Alam, which narrates the story of a Palestinian teenager who agrees to take part in a mysterious and life-changing operation, has won a spate of awards at several international film festivals.
Firas Khoury’s award-winning drama feature Alam is having a limited release at Cinema Akil from October 15 to 26, 2023.
Alam stars Mahmood Bakri, Sereen Khass, Saleh Bakri, and Mohammad Karaki and follows the story of a Palestinian teenager named Tamer who is swept off his feet by the arrival of the beautiful Maysaa. As he grows closer to her, Tamer agrees to participate in a mysterious and life-changing operation called Alam.
Directed and written by Firas Khoury, the drama feature held its world premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival’s Contemporary World Cinema Category. Alam’s Arab world premiere was held at the 2022 Cairo International Film Festival, where it scored three awards, including the Golden Pyramid Award for Best Film, Best Actor Award and the Audience Award.
It has been screened at several festivals, such as the Red Sea International Film Festival, Tetouan Mediterranean Film Festival, as well as film fests in Rome, Santa Barbara, Göteborg, San Diego, Amman, Tripoli, and Reel Palestine Film Festival. The film also enjoyed a commercial release at Zawya Cinema’s Cairo Cinema Days.
Alam has won a spate of awards, including the Young Jury Award at the Brussels’ Cinemamed Festival and the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film at the 27th International Film Festival of Kerala, where its director Firas Khoury also received the Rajata Chakoram for Best Debut Director.
The film is produced by Marie Pierre Macia, Claire Gadéa, Naomie Lagadec, Melik Kochbati, and Ossama Bawardi, lensed by Frida Marzouk, and edited by Nadia Ben Rachid, with music by Faraj Suleiman.
In terms of bigger companies at play, Alam was produced by MPM Film, Paprika Films, and Philistine Films, and co-produced by Lacydon Bay Productions, Metafora Production, and the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, with Arab world distribution by MAD Solutions and Lagoonie Film Production.
The feature film received a grant from the Doha Film Institute and a $20,000 script development grant from the Abu Dhabi Film Festival’s Sanad Fund. It was also chosen to participate in the Cinéfondation Workshop at the 2017 edition of the Cannes Film Festival and the 2019 Venice GAP-Financing Market; received a $10,000 grant from Cairo Film Connection — the CIFF’s Co-Production Market — and was featured at the Atlas Workshops of the Marrakech International Film Festival.
