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] He 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. [6] [1] [7] [8] [9]

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. [10] [11] [12] Al-Wazzan won best international short film at the 2019 Los Angeles Animation Festival [13] and In 2021 he won best animated short film at the Burbank International Film Festival in California, United States. [14] [15] [16]

Al-Wazzan received nominations for his film Falafel Cart at D.C. Independent Film Festival in Washington, D.C., [17] Palm Springs International Animation Festival in California, [18] Southampton International Film Festival in the United Kingdom, [19] Paris International Animation Film Festival in France, and Ajyal Film Festival in Doha [20] And was officially selected at Athens Animfest in Greece, [21] Sonoma International Film Festival in California, [22] Rabat International Author Film Festival in Morocco [23] and Montreal International Animation Film Festival in Canada. [24]

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. [25] [26] [4] [27]

In 2014 Al-Wazzan participated officially at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and at the Dubai International Film Festival. [28] [29] [30] [31]

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerAnimatorNotes
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 [32] Best International Short Film
United States
Won
2020 Falafel Cart Hiroshima International Animation Festival [10] Best of the World
Japan
Honorable Mention
2021 Falafel Cart Burbank International Film Festival [14] [33] [34] Best Animated Short Film
United States
Won
2019 Falafel Cart Palm Springs International Animation Festival [18] In Competition Best Animated Short
United States
Nominated
2020 Falafel Cart DC Independent Film Festival [17] Short Animation Finalist
United States
Nominated
2020 Falafel Cart Southampton International Film Festival [19] Best Animated Short Film
United Kingdom
Nominated
2020 Falafel Cart Southampton International Film Festival [19] Best Director of an Animated Film
United Kingdom
Nominated
2020 Falafel Cart Ajyal Film Festival [20] [35] [36] [37] Hilal Short Film Competition
Qatar
Nominated
2021 Falafel Cart Paris International Animation Film FestivalHorizons Competition
France
Nominated

Related Research Articles

The International Animation Festival Hiroshima, founded as International Animation Festival for the World Peace in 1985, was a biennial film festival for animated films held in Hiroshima, Japan. Its last edition was held in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Kuwait</span>

Cinema in Kuwait was introduced in the mid-20th century. The dominance of American cinema posed a problem in the formation of Arab cinema in general and of Kuwaiti cinema in particular. French film critic Guy Hennebelle argued that Arab intellectuals became convinced that only by imitating the American culture could they overcome national cultural decline and backwardness. This caused an absence of local Kuwaiti works of cinematic art. However, Kuwaitis preserved their national identity by producing local content in television. They planned a balance between preserving their national identity while also satisfying other preferences. The dependence of Kuwaiti cinema was rooted in the domination of American and other foreign-produced films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raqsh</span>

Raqsh is Kuwait's first modern youth initiative based in Kuwait, recognized by UNESCO Kuwait. The organization specializes in book collection via devices placed in strategic location. So far they have impacted 4.3% of Jordan's refugee population. Raqsh was established during The Proteges program by the fifth generation.

Mohammed Al-Sharekh was a Kuwaiti businessman and author, who was the founder and Chairman Emeritus of Sakhr Software Company. Through Sakhr, he introduced the first Arabic language operating system into computers.

The Kuwait Democratic Forum is a centre-left political organization founded in 1991. Members include Ahmad Al-Khatib, Abdullah Al-Naibari, and Saleh Al-Mulla.

Abdulkarim Abdullah Al-Kanderi is a Kuwaiti lawyer and former member of the Kuwait National Assembly, representing the third district.

Kuwait Economic Society is a non-governmental organization that was established in 1970 in Kuwait. It is managed by an elected board to provide integrated support and consultation to governmental and non-governmental institutions in the fields of economics as well as to participate and organize field-related competitions local events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdullah Muhammad Al-Saleh</span> London-based Kuwaiti YouTuber and self-proclaimed activist

Abdullah Muhammad Al-Saleh is a Kuwaiti YouTuber and self-proclaimed activist. He resides in London as a political refugee, having faced imprisonment in Kuwait due to his criticism of the Gulf states, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman.

<i>Falafel Cart</i> 2019 animated short film

Falafel Cart is a 2019 animated short drama film produced by RoyalTales and directed by Abdullah Al-Wazzan with an original score by Dan Phillipson and sound design by Andrew Vernon. The short blends stop motion animation with traditional and some computer animation. In 2019, the film was submitted for the 2020 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film making it Kuwait's first short film to ever be submitted to the Academy Awards. In 2020 The film earned an official selection at the Hiroshima International Animation Festival and received a special mention as "best of the world". In 2021 the film won best animated short at the Burbank International Film Festival. In 2019 the film won best international short film at the Los Angeles Animation Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fareed Ramadan</span> Bahraini writer and film producer (1961–2020)

Fareed Ramadan is a Bahraini novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. He is often considered one of the most prominent Gulf novelists and worked to deconstruct the discourse of racism through his work on cultural identities in Bahrain, to the point that some critics called him a "novelist of identities." Among his most prominent works are the novel The English Ocean and the screenplay of the film The Sleeping Tree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawrat</span>

Dawrat is an educational platform for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) founded in 2011 and headquartered in Kuwait, it is aimed at students in the Middle East and North Africa.

Hanadi Al-Kandari, is a Kuwaiti actress and presenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamad Almatar</span> Member of the Kuwaiti National Assembly

Hamad Mohammed Jassim Al-Matar is a member of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, and holds a doctorate in industrial chemistry.

Muthana Mithqal Sartawi is a Kuwaiti orthopedic surgeon specialized in joint replacement surgery. He is best known for inventing the Modified Intervastus Approach surgical approach used in total knee replacement surgery. He has operated on notable individuals including Saud bin Fahd Al Saud and was part of the medical team that performed the knee replacement for George W. Bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belques Melhem</span> Saudi writer

Belques Muhammad Abdullah Al-Melhem is a Saudi poet and short story writer who was born and raised in Hofuf, Al-Ahsa. She received a BA in Islamic studies from King Faisal University in Dammam. She works as a teacher. She was appointed as an ambassador for free culture in the Arabian Gulf in 2012 from the Naji Noaman Foundation. She has published several collections of short stories, poetry and novels, and has won several local and regional awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdulghaphor Hajjieh</span> Kuwaiti economist

Abdulghaphor Hajjieh is an economist and politician from Kuwait, who served as a board member for the Democratic Forum and the Youth Association of Kuwait.

Sadeq Ahmed Qasem is a Kuwaiti entrepreneur and inventor. He is best known for his titles, the Arab inventor and the Science Star for his alchemist project which was represented in the Stars of Science competition organized by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maram Al Balushi</span> Kuwaiti singer and actress

Maram Al Balushi is a Kuwaiti singer and actress. She initially sang before she started acting. She has had leading parts in several Kuwaiti television series.

Abdullah Sakkijha Jewelry is a jewelry brand founded in 1970, operating in Jordan and across the region. The jewelry have been worn by famous pan region celebrities, including Jordanian actress Saba Mubarak at the 78th Venice Film Festival, and Angolian model Maria Borges alongside Egyptian actress Hana El Zahed at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Bye Bye London is a Kuwaiti play that became popular across the Arab world for its satirical portrayal of cultural differences and societal issues. Written by Abdulhussain Abdulredha and directed by Munsif Al-Suwaisi and Kazem Al-Qallaf, the play debuted for the first time on November 18, 1981. The cast of the play includes Abdulhussain Abdulredha, Ghanem Al-Saleh, Haifa Adel, Maryam Al Ghadhban and Mohammed Jaber. It also marked the rise of new actors Dawood Hussein and Intisar Al-Sharrah. It uses humor to reflect the changes taking place in the region at the time, addressing themes like cultural exchange, the clash between modernity and tradition, and the influence of Western culture on Arab societies, particularly in the context of London, a common destination for Arab travelers at that time. The play is one of the most famous plays in the Arab world, and many critics have chosen it as one of the top 10 Arab plays.

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. 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.
  7. الكويتية, جريدة الجريدة (2021-09-15). "«فلافل كارت» يحصد جائزة أفضل فيلم في «بربانك»". جريدة الجريدة الكويتية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  8. "فيلمه الأنيميشن «فلافل كارت» ضمن الأعمال المرشحة لأوسكار 2020 عبدالله الوزان: النزاعات والحروب جعلتني أفكّر في مصير الإنسان". جريدة القبس. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  9. 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.
  10. 1 2 Hiroshima, International Animation Festival. "Best of the World". International Animation Festival Hiroshima. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
  11. التركي, فيصل (2020-08-20). "الوزان لـ «الراي»: «فلافل كارت» يواصل إنجازاته... بالمشاركة في «هيروشيما للأنيميشن»". Alrai-media (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  12. "عبد الله الوزان: «فلافل كارت» وصل إلى «هيروشيما»". Alanba.
  13. "2019 WINNERS – December 5-6 2020" . Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  14. 1 2 "Burbank International Film Festival | 2021 Award Winners" . Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  15. "بعد فوزه بجائزة «أفضل فيلم متحرك قصير» في مهرجان «بربانك» بلوس أنجيليس". alanba.com.kw.
  16. "عبدالله الوزان لـ «الأنباء»: الإنتاج الجيد يجذب المشاهدين حتى لو كان الفيلم صامتاً!". alanba.com.kw.
  17. 1 2 Festival, DC Independent Film (2020-01-07). "Announcing with Zest: DCIFF 2020 Animation and Web Series Finalists". DCIFF. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  18. 1 2 "'Funan' and 'I Lost My Body' Lead Film Selections at PSIAF 2019". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  19. 1 2 3 "AWARDS NOMINATIONS - Southampton International Film Festival". www.southamptonfilmfest.com. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  20. 1 2 "Ajyal Film Festival | مهرجان أجيال السينمائي". 2020.ajyalfilm.com. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  21. "Athens Animfest 2020 - Falafel Cart". athensanimfest.eu. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  22. "2020 Sonoma International Film Festival". sonoma2020.eventive.org. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  23. Shorts, Animation. "عربة الفلافل / FALAFEL CART / CHARIOT DE FALAFELS" (in French). Archived from the original on 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  24. "2020 List of Films". Animaze Montreal International Animation Festival. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  25. 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.
  26. 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)
  27. "«الدوحة» اختارت 29 فيلماً للحصول على منح 2017". annaharkw.com.
  28. STAFF, GDMAIL (2014-05-17). "Kuwaiti short film 'Falafel Cart' selected for Cannes festival". Gulf Daily Mail. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  29. "الكويتي الوزان يغزو «كان» بـ«عربة الفلافل»!". Alrai-media (in Arabic). 2014-05-18. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  30. Ritman, Alex (2014-11-12). "Dubai Festival Adds Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman Films to Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  31. "Dubai International Film Festival 2014: 'Gulf Voices' films announced". gulfnews.com. 2014-11-10. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  32. "2019 WINNERS – December 4 2021" . Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  33. الكويتية, جريدة الجريدة (2021-09-10). "«فلافل كارت» يشارك في «بربانك السينمائي»". جريدة الجريدة الكويتية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  34. التركي, فيصل (2021-09-15). "عبدالله الوزان لـ «الراي»: أرى نفسي... سفير الكويت". Alrai-media (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  35. 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.
  36. 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.
  37. Newspaper, The Peninsula (2020-11-17). "Arab filmmakers share views at Ajyal Fest". thepeninsulaqatar.com. Retrieved 2024-09-18.