Paradise Now is a 2005 psychological drama film directed by Hany Abu-Assad about two Palestinian men preparing for a suicide attack in Israel. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category.
Hany Abu-Assad is a Palestinian-Dutch film director. He has received two Academy Award nominations: in 2006 for his film Paradise Now, and again in 2013 for his film Omar.
Philippe Falardeau is a Canadian film director and screenwriter.
Waleed F. Zuaiter is an Arab-American actor and producer who has performed in on-stage productions in Washington, D.C.; Berkeley, California; and New York City, as well as several film and television productions. He lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the producer and co-star of Omar (2013), which was nominated for an Oscar at the 86th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
The following is a list of winners of the Golden Calf for best long feature film at the NFF.
The Time That Remains is a 2009 semi-biographical drama film written and directed by Palestinian director Elia Suleiman. The film stars Ali Suliman, Elia Suleiman, Saleh Bakri and Samar Qudha Tanus. It gives an account of the creation of the Israeli state from 1948 to the present. Suleiman participated in the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, as his new film competed in the official selection category. The Time That Remains was also screened at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. In November 2009, the film won the Jury Grand Prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The film won the Critics Prize of the Argentinian Film Critics Association at Mar del Plata International Film Festival.
Omar is a 2013 Palestinian drama film directed by Hany Abu-Assad. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize. It was shown at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards. It won Best Feature Film at the 2013 Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The film was screened at the United Nations in New York on 1 May 2014.
Mohammad Jaber Abdul Rahman Assaf is a Palestinian pop singer well known for being the winner of the second season of Arab Idol, broadcast by the MBC network. His victory received worldwide coverage from the media and was welcomed with joy by Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world. In 2013, Assaf was named a goodwill ambassador for peace by The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). He was also named ambassador of culture and arts by the Palestinian government and was offered a position with "diplomatic standing" by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Assaf's story is the basis of the 2015 film The Idol, directed by Hany Abu-Assad. After Arab Idol, Assaf has gone on to enjoy huge popularity in the Arab World and the Arab diaspora and has released two albums and a great number of singles and collaborations. Most of his music is sung in the Iraqi and Gulf dialects.
The Worthy is a 2016 Arabic thriller film directed by Ali F. Mostafa, and produced by Image Nation. The movie was released on 23 February 2017 in the Middle East.
Adam Bakri is an Israeli-born Palestinian actor. He made his feature film debut by starring in Oscar-nominated film Omar, directed by Hany Abu-Assad. He currently lives in New York.
Leem Lubany is an Israeli Arab actress. She is known for her role as Nadia in the 2013 film Omar, and for playing Gabrielle Joubert in the television series Condor (2018–2020).
Dégradé is a 2015 Palestinian drama film directed by Arab and Tarzan Nasser. It was selected to compete in the International Critics' Week section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
The Idol is a 2015 Palestinian drama film directed by Hany Abu-Assad. It was shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. It was selected as the Palestinian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but it was not nominated.
3000 Nights is a 2015 internationally co-produced drama film directed by Mai Masri. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. The film focuses on a Palestinian woman, who whilst in jail, gives birth to a son. It was selected as the Jordanian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but it was not nominated.
Personal Affairs is a 2016 Israeli drama film, the directorial debut of Nazareth-born Palestinian Maha Haj. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
The Red Sea International Film Festival is a film festival launched in 2019 and held in Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia. The festival mainly focuses on new storytelling trends, as well as emerging talents from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world and the rest of the Global South. The festival looks at establishing a solid foundation for the film industry in Saudi Arabia that may contribute to diversifying the income of the country. The first edition of the festival was held in the old town of Jeddah from the 6th of December to the 15 December 2021. The second edition of the festival will be held between the 1st and the 10th of Dec 2022, and will feature the best films from Saudi Arabia, the region and a curated selection of titles from around the world.
Michael Greenspan is a film director, producer and writer best known for the psychological thriller Wrecked, which debuted at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Film Festival and starred Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody and actress Caroline Dhavernas.
Maisa Abd Elhadi is an Israeli Palestinian Arab actress. Abd Elhadi won the best actress award at the Dubai Film Festival in 2011. She was born in Nazareth to Muslim parents.
Amira is a 2021 Arabic drama film directed by Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab. The film is produced by Mohamed Hefzy for Film Clinic, Mona Abdelwahab for Agora Audiovisuals, Moez Masoud for Acamedia Pictures in co-production with Youssef El Taher for Taher Media Production and Rula Nasser for The Imaginarium Films. The film stars Tara Abboud in the titular role, whereas Saba Mubarak, and Ali Suliman made supportive roles. The film revolves around Amira, a 17-year-old Palestinian, who is told that she was conceived with the smuggled sperm of her imprisoned father, Nawar.
