LOCAL PALS 2020
Toronto Palestine Film Festival x Trinity Square Video x Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto
Four emerging Palestinian filmmakers have been selected to participate in the Toronto Palestine Film Festival’s inaugural film residency. The filmmakers were granted financial support and in-kind contribution from partners Trinity Square Video and Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto. Each filmmaker will create an original 5-10 minute video that will premiere at the 13th Toronto Palestine Film Festival, September 23-29, 2020.
The four selected filmmakers for the Local Pals Residency are Leila Almawy, Kalil Haddad, Serene Husni, and Rana Nazzal.
MEET THE RESIDENTS
LEILA ALMAWY
Leila Almawy is an Arab-Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto. Her films centre the voices of marginalized peoples with a focus on the racialized experience, identity, im/mobility, displacement and systemic Islamophobia as part of the Canadian experience. Her forthcoming film is a documentary about Canada's No-Fly List Kids.
KALIL HADDAD
Kalil Haddad is a writer and director based in Toronto. His work often explores themes of identity, sexuality, and lost futures. They have been released through Vtape, Canada’s largest video art distributor. In addition to his short work, he has also directed and produced music videos for Mark Pelli of Magic!, Justice Der, and The Harmful. As an editor, he has collaborated with acclaimed filmmakers Kazik Radwanski (Anne at 13,000 ft.), Sophy Romvari (Pumpkin Movie), and John Greyson (Fig Trees). He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production from York University.
SERENE HUSNI
Serene Husni is a writer, translator & filmmaker. She holds an MFA in Documentary Media from Ryerson University with distinction. Her directorial debut, Zinco, won the audience award for "Best Documentary" from the Franco-Arab Film Festival. Freely available to watch online, the film chronicles the urban history of Palestinian refugee homes in Al Talbieh camp in Jordan. Serene is a founding member of Dalaala, an Arabic-English translation collective, and Aramram, an Arabic-speaking web television based in Amman. She recently joined the team of writers at Mahdoom, a podcast about the stories behind Arabic dishes.
RANA NAZZAL
Rana Nazzal is a Palestinian-Canadian artist and activist, immersing herself in community organizing both across Turtle Island and in occupied Palestine. She is interested in the complexity of decolonial disruptions and in drawing attention and care back to the Land. In her practice, as in her everyday life, she combines storytelling with critical analysis to draw links between intimate experiences and systems of power. Rana is an MFA candidate at Ryerson University and holds a BA in Human Rights from Carleton University. Currently, she is a communications worker at the Decent Work and Health Network, and for years prior has coordinated various youth programs focused on social and environmental justice issues.