palm Springs International Animation Festival in California, [19] Southampton International Film Festival in the United Kingdom, [20] Paris International Animation Film Festival in France, and Ajyal Film Festival in Doha [21] And was officially selected at Athens Animfest in Greece, [22] Sonoma International Film Festival in California, [23] Rabat International Author Film Festival in Morocco [24] and Montreal International Animation Film Festival in Canada. [25] The film also screened theatrically in Los Angeles, Sweden and Kuwait. [26] [27]

In May 2017 During the Cannes Film Festival, the Doha Film Institute announced that Abdullah Al-Wazzan's drama, thriller script "Soaring over Mayhem" was selected to receive its annual film grant. [28] [29] [4] [30]

In 2014 Al-Wazzan participated officially at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and at the Dubai International Film Festival. [31] [32] [33] [34]

In 2021 ShortsTV obtained non exclusive distribution rights to Al-Wazzan's film Falafel Cart for release on its live channels and streaming platforms. [35]

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerAnimatorNotes
2010Down from AboveYesYesYesYesShort animated film
2019 Falafel Cart YesYesYesYesShort animated film
2025Soaring over MayhemYesYesYesShort live action film

Awards & Accolades

Abdullah Al-Wazzan received the following awards and nominations:

List of awards and accolades received by Abdullah Al-Wazzan
YearFilmEventAwardCountryResult
2019 Falafel Cart Los Angeles Animation Festival [36] Best International Short Film
United States
Won
2020 Falafel Cart Hiroshima International Animation Festival [11] Best of the World
Japan
Honorable Mention
2021 Falafel Cart Burbank International Film Festival [15] [35] [37] Best Animated Short Film
United States
Won
2019 Falafel Cart Palm Springs International Animation Festival [19] In Competition Best Animated Short
United States
Nominated
2020 Falafel Cart DC Independent Film Festival [18] Short Animation Finalist
United States
Nominated
2020 Falafel Cart Southampton International Film Festival [20] Best Animated Short Film
United Kingdom
Nominated
2020 Falafel Cart Southampton International Film Festival [20] Best Director of an Animated Film
United Kingdom
Nominated
2020 Falafel Cart Ajyal Film Festival [21] [38] [39] [40] Hilal Short Film Competition
Qatar
Nominated
2021 Falafel Cart Paris International Animation Film FestivalHorizons Competition
France
Nominated

References

  1. 1 2 3 "IN CONVERSATION WITH ABDULLAH AL-WAZZAN". bazaar.town | The ultimate guide to Kuwait. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  2. ↑ "Abdullah Al-Wazzan". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  3. ↑ admin. "Home". Falafel Cart. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  4. 1 2 "Soaring Over Mayhem". Doha Film Institute. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  5. ↑ "Abdullah Al-Wazzan | About RoyalTales". RoyalTales. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  6. ↑ الكويتية, جريدة الجريدة; عبدالله, فادي (2010-06-01). "مسابقة «سينسكيب» هي الشرارة لصناعة السينما". جريدة الجريدة الكويتية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  7. ↑ Wit, Alex Dudok de (2019-10-18). "2020 Best Animated Short Film Oscar: A List Of Potentially Qualifying Films In The Category (Exclusive)". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  8. ↑ الكويتية, جريدة الجريدة (2021-09-15). "«فلافل كارت» يحصد جائزة أفضل فيلم في «بربانك»". جريدة الجريدة الكويتية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  9. ↑ "فيلمه الأنيميشن «فلافل كارت» ضمن الأعمال المرشحة لأوسكار 2020 عبدالله الوزان: النزاعات والحروب جعلتني أفكّر في مصير الإنسان". جريدة القبس. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  10. ↑ الكويتية, جريدة الجريدة; الشمري, لافي (2020-09-08). "عبدالله الوزان: المنافسة على «الأوسكار» إنجاز شخصي أفتخر به". جريدة الجريدة الكويتية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  11. 1 2 Hiroshima, International Animation Festival. "Best of the World". International Animation Festival Hiroshima. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
  12. ↑ التركي, فيصل (2020-08-20). "الوزان لـ «الراي»: «فلافل كارت» يواصل إنجازاته... بالمشاركة في «هيروشيما للأنيميشن»". Alrai-media (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  13. ↑ "عبد الله الوزان: «فلافل كارت» وصل إلى «هيروشيما»". Alanba.
  14. ↑ "2019 WINNERS – December 5-6 2020". Archived from the original on 2020-04-04. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  15. 1 2 "Burbank International Film Festival | 2021 Award Winners". Archived from the original on 2023-02-23. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  16. ↑ "بعد فوزه بجائزة «أفضل فيلم متحرك قصير» في مهرجان «بربانك» بلوس أنجيليس". alanba.com.kw.
  17. ↑ "عبدالله الوزان لـ «الأنباء»: الإنتاج الجيد يجذب المشاهدين حتى لو كان الفيلم صامتاً!". alanba.com.kw.
  18. 1 2 Festival, DC Independent Film (2020-01-07). "Announcing with Zest: DCIFF 2020 Animation and Web Series Finalists". DCIFF. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  19. 1 2 "'Funan' and 'I Lost My Body' Lead Film Selections at PSIAF 2019". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  20. 1 2 3 "AWARDS NOMINATIONS - Southampton International Film Festival". www.southamptonfilmfest.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  21. 1 2 "Ajyal Film Festival | مهرجان أجيال السينمائي". 2020.ajyalfilm.com. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  22. ↑ "Athens Animfest 2020 - Falafel Cart". athensanimfest.eu. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  23. ↑ "2020 Sonoma International Film Festival". sonoma2020.eventive.org. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  24. ↑ Shorts, Animation. "عربة الفلافل / FALAFEL CART / CHARIOT DE FALAFELS" (in French). Archived from the original on 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  25. ↑ "2020 List of Films". Animaze Montreal International Animation Festival. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  26. ↑ Lund, Folkets Bio i. "Around the World in 74 minutes - Kortfilmsdagen 2022 – Bio i Lund - Kino & Södran". Kino.nu (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-01-10.
  27. ↑ "2019 Shorts by the Sea - Laemmle.com". www.laemmle.com. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
  28. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (2017-05-23). "More Than Half of Doha Film Institute's New Grants Go to Women Arab Auteurs". Variety. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  29. ↑ Goodfellow2017-05-23T06:00:00+01:00, Melanie. "Annemarie Jacir, Mohamed Ben Attia clinch DFI funding". Screen. Retrieved 2024-08-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  30. ↑ "«الدوحة» اختارت 29 فيلماً للحصول على منح 2017". annaharkw.com.
  31. ↑ STAFF, GDMAIL (2014-05-17). "Kuwaiti short film 'Falafel Cart' selected for Cannes festival". Gulf Daily Mail. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  32. ↑ "الكويتي الوزان يغزو «كان» بـ«عربة الفلافل»!". Alrai-media (in Arabic). 2014-05-18. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  33. ↑ Ritman, Alex (2014-11-12). "Dubai Festival Adds Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman Films to Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  34. ↑ "Dubai International Film Festival 2014: 'Gulf Voices' films announced". gulfnews.com. 2014-11-10. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  35. 1 2 الكويتية, جريدة الجريدة (2021-09-10). "«فلافل كارت» يشارك في «بربانك السينمائي»". جريدة الجريدة الكويتية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  36. ↑ "2019 WINNERS – December 4 2021". Archived from the original on 2020-04-04. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  37. ↑ التركي, فيصل (2021-09-15). "عبدالله الوزان لـ «الراي»: أرى نفسي... سفير الكويت". Alrai-media (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  38. ↑ Team, Fact (2020-11-09). "58 Short Films to Delight Audiences at 8th Ajyal Film Festival". 58 Short Films to Delight Audiences at 8th Ajyal Film Festival. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  39. ↑ Team, Fact (2020-11-05). "8th Ajyal Film Festival's First-Ever Hybrid Edition Featuring 80 Inspirational Films from 46 Countries". 8th Ajyal Film Festival’s First-Ever Hybrid Edition Featuring 80 Inspirational Films from 46 Countries. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  40. ↑ Newspaper, The Peninsula (2020-11-17). "Arab filmmakers share views at Ajyal Fest". thepeninsulaqatar.com. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
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