Debuting director-writer Bassam Jarbawi has a great theme with “Screwdriver” and a slick filmmaking style, though at times the surface gets more attention than what’s underneath. Set in the semipermanent Al-Amari Refugee Camp on the Ramallah outskirts, the film tackles the difficulties a man faces in returning to normal life after 15 years in an Israeli prison, exploring the physical and emotional toll that trauma and lost time extract from his damaged psyche. Side characters are unevenly drawn but the more complex lead role, nicely played by Ziad Bakri (“Personal Affairs”), gives it a genuine, affecting core. “Screwdriver” is likely to get a fair amount of rotation on the festival circuit.
Jarbawi’s time at Columbia University’s film school shows with his choice of American Dp David McFarland (“The Ballad of Lefty Brown”) and co-editor Christopher Radcliff, together with his tendency toward quickly played-out scenes that are invariably polished...
Jarbawi’s time at Columbia University’s film school shows with his choice of American Dp David McFarland (“The Ballad of Lefty Brown”) and co-editor Christopher Radcliff, together with his tendency toward quickly played-out scenes that are invariably polished...
- 9/12/2018
- by Jay Weissberg
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Here’s first footage of Palestinian drama Screwdriver (Mafak), which is playing at Venice and Toronto.
Ziad Bakri stars as a promising young basketball star now nearing middle age after a long prison stint for the controversial attempted murder of an Israeli settler. Shrihari Sathe (Beach Rats) produces with actress-producer Yasmine Qaddumi. Writer-director Bassam Jarbawi makes his feature debut. DoP is David McFarland (The Ballad Of Lefty Brown).
The pic debuts in Venice Days competition and closes Tiff’s Discovery program. The film was supported by Doha Film Institute, Arab Fund for Arts and Culture and Sundance Institute.
Ziad Bakri stars as a promising young basketball star now nearing middle age after a long prison stint for the controversial attempted murder of an Israeli settler. Shrihari Sathe (Beach Rats) produces with actress-producer Yasmine Qaddumi. Writer-director Bassam Jarbawi makes his feature debut. DoP is David McFarland (The Ballad Of Lefty Brown).
The pic debuts in Venice Days competition and closes Tiff’s Discovery program. The film was supported by Doha Film Institute, Arab Fund for Arts and Culture and Sundance Institute.
- 9/7/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
San Francisco Bay Area film festival promoters Sffilm, in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, has announced the development projects that will receive a total of $250,000 in funding in the latest round of Sffilm Rainin Grants.
The organization has backed a prominent slate of past grant winners, including current buzz films Sorry To Bother You and Blindspotting, as well as prominent alumni films Fruitvale Station and Beasts of the Southern Wild.
“Our track record of alerting the Us indie world to its most important new talent got a major shot in the arm with four-time Sffilm grant-winner Boots Riley’s Sorry To Bother You opening huge this past week, following in the footsteps of previous Sffilm/Rainin discoveries like Ryan Coogler with Fruitvale Station, Rei Green with Monsters and Men, and Benh Zeitlin with Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Sffilm Executive Director Noah Cowan told Deadline. “These are films we...
The organization has backed a prominent slate of past grant winners, including current buzz films Sorry To Bother You and Blindspotting, as well as prominent alumni films Fruitvale Station and Beasts of the Southern Wild.
“Our track record of alerting the Us indie world to its most important new talent got a major shot in the arm with four-time Sffilm grant-winner Boots Riley’s Sorry To Bother You opening huge this past week, following in the footsteps of previous Sffilm/Rainin discoveries like Ryan Coogler with Fruitvale Station, Rei Green with Monsters and Men, and Benh Zeitlin with Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Sffilm Executive Director Noah Cowan told Deadline. “These are films we...
- 7/13/2018
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
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