LOCAL PALS 2021
Three 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. Each filmmaker will create an original 5-10 minute video that will premiere at the 14th Toronto Palestine Film Festival, September 22-26, 2021.
The five selected filmmakers for the Local Pals Residency are Muhammad Nour-Elkhairy, Nada El-Omari, and Annie Sakkab
MEET THE RESIDENTS
Muhammad Nour-Elkhairy
Muhammad Nour-Elkhairy is a Palestinian filmmaker, video artist and film programmer based in Montreal. He graduated from the MFA studio Arts : Film Production program at Concordia University. His work is interested in power relations and how they are maintained and mediated through moving images.
IG @_m.khairy
Vimeo /mkhairy
I would like to visit/ Muhammad Nour-Elkhairy/ 2017/ 4mins
Nada El-Omari
Nada El-Omari is a writer and director currently based in Toronto. Of Palestinian and Egyptian origin and raised in Montreal, Quebec, her work and research interests include the intergenerational transmissions of memories, post-memory, displacement and the stories of identity through a poetic, hybrid lens. She holds a BFA in Film Production from York University where she is now completing her MFA in Film.
Film still from Yaffa, experimental film, 2019, dir. Nada El-Omari.png
Annie Sakkab
A Palestinian-Canadian, born and raised in Jordan. Independent filmmaker and freelance photojournalist Annie Sakkab is based in the Middle East and Canada. As a visual storyteller, Annie is drawn to exploring the customs, lifestyles, and values that characterize her subjects. Annie seeks long-form narrative with a focus on women’s issues and social justice. In her work, she raises questions of identity and awareness of the experiences of exile, uprooting, and displacement among marginalized groups. Annie's first short documentary Hollie’s Dress, which had its World Premiere at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival 2020 in collaboration with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), is an official selection in 29 international festivals and has won numerous awards including the Golden Sheaf Award at Yorkton Film Festival, Canada, Life Best Short Documentary at Forest City Film Festival, Award of Excellence at Canada Shorts Film Festival, and an Honourable Mention at Women’s Voice Now Film Festival. Annie is represented by Middle East Images and is a member of Boreal Collective, Women Photograph, and a board member at True North Photo Journal (TPNJ).
Hollie Martin poses for a portrait during the filming of Annie Sakkab's first short documentary Hollie’s Dress in collaboration with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in Elmira, Sep. 07, 2019. Photo by Annie Sakkab
