NOUR PRODUCTIONS

MAI MASRI

Mai Masri is a Palestinian filmmaker who has studied film at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University (USA). She has directed, photographed and edited numerous award-winning films that have been broadcast on more than 100 television stations around the world including PBS, BBC, Channel 4, France 2, France 3, SBS, RTBF, YLE, RTP, NHK, GLOBO, RAI, Al-Jazeera, M2, MBC, Al-Arabiyya, and Abu Dhabi TV. Together with her husband, filmmaker, Jean Chamoun she formed Nour Productions. Their films have won more than 50 international awards.

Films Directed by Mai Masri:

BEIRUT DIARIES: Truth, Lies and Videos 2006, 80 min

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wlb7R6NWllE

Nominated Best Documentary Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2007 

Asia Pacific Screen Awards Winners, Best Documentary Feature Film (2007)

Through the story of a young woman from Beirut, the film explores the role of young people in the critical transformations underway in Lebanon.

* First Prize, Biennale des Cinemas Arabes, Paris 2006

* Special Tribute, Ismailia Film Festival, Egypt 2006

COMEDY ON THE FRONTLINE 2006, 50, Nour Productions

The journey of a Palestinian-American stand-up comedian from New York to Palestine.

FRONTIERS OF DREAMS AND FEARS 2001, 56 min, ITVS - PBS

The lives and dreams of two Palestinian teenage girls – Mona and Manar, who meet through the internet and travel to the borders of exile separating them from their homeland and from each other.

* Best Documentary, Biennale des Cinémas Arabes, Paris, France 2002

* First Prize, International Women’s Film Festival in Torino, Italy 2002

* First Prize, Golden Sun Environmental Film Festival, Barcelona Spain 02

* First Prize, Ismailia International film Festival, Egypt 2001

*  La Colombaia di Luchino Visconti, award, Ischia, Italy, 2003

* Award of the Youth of Geneva, Nord-Sud Film Festival, Switzerland, 2003

* Special Mention International Jury, Nord-Sud Film Festival, Switzerland, 03

* Award of Excellence, Global Environmental Film Festival, Tokyo, Japan 02

*  Earth Vision Award, Tokyo, Japan 2001

*  Special Jury Award at Beirut International Film Festival 2001

* Best Arab film, Egyptian Film Critics Association, Egypt  2001

* Best Documentary, Egyptian Documentary Filmmakers Association 2001

* Special Mention, Carthage International Film Festival, Tunisia 2002

* Silver Award, Argentinian Documentary Film Festival, Buenos Aires 2006

 

THE MAGIC LANTERN 2004, 45 min, Nour Productions, EU Documentary focusing on the Al-Jana 3-year-training project with Palestinian refugee youth making their own films.

 

 CHILDREN OF SHATILA  1989/50 min, NOUR Productions, Ch 4

Portrait of two Palestinian children living in Beirut’s Shatila refugee camp.

-          Best Director Award, Arab Screen Film Festival, London 1999

-          Best Camera Award, Arab Screen Film Festival, London 1999

-          Nominated for AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AWARD, Amsterdam 1998

-          Special Mention at CMCA, Palermo, Italy 1998

HANAN ASHRAWI: A WOMAN OF HER TIME 1995, 50min, BBC  

Portrait of Hanan Ashrawi, the Palestinian spokeswoman and human rights activist.

- Won Best Overseas documentary, One World Media Awards, UK, 1996.

- Award of the Public at IMA festival in Paris, 1996.

- CMCA Award for Best Documentary at Palermo, Italy, 1997

CHILDREN OF FIRE 1990 / 50" / MTC production for BBC

Documentary on the children of the intifada in Nablus, Mai Masri’s hometown.

- First Prize,  Cairo Television Festival (1995)

-          Award of Public, Feminin Pluriel Festival in France.

-          Nominated for the Rosebud Award, Washington DC 1991

Films Co-Directed by Mai Masri and Jean Chamoun:

SUSPENDED DREAMS 1992/50"/TVE, MTC production for BBC2

The story of two Lebanese ex-militia fighters, a satirical playwright and a woman looking for her kidnapped husband. Broadcast on 90 television stations around the world.

- Grand Prix at FIMA Film Festival in Paris, 1993.

- Best Documentary, Damascus Film Festival in 1993.

WAR GENERATION-BEIRUT 1988/50"/IBT and MTC for BBC1

In Beirut, children grow up on the barricades and soon trade their toy guns for the real thing. War Generation-Beirut explores the lives of 3 generations of young people living in the heart of the civil war in Lebanon

Produced for BBC-INSIDE STORY in UK, broadcast in 20 countries.

- Bronze Apple Award , National Educational Film Festival, USA,1990.

WILD FLOWERS: WOMEN OF SOUTH LEBANON 1986 / MTC

Documentary on the resistance of the women of South Lebanon.

-          Special Jury and Best Music Award, Valencia Film Festival, Spain1987.

-          Critics Award, Carthage, Tunisia

-          Special Jury Award at Damascus Film Festival.

UNDER THE RUBBLE 1983/40/ MTC

Documentary on the 1982 siege of Beirut.

- Special Jury Award, Valencia Film Festival, Spain1983.

Films directed by Jean Chamoun,  Produced by Mai Masri:

WOMEN BEYOND BORDERS 2004, 60 min, Nour Productions

Story of Kifah Afifi, a Palestinian prisoner from Khiam detention

 center in Israeli occupied south Lebanon

-  Best documentary, Al-Jazeera International festival, Doha, 2006

- Special Jury Award at Assila Film Festival, Morocco, 2004

- Special Mention Carmona Festival, Spain, 2004 

IN THE SHADOWS OF THE CITY 2000, 100 min, France, UK, Lebanon, production

This 100 minute feature film tells the story of Rami, a 12 year-old boy growing up in war-torn Beirut

-Won Prix Special de jury, Cannes Junior Film Festival, 2001

- Best Film , Al Andalos Satellite, Mediterranean Film Festival, 2001

 -Special Distinction  Award, Carthage Film Festival, Tunisia, 2000

HOSTAGE OF TIME *1994, 50 min, MTC/Future TV  

Documentary on south Lebanon through the eyes of a young woman doctor

- Silver Award, FIPA Television Festival, Cannes, France, 1995.

Film Critics Award at Ismailia Film Festival,  Egypt, 1995.

Jean Khalil Chamoun

Jean Khalil Chamoun is a Lebanese filmmaker with an MA degree in film from the University of Paris and an MA in Dramatic Arts from the Lebanese University. Specialized in directing, editing and photography at Ecole Louis Lumière in France. He worked in television, theatre, radio and taught film at the Lebanese University and Kafaat University College. With his wife filmmaker Mai Masri he founded Nour productions and co-directed a series of documentaries. He directed and produced several award-winning films that have been broadcast on more than 90 television stations around the world including  BBC, CH4, PBS, France2, France 3,  ARD and NHK

Their films have received more than 50 international awards.

Films Directed:

ARD INNISSA’ (WOMEN BEYOND BORDERS), 2004, 60 min, Misr International Films, Egypt, Lebanon The film tells the story of a Kifah, a woman from Shatila camp who was imprisoned in Khiam, the notorious detention center in south Lebanon. It also explores the experiences of Palestinian poet Fadwa Toukan and community leader Sameeha Khalil. Through the stories of these 3 remarkable women, the film focuses on the lives of women who have broken the boundaries that society has placed before them.

-Gold Award of Aljazeera International Documentary film Fest. 2006

-Special Distinction Jury Award , Assila, Morocco, 2004

- CARMONA  Award of the human values, Carmo, Spain 2004

-Selected in the Creative Documentaries, FIPA Biarritz, France 2005

 TAIF AL MADINA (IN THE SHADOWS OF THE CITY) 2000, 100 min

Prod: Lebanon, France, EC, Switzerland and Holland

This 100 min feature film tells the story of Rami,

a 12 year-old boy growing up in Beirut during the war.

-Won Prix Special de jury, Cannes Junior International Film Festival, 2001

- Best Film , Al Andalos Satellite, Mediterranean Film Festival, 2001

 -Special Distinction  Award, Carthage Film Festival, Tunisia, 2000

-  Best Lebanese feature Film, Beirut  Media Festival, 2004

HOSTAGE OF TIME 1994, 50 min, MTC, Future TV

The story of a young woman doctor from south Lebanon.

- Silver Award , FIPA film Festival, Cannes, France 1995    

-Special Jury Award of the Association of Egyptian

 Documentary Filmmakers, Ismailia  Documentary Film festival, 1995.

- Award Greek Association of Filmmakers and Artists, Athens, 2003

UNSHUDAT EL AHRAR  1979    30mn production PCI

Homage to the Liberation movement in the three continents

-Award  of  Honor Leipzig International Film Festival 1979

-Special Jury Award  of Damascus film Festival 1981

Films Co-Directed by Jean Chamoun and Mai Masri:

SUSPENDED DREAMS 1992, 50 min,TVE, MTC production for BBC2

A Beirut community rebuilding its life after the war

- Grand Prix , FIMA Film Festival in Paris, 1993.

- Best Documentary, Damascus Film Festival in 1993.

WAR GENERATION-BEIRUT 1988/50"/IBT and MTC for BBC1

Three generations of young people growing up in Beirut during the war

- Bronze Apple Award , NEFF Festival, USA,1990.

WILD FLOWERS: WOMEN OF SOUTH LEBANON 1986, 76 min, CH4

Documentary on the women of South Lebanon.

-         Special Jury Award Valencia Film Festival, 1986.

-         Best Music Award, Valencia Film Festival, 1986.

-         Critics Award, Carthage, Tunisia  1986

-         Special Jury Award at Damascus Film Festival 1987.

-  Arab Women association Award  Damascus Film Festival 1987

UNDER THE RUBBLE 1983, 40 min, MTC

Documentary on the siege of Beirut. (1982)

- Special Jury Award, Valencia Film Festival, Spain 1983.

Films Directed by Mai Masri and Produced by Jean Chamoun

BEIRUT DIARIES: Truth, Lies and Videos 2006, 80 min

Through the story of a young woman from Beirut, the film explores the role of young people in the critical transformations underway in Lebanon.

* First Prize, Biennale des Cinemas Arabes, Paris 2006

* Special Tribute, Ismailia Film Festival, Egypte 2006

FRONTIERS OF DREAMS AND FEARS 2001, 56min, ITVS

The story of two Palestinian refugee girls, Manar from Dheisha camp in Palestine and Mona from Shatila camp in Lebanon. The film focuses on their lives and dreams and on their extraordinary journey to the borders of exile separating them from their homeland and from each other.

* Best Documentary, Biennale IMA, Paris, France 2002

* First Prize, International Women’s Film Festival in Torino, Italy 2002

* First Prize, Golden Sun Environmental Film Festival, Barcelona Spain

* First Prize, Ismailia International film Festival, Egypt 2001

*  La Colombaia di Luchino Visconti, award, Ischia, Italy, 2003

* Award of the Youth of Geneva, Nord-Sud Film Festival, Switzerland,

* Special Mention Jury Award,, Nord-Sud Film Festival, Switzerland

* Award of Excellence, Global Environmental  Festival, Tokyo, Japan

*  Earth Vision Award, Tokyo, Japan 2001

*  Special Jury Award, Beirut International Film Festival 2001

* Best Arab film, Egyptian Film Critics Association 2001

* Best Documentary, Egyptian Documentary Filmmakers Association

* Special Mention, Carthage International Film Festival, Tunisia 2002

CHILDREN OF SHATILA  1989/50 min, NOUR Productions, Ch 4

Portrait of two Palestinian children living in Beirut’s Shatila refugee camp.

-         Best Director Award, Arab Screen Film Festival, London 1999

-         Best Camera Award, Arab Screen Film Festival, London 1999

-         Nominated for AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AWARD, Amsterdam 1998

-         Special Mention, CMCA, Palermo, Italy 1998

HANAN ASHRAWI: A WOMAN OF HER TIME 1995, 50min, BBC 

Portrait of Hanan Ashrawi, the Palestinian spokeswoman and human rights activist.

- Won Best Overseas documentary, One World Media Awards, UK,

- Award of the Public at IMA festival, Paris, France 1996.

- CMCA Award for Best Documentary at Palermo, Italy, 1997

CHILDREN OF FIRE 1990, 50 min, MTC for BBC

Documentary on the children of the Palestinian uprising.

- First Prize, Cairo Television Festival, 1995

- Award of Public, Feminin Pluriel Festival, France.

Other film titles include:

ALORS (1974), Series on ARAB MUSIC (1975), THE PEOPLE AND THE EVENTS (1976), TEL EL ZAATAR (1976), HYMN FOR LIBERTY (1978), GIVE THEM HOPE (1984), FACES OF CHANGE (1992), MAP (1997), BALAMAND (1997), AUB (1998)