Submission deadline extended by one week
First-ever SundanceTV Shorts Competition in MENA welcomes submissions until 25 October, grand prize to include exclusive masterclass with Uma Thurman
15 September 2020 BEIRUT– Acclaimed actress and producer Uma Thurman and trailblazing filmmakers Annemarie Jacir and Sophia Al-Maria join the SundanceTV Shorts Competition jury panel, organizers have announced. Launched by SundanceTV in collaboration with beIN Media Group and the Doha Film Institute, the MENA edition of the SundanceTV Shorts Competition is a platform for independent storytellers and emerging talent in the region, to share their stories.
The winner of the competition will participate in an exclusive masterclass with Golden Globe winner and Academy Award and Primetime Emmy Award nominee Uma Thurman. Additional prizes include a state-of-the-art home entertainment package and a beIN CONNECT Voucher. The winner and three runners-up will be announced in November, and their films will broadcast exclusively on SundanceTV on beIN channel 75 in MENA, later in the year.
Uma Thurman is best known for her iconic roles in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classics, Pulp Fiction and the Kill Bill franchise, which garnered her an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination respectively. She has starred in many acclaimed films, including Dangerous Liaisons, Henry & June, The Truth About Cats & Dogs and Gattaca.Thurman earned a Golden Globe Award for “Hysterical Blindness,” which she produced and starred in. Recently, Thurman was awarded The Actors Fund’s Medal of Honor at their annual gala in New York City.
Palestinian filmmaker and poet Annemarie Jacir, has forged new artistic territory, having written, directed and produced over sixteen films. Two of her films have premiered as Official Selections in Cannes, one in Berlin and in Venice, Locarno, and Telluride. All three of her feature films were Palestine’s official Oscar entries. Founder of Philistine Films, she collaborates regularly with fellow filmmakers as an editor, screenwriter and producer. In 2018, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and also served on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival and Berlinale. She is a cofounder of the newly established Dar Yusuf Nasri Jacir for Art and Research in Bethlehem, fulfilling a family dream of establishing a space for the arts in Palestine.
Sophia Al-Maria is a Qatari-American writer and artist. Her video art work has been shown in many contexts from solo shows at the Tate Britain and the Whitney Museum to group shows at community colleges and online fundraising platforms. Most recently she wrote a television series called Little Birds (Sky Atlantic) starring Yumna Marwan and Juno Temple set in Tangier 1955. Her first book The Girl Who Fell to Earth (Harper Collins) was published in 2012. Her second book Sad Sack (Bookworks UK) is her favorite though.
Thurman, Jacir and Al-Maria complete the jury lead by television industry veteran, Harold Gronenthal, who is Executive Vice President, Programming and Marketing for AMC Networks International, broadcaster of SundanceTV outside of North America.
Those interested to participate in the 2020 SundanceTV Shorts MENA competition are now able to take advantage of an extra week and enter their film(s) until 25October at www.SundanceShortsMENA.com/submission-form/. Entries can be submitted by the producer or director, who must provide proof of residence in the MENA. Films should be no longer than 15 minutes and must be delivered with English subtitles if English is not the spoken language. SundanceTV Shorts competition is open for all who have a story to share, irrespective of whether the short film has been produced with sophisticated equipment or with a mobile phone. Entries must meet SundanceTV’s official rules and technical requirements, available on the website. Submissions will be judged on creativity, entertainment value, original storytelling and production values.
To learn more about the competition, please visit www.beIN.com/SundanceTVshorts.
About SundanceTV
Dedicated to founder Robert Redford’s mission to celebrate creativity, SundanceTV is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold, imaginative and uncompromising, SundanceTV offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of high-quality independent films, documentaries and original programs. In addition to being widely distributed throughout North America, SundanceTV is available throughout Europe, Latin America and other regions. Owned and operated by AMC Networks International (the global division of AMC Networks), SundanceTV is a highly recognizable and magnetic brand that is available in HD and across multiple platforms.
About AMC Networks International (AMCNI)
AMC Networks International (AMCNI), the global division of AMC Networks, delivers entertaining and acclaimed programming that reaches subscribers in more than 130 countries and territories. AMCNI consists of global brands, AMC and SundanceTV, as well as popular, locally recognized channels in various programming genres.
For further information please visit: amcnetworks.com/amc-networks-international/
About beIN MEDIA GROUP
beIN MEDIA GROUP is a leading independent global media group and one of the foremost sports & entertainment networks in the world. The group distributes and produces an unrivalled array of entertainment, live sport and major international events across 5 continents, 43 countries and in 9 different languages spanning Europe, North America, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East & North Africa (MENA).
beIN MEDIA GROUP’s flagship sports network, beIN SPORTS, holds the single largest portfolio of sports rights of any global broadcaster; and through its iconic MIRAMAX film studio, beIN holds an extensive library of Hollywood blockbusters while having a growing presence in series and movies production and distribution, as well as in the digital space. beIN MEDIA GROUP acquired Digiturk, the leading pay-tv operator in Turkey, in August 2016; and now has over 55 million subscribers worldwide.
About Doha Film Institute
Doha Film Institute is an independent, not-for-profit cultural organisation. It supports the growth of the local film community through cultivating film appreciation, enhancing industry knowledge and contributing to the development of sustainable creative industries in Qatar. The Institute’s platforms include funding and production of local, regional and international films; skills-sharing and mentorship programmes; film screenings; the Ajyal Film Festival; and Qumra. With culture, community, learning and entertainment at its foundation, the Institute is committed to supporting Qatar’s 2030 vision for the development of a knowledge-based economy.