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Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki returns to Toronto International Film Festival as a jury member.
Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki has been announced as a jury member for the 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), scheduled from September 7th to the 17th. Labaki, a distinguished writer, director and actor, will join the TIFF Platform jury alongside Academy Award-winning American filmmaker Barry Jenkins and Canadian Platform Prize-winning filmmaker Anthony Shim.
Labaki’s international acclaim began with her 2007 debut film ‘Caramel,’ which premiered at Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight and was Lebanon’s official entry for the 80th Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film category.
The filmmaker continued to make waves with ‘Where Do We Go Now?’ in 2011, earning the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Later in 2018, her drama film ‘Capernaum’ secured the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
TIFF’s Platform programme is known for its selection of distinct and bold directorial visions since its inception in 2015, and for the upcoming edition, ten feature films will be competing for a CAD 20,000 prize.
Recently, Kuwait has taken concrete steps towards women’s empowerment and gender equality. This progress is largely due to the political, cultural and social commitment of pioneering women who have helped to change things. A fight that continues, especially to denounce sexual harassment and demand more protection. Discover the portraits of 5 inspiring women from Kuwait.
1 – Alanoud Alsharekh
Alanoud Alsharek is an academic researcher and activist in the fields of youth and gender demographics, GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) security, bicultural trends and feminism in the Arab world. She is, in fact, a strong advocate for women and their rights, and does not hesitate to speak on this topic through conferences and debates. In 2016, she was named Knight of the National Order of Merit by the French government, for her contribution to the improvement of women’s lives in Kuwait and the region.
2 – Ascia Al Faraj
Famous fashion blogger, ex-model and influencer with 2.5 million followers on Instagram, Ascia Al Faraj is behind the Me too movement in Kuwait. In February 2021, the young woman spontaneously published a video face to face with the camera where she expressed her anger. “Every time I go out, there is someone harassing me or another woman on the street! Don’t you feel ashamed? We have a harassment problem in this country and I’m sick of it!” she exclaims. The video then triggers a wave of testimonies. Dozens of women tell, in turn, how they are harassed and assaulted on a daily basis.
3 – Shayma Shamo
A few days after the video post of Ascia Al Faraj, the young doctor Shayma Shamo brings her support by creating the Instagram account “Lan Asket” (“I will not be silent”, in French). Messages from victims are pouring in and the word is getting out about verbal, physical and sexual harassment. “We must express ourselves, unite and defend each other because what is happening is unacceptable,” she told AFP. The page now has more than 15,000 subscribers.
4 – Lulu Alaslawi
Another inspiring woman from Kuwait to speak out against violence against women is fashion and lifestyle influencer Lulu Alaslawi. A media figure with more than 400,000 followers on her page, the Kuwaiti breaks the silence by denouncing the bullyingshe faces for her fashion photos. “The girls do not speak for fear of being stigmatized. But we won’t stop until we defeat this cancer in society,” she says.
5 – Lulwa Al-Qatami
Known for being the first Kuwaiti woman to go to England for university studies in 1953, Lulwa Al-Qatami has had a remarkable career since then. A former director of Kuwait University and UNESCO ambassador, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. Most recently, in 2019, Lulwa Al-Qatami was awarded the Legion of Honor for her commitment to education and women’s empowerment.
Kalantan has become the first female director, the first non-European to win a BAFTA award in the Gamers category.
Rafif Kalantan has become the first student from Saudi Arabia to win a 2023 Yugo BAFTA Award, picking up the accolade in the Games Category for her submission ‘Eros Xavier’s Love Solutions’.
The Yugo BAFTA Student Awards is an annual event celebrating the works of the next generation of highly skilled and creative storytellers from around the world.
Kalantan, the first female director and the first non-European to win a BAFTA award in this category, was one of the students supported by Neom to attend the National Film and Television School (NFTS), one of the top-ranking schools to join its Master’s programme in Games Design and Development.
Kalantan’s entry ‘Eros Xavier’s Love Solutions’ is the culmination of an intensive two-year Master’s programme of training that provides students with the skills and creative knowledge to design, devise and build games, from inception to delivery.
‘Eros Xavier’s Love Solutions’ is a narrative-driven puzzle-like game. The game follows Eros Xavier, a retired cupid who is cynical about love and has decided to open a private business for hire as a match-breaker.
This year’s Yugo BAFTA Student Awards welcomed 754 submissions from 103 schools across 30 countries, including, Argentina, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking about the award, Rafif Kalantan said: “I am honoured to have been selected as the winner of such a globally renowned award, especially being the first female director and first non-European to win this category. This wonderful achievement also showcases the capabilities of the developers from the Kingdom and the Middle East as a whole, and how the game industry in the region has a lot of potential. I am also grateful for the continued support and investment of Neom, which was an integral part of this achievement. Their continued support for us in the gaming field shows how much Neom believes in growing local talents and allowing them to thrive!”
Jon Wardle, Director of the National Film and Television School, commented: “The School is incredibly proud to be celebrating this achievement with Rafif as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our Games Design MA. We’re also very grateful to Neom for continuing to help make our courses accessible with life-changing funding opportunities.”
Wayne Borg, Managing Director of Media Industries, Entertainment, and Culture at Neom, added: “On behalf of the entire Neom team, we extend our congratulations to Rafif for the well-deserved honour of receiving this prestigious award from BAFTA. This remarkable accomplishment is a testament to her exceptional talents and marks a momentous beginning for Rafif’s journey, and I’m sure she will achieve great things in the gaming world. We will continue to work closely with the National Film and Television School to nurture and empower more talented individuals as we develop our partnership and offer a unique blend of professional development, mentorship, and growth opportunities for emerging talent in the creative industries.”
Egypt assumed on Saturday the rotating presidency of the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI) during the convocation of the network’s conference and its 20th General Assembly in Cairo.
Ambassador Moushira Khattab, President of the National Council of Human Rights (NCHR), took over the presidency of the network from Ahmed Bouhoubeyni, president of the National Human Rights Commission (NCDH) in Mauritania and ANNHRI chairman since June 2021.
Egypt previously assumed the presidency of the network in 2018.
The two-day conference represented an opportunity to discuss the main challenges facing national human rights institutions to enhance the role of the networks and the international and regional organisations in promoting national human rights institutions.
The ANNHRI, established in 2011 in Nouakchott, is a regional network of Arab national institutions aiming to protect and promote human rights in the Arab world.
source/content: english.ahram.org.eg/
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Ambassador Moushira Khattab, President of the National Council of Human Rights
British Lebanese actress Razane Jammal, who broke out internationally with a role in Netflix’s adaptation of DC Comics’ “The Sandman,” picked up an award for Best Lebanese Actress on the Arab and Global Scene at the AFDAL International Festival in Lebanon.
The actress, who has previously starred opposite Hollywood actor Liam Neeson in “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” attended the gala evening wearing a black gown by Beirut-based label Azzi & Osta.
The star, who is the brand’s Middle East ambassador, was featured in a shoot for the new capsule collection, Dior Or.
Jammal told Hia magazine at the time: “Giving up is not an option, because despite the obstacles faced by anyone on their journey, they should be completely ready to seize the opportunity that arises.”
In “The Sandman,” Jammal plays Lyta Hall, a woman who dreams of her dead husband each night, slowly realizing that he is not a figment of her imagination but is hiding out in the dream world to be with his wife.
It is a part that Jammal managed to play truthfully with subtlety — a subtlety for which she credited her mother.
Jammal, who was raised in Beirut, told Arab News: “I’ve always been extra, and my mom was far more subtle than I am. I had to fine-tune myself to vibrate on her frequency, a frequency that was very sweet and very raw and vulnerable and nurturing. I took that from her.
“I grew up having a simple, community-based life in a place where you have 500 mothers and everyone feeds you and you feel safe — even if it’s not safe at all. At the same time we went through so many traumas, from civil wars to assassinations to losing all our money in another financial crisis.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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British Lebanese actress Razane Jammal picked up an award for Best Lebanese Actress on the Arab and Global Scene at the AFDAL International Festival in Lebanon. (Instagram)
This is a new consecration for Tunisia on an international scale. This is the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2023, one of the largest events dedicated to invention organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Swiss government. Two gold medals were awarded to Erij Messadi, researcher, and Mounir Bezzarga, professor, for their inventions.
Tunisia causes a stir with two revolutionary inventions
The two Tunisian winners were distinguished among a total of 1,000 other inventions from 50 different countries, thanks to the gigantic potential of their projects.
Dr. Erij Messadi, representative of the Institut de Pasteur, presented a one-of-a-kind project at this prestigious event. Baptized “Lebecetine, Lectin type C, as an inhibitor of neovascularization”, it was able to capture the attention of the public and was able to win the gold medal with congratulations from the jury. His innovative invention aims to demonstrate the crucial role of Lebecetine in blocking the formation of new blood vessels, which could slow the progression of several diseases such as cancer.
The ImmunoDefender project won in the Q category. Designed and produced by Dr. Mounir Bezzarga to fight against COVID-19, this winning invention continues to receive awards and shine on an international scale. After winning a prize at TICAD and another at the Euro-Mediterranean Intellectual Property Conference, this plant-based project was on the way to winning the gold medal with congratulations from the jury at the Geneva fair.
Beyond the obstacles, Tunisia continues to shine
Despite the turbulent political scene and the difficult economic situation, Tunisia continues to shine thanks to the exploits of its talents. Indeed, the country is always represented on the podium of international events, especially those dedicated to technologies and inventions. Tunisian inventors like Erij Messadi and Mounir Bezzarga are often awarded for their inventions covering several fields. All this bears witness to remarkable innovation and dynamism on the Tunisian scene.
This immense potential can only be an incomparable asset for our Tunisia. The future therefore looks promising in this area.
US Jordanian contestant Farah Abu Adeela from the state of Illinois was crowned Miss Arab USA at the beauty pageant’s finale in Arizona over the weekend.
The new Miss Arab USA, who is a model, takes over from 2022’s winner, Moroccan American Marwa Lahlou.
The annual pageant, which returned in 2022 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was held in Arizona this year. Produced by The Arab American Organization (AAO), the pageant is “founded on the basis of advancing the cause of young ladies of Arab descent,” according to its website.
The swimsuit category does not feature in the pageant, with the stated aim of organizers being to “select an honorable Arab young lady to represent our culture in the US and worldwide for one year.”
This year’s ceremony featured a performance by dance troupe Zeffa of Phoenix.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Farah Abu Adeela nabbed the coveted tiara at the 2023 Miss Arab USA pageant. (Instagram)
Rise of national team matched by that of country’s female referees.
When the Moroccan national women’s football team next takes to the pitch, their feat will be recorded for ever in the history books.
The Atlas Lionesses play Germany in Australia on July 24, becoming the first Arab nation to play in the Fifa Women’s World Cup.
But it is not just the players who are changing the future of the sport.
The rise of the Moroccan women’s team goes hand in hand with the successes of the country’s female referees, who have made huge strides in breaking the long male monopoly on football officiating.
Three female Moroccan football referees, Bouchra Karboubi, Fatiha Jermoumi and Soukaina Hamdi, have been appointed by Fifa, the sport’s world governing body, to referee at the Women’s World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday in Australia and New Zealand.
Aside from Palestinian Heba Saadieh, the women are the only female Arab football officials at the tournament.
“Morocco’s female football teams have witnessed a significant growth in recent years, in terms of numbers, age categories and locations, which [created the need for] qualifying female referees to officiate their games, and hence creating opportunities for those with great potential in that field,” said Brahim Chokhmane, sports editor at Tunisian newspaper Le Matin.
Mr Chokhmane pointed to a growing trend in the region to try to close the gender gap in sports — and in football in particular.
He said the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) has begun to follow the trend.
In June, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said clubs wanting to participate in the 2023-2024 Champions League and Confederation Cup competitions must have women’s professional teams.
Last year’s African Cup of Nations was the first time the tournament put out an all-female line-up of match officials – among them Morocco’s Jermoumi and Karboubi.
Women refereeing men’s matches
Women in Morocco have never been closer to equality with their male counterparts on the football pitch.
In March 2023, the federation appointed the first female coach in North Africa to train a men’s football team.
Last year, it appointed Karboubi to be the first woman in the Arab world to officiate a final of a men’s professional competition. Jermoumi was a first assistant at the country’s most prestigious football tournament, the Moroccan Throne Cup.
In 2020, the RMFF launched several football tournaments for women footballers and set a target of 90,000 amateur female players.
The moves have inspired more women to play – and referee – football.
Zakia El Grini, 33, who earned her Fifa badge as a football referee in 2022, said: “More Moroccan women feel confident nowadays to train, and work, as football referees, thanks to those who pioneered in the field and paved the way for others, and to the increasing number of female footballers.”
Less than two decades ago, there were fewer than 15 locally accredited Moroccan female football referees.
There are now eight internationally accredited female referees and more than 120 locally licensed ones.
Hafsa Ayab, 15, a student at the refereeing school for the Chaouia Doukkala Regional Football League, in the west of Morocco, told The National that she sees Karboubi as a role model and dreams of reaching the same success.
“I was not a fan of football itself as a game, but have found my passion in refereeing,” she said. “I am lucky to be able to pursue this dream.”
As the number of Moroccan players increase significantly, Moroccan referee Soukaina Hdia, 32, said more women will be encouraged to take part.
“And it will continue to increase, especially as more Moroccan women partake in global events,” she said. “It will encourage more females to do the same. I recall how, in 2009, I was the only female football referee in the Chaouia Doukkala region, but now there are dozens”.
‘Bullying doesn’t stop’
The pursuit of a refereeing career for women is not an easy one, Hdia said.
“I have been in this profession since 2009, and the bullying doesn’t stop, especially during interviews, or from the audience. I did grow immune to negative comments, though.”
Karboubi too has been the target of harassment and bullying.
After officiating Morocco’s Throne Cup’s final last year, images of the referee side by side with pictures of a kitchen went viral on social media, as some football fans took umbrage at Karboubi’s decision to show a yellow card to one player.
Ranked 136 of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index, Morocco’s women live lives strongly determined by deeply ingrained gender roles.
“The bullying is sometimes worse against female referees with headscarves, like what happened to me,” said El Grini, who officiated the kingdom’s Throne Cup this year.
“But the main obstacle preventing many Moroccan women from pursuing football refereeing as a career is the family. Many still view refereeing as meant only for men, but the truth of the matter is that sports and refereeing are open to all,” she said.
This story is published in collaboration with Egab.
Google search engine features late Sudanese musician Asma Hamza celebrating anniversary of her winning the Laylat AlQadr AlKubra music competition in Sudan.
According to Google’s description on 17 July, “On this day in 1997, Asma was among the winners of the Laylat AlQadr AlKubra music competition in Sudan. This win was a turning point in her career and helped her gain recognition in a male-dominated field.”
Considered the first female composer in Sudan, Hamza was born in 1932 and loved music while growing up, dreaming of becoming a singer. However, her vocal cords were not equipped to handle singing safely, so she switched to whistling the tunes instead. When her father heard her whistle in harmony, he borrowed an oud (similar to a lute but with a thinner neck and no frets) so Asma could practice.
Despite the fact that it was not socially acceptable for women to practice music in Sudan during her time, her father encouraged her interest in music. In fact, the whole family enjoyed singing and was fond of music.
Hamza did not like her own voice and directed her interests towards playing the oud, which her father purchased for her. Surrounded by musicians who often visited her family home, including Ahmed Mustafa, Osman Hussein, Hassan Attia, and Abdel Aziz Mohamed Daoud, Hamza started by playing the oud while listening to other performers and copying their strokes by ear. As she began mastering the instrument, she soon became the very first Sudanese woman with formal training on the oud, which she received in response to her perseverance.
As she started carving her own place in Sudan’s music scene, she performed in small gatherings, followed by bigger stages. She often used lyrics by renowned poets, leading to compositions that were then performed by renowned singers. Her melodies resonate with many people in Sudan and across the Arab world.
On 17 July 1997, Hamza was announced as one of the winners of the Laylat AlQadr AlKubra song competition held in Sudan, standing among many male musicians. This win is considered an important turning point in her career.
PM chairs opening ceremony of 15th Arab Sports Games.
On behalf of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the Prime Minister, Aimene Benabderrahmane chaired the opening of the 15th Arab Sports Games organized by Algeria from on 5-15 July at Mohamed-Boudiaf Olympic Complex in Algiers, with the participation of nearly 2,000 athletes representing 22 Arab countries.
The opening ceremony of the 15th Arab Sports Games hosted by Algeria (July 5-15) started Wednesday in the Mohamed Boudiaf Olympic Complex in Algiers, in the presence of Prime Minister Aymen Benabderrahmane, members of government and guests from various countries and organizations.
