Rocket Science has boarded the biopic “The Good Spy,” about CIA operative Robert Ames, from Oscar-nominated “Paradise Now” and “Omar” director Hany Abu-Assad.
The pic is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kai Bird’s biography of Ames. Scott Frazier (“Berliner”) is adapting for screen.
“Free Solo” and “Everest” producer Evan Hayes will produce under his Ace (Anomaly Content & Entertainment) production company. Laurie MacDonald and Walter Parkes will executive produce with Frazier, while Bird will act as a consultant on the project.
Rocket Science is financing the film and will co-represent worldwide sales with CAA Media Finance.
Said Abu-Assad: “When Robert Ames moved deeper into the life of Ali Hasan Salameh, a prominent Plo member, he realizes that not only is he crossing the line between the CIA and being involved in his enemy’s cause, but the friendship between the two men leads to a certain threat to the establishment of both sides.
The pic is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kai Bird’s biography of Ames. Scott Frazier (“Berliner”) is adapting for screen.
“Free Solo” and “Everest” producer Evan Hayes will produce under his Ace (Anomaly Content & Entertainment) production company. Laurie MacDonald and Walter Parkes will executive produce with Frazier, while Bird will act as a consultant on the project.
Rocket Science is financing the film and will co-represent worldwide sales with CAA Media Finance.
Said Abu-Assad: “When Robert Ames moved deeper into the life of Ali Hasan Salameh, a prominent Plo member, he realizes that not only is he crossing the line between the CIA and being involved in his enemy’s cause, but the friendship between the two men leads to a certain threat to the establishment of both sides.
- 5/22/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
The 12th episode of “Survivor 42” aired on Wednesday night and concluded with host Jeff Probst snuffing out the torch of Omar Zaheer. The 31-year old from Whitby, Ontario will join Chanelle Howell, Rocksroy Bailey, Tori Meehan, Hai Giang and Drea Wheeler on the jury. Did the tribe make the right decision by voting out Omar? And what were the dumbest, most shocking and most exciting moments of the last episode?
See ‘Survivor 42’ exit interview: Omar blames Maryanne for shocking elimination — ‘She got me good’
Below, read our “Survivor 42” Episode 12 Top 5 moments. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite castaways on CBS’s reality TV show, who annoys you the most and who you think will ultimately join the “Survivor” winners list and take home the 1 million grand prize.
See Everything to know about ‘Survivor 42’
Top 5 moments of Episode 12:
1. Everyone Is Happy…Until Omar...
See ‘Survivor 42’ exit interview: Omar blames Maryanne for shocking elimination — ‘She got me good’
Below, read our “Survivor 42” Episode 12 Top 5 moments. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite castaways on CBS’s reality TV show, who annoys you the most and who you think will ultimately join the “Survivor” winners list and take home the 1 million grand prize.
See Everything to know about ‘Survivor 42’
Top 5 moments of Episode 12:
1. Everyone Is Happy…Until Omar...
- 5/20/2022
- by Vincent Mandile
- Gold Derby
Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad’s humanistic approach to political subjects has earned him worldwide acclaim. His films “Paradise Now” and “Omar” were both Oscar-nominated in the Best Foreign Language category (now known as Best International Feature Film), and the latter won the Special Jury Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Both focused on ordinary people whose lives are manipulated and torn apart by the military tension of their surroundings.
Continue reading ‘Huda’s Salon’ Trailer: New Mother Plays Spy Games in Upcoming Political Thriller from Oscar Nominee Hany Abu-Assad at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Huda’s Salon’ Trailer: New Mother Plays Spy Games in Upcoming Political Thriller from Oscar Nominee Hany Abu-Assad at The Playlist.
- 2/5/2022
- by Jake Sweltz
- The Playlist
Egyptian Red Sea event marked its fifth edition from October 14-22.
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, running in its namesake Egyptian Red Sea resort from October 14-22, got off to a memorable start this year when a fire broke out on the red carpet of the main festival plaza area on the eve of the opening ceremony.
By the next day, there was no sign of the near-disaster after hundreds of workers toiled through the night to repair the damage.
This freak accident would set the scene for an eventful edition, however, marked by guest deportations and cancellations, a...
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, running in its namesake Egyptian Red Sea resort from October 14-22, got off to a memorable start this year when a fire broke out on the red carpet of the main festival plaza area on the eve of the opening ceremony.
By the next day, there was no sign of the near-disaster after hundreds of workers toiled through the night to repair the damage.
This freak accident would set the scene for an eventful edition, however, marked by guest deportations and cancellations, a...
- 10/25/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Iconic Palestinian actor-director Mohammad Bakri has canceled his visit to Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival over the issue of U.K.-based Palestinian filmmaker Said Zagha being deported from the country without being allowed to enter.
Bakri, whose acting credits include “Homeland,” “The Stranger” “Wajib” and “The Bureau,” was due to be honored with a career achievement award at the festival on Wednesday.
However, on Tuesday, Bakri released a statement in Arabic saying he has canceled his visit in protest against the deportation of Zagha and other Palestinians who arrived at Cairo airport and were barred from entering Egyptian territory.
“I have decided not to go to the El Gouna Film Festival,” Bakri said in his statement. “Essentially, this was a reaction, in principle, to the mistreatment of Palestinian artists, regardless of their passport, whether it’s Jordanian, Palestinian, Israeli, or whatever. It is high time that Palestinians are granted full rights,...
Bakri, whose acting credits include “Homeland,” “The Stranger” “Wajib” and “The Bureau,” was due to be honored with a career achievement award at the festival on Wednesday.
However, on Tuesday, Bakri released a statement in Arabic saying he has canceled his visit in protest against the deportation of Zagha and other Palestinians who arrived at Cairo airport and were barred from entering Egyptian territory.
“I have decided not to go to the El Gouna Film Festival,” Bakri said in his statement. “Essentially, this was a reaction, in principle, to the mistreatment of Palestinian artists, regardless of their passport, whether it’s Jordanian, Palestinian, Israeli, or whatever. It is high time that Palestinians are granted full rights,...
- 10/19/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
There’s no escape for the women in Hany Abu-Assad’s blistering new film “Huda’s Salon,” a fearless statement on gender oppression shaped as an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Back in top form, the acclaimed director behind stunners such as “Paradise Now” and “Omar” returns to dissecting the perilous Palestinian experience under Israeli control.
Read More: Toronto Film Fest 2021 Preview: 16 Must-See Movies To Watch
Before his camera enters the eponymous beautification business where lives are upended, Abu-Assad eases us into the reality of his people via snippets of quotidian interactions in the occupied territories.
Continue reading ‘Huda’s Salon’: Hany Abu-Assad Offers a Fearless Reckoning on Women’s Oppression in Occupied Palestine [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.
Read More: Toronto Film Fest 2021 Preview: 16 Must-See Movies To Watch
Before his camera enters the eponymous beautification business where lives are upended, Abu-Assad eases us into the reality of his people via snippets of quotidian interactions in the occupied territories.
Continue reading ‘Huda’s Salon’: Hany Abu-Assad Offers a Fearless Reckoning on Women’s Oppression in Occupied Palestine [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.
- 9/12/2021
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Playlist
This year’s fall festival season features a tapestry of in-person, virtual, and hybrid programming from Telluride, Venice, TIFF, and NYFF. One throughline: many of the most anticipated premieres — from “Dune” to “The Power of the Dog” — are arriving to festivals with distribution in hand.
Though the festivals have pared down the size of their lineups amid the pandemic, there’s still plenty for buyers to choose from, from discovery titles to those with bankable elements. Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn’s “Official Competition” features Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz in a rare appearance on screen together; it still has North American rights available ahead of its Venice premiere. In “Lakewood,” Phillip Noyce directs Naomi Watts as a mother racing to her child during an active-shooter incident, it premieres at TIFF. And “Beba,” a personal documentary from first-time feature director Rebeca Huntt, is catching early buzz as a potential TIFF breakout.
Though the festivals have pared down the size of their lineups amid the pandemic, there’s still plenty for buyers to choose from, from discovery titles to those with bankable elements. Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn’s “Official Competition” features Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz in a rare appearance on screen together; it still has North American rights available ahead of its Venice premiere. In “Lakewood,” Phillip Noyce directs Naomi Watts as a mother racing to her child during an active-shooter incident, it premieres at TIFF. And “Beba,” a personal documentary from first-time feature director Rebeca Huntt, is catching early buzz as a potential TIFF breakout.
- 9/2/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
At TCA on Thursday, the creatives behind Netflix’s Lupin reflected on the show’s success and its ability to transcend national borders, noting that while it draws on an iconic character, its reception also has much to do with its star, internationally beloved actor Omar Sy.
“Omar is this person. He’s genuine. He’s extremely generous and the kindest man, and at the same time, he can be tough. He’s like this mountain of muscles and can fight,” said director Louis Leterrier. “So the thing about Lupin is, he’s everything Omar is, and I think that’s the key to its success. Lupin is Omar, and Omar is Lupin.”
Letterier later expanded on what makes the show unique, saying that it represents “the confluence of many genres and a lot of talent coming with the same goal, but coming from very different walks of life or creative paths.
“Omar is this person. He’s genuine. He’s extremely generous and the kindest man, and at the same time, he can be tough. He’s like this mountain of muscles and can fight,” said director Louis Leterrier. “So the thing about Lupin is, he’s everything Omar is, and I think that’s the key to its success. Lupin is Omar, and Omar is Lupin.”
Letterier later expanded on what makes the show unique, saying that it represents “the confluence of many genres and a lot of talent coming with the same goal, but coming from very different walks of life or creative paths.
- 8/19/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
IFC Films has acquired North American rights to “Huda’s Salon,” a drama written and directed by Hany Abu-Assad, the award-winning filmmaker behind “Paradise Now” and “The Mountain Between Us.”
The film is described as a “feminist thriller,” one that unfolds against the backdrop of geopolitical conflict. It follows Reem, a young mother married to a jealous man, who goes to Huda’s salon in Bethlehem for a haircut and an attentive ear. But this visit turns sour when Huda, after having put Reem in a shameful situation, blackmails her.
“Huda’s Salon” will have its world premiere as an official selection at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival in September. IFC Films is planning a release in 2022. The indie studio has two other films playing in Toronto, Mia Hansen-Løve’s “Bergman Island” and Ruth Paxton’s “A Banquet.”
“To finally have the chance to work with IFC Films...
The film is described as a “feminist thriller,” one that unfolds against the backdrop of geopolitical conflict. It follows Reem, a young mother married to a jealous man, who goes to Huda’s salon in Bethlehem for a haircut and an attentive ear. But this visit turns sour when Huda, after having put Reem in a shameful situation, blackmails her.
“Huda’s Salon” will have its world premiere as an official selection at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival in September. IFC Films is planning a release in 2022. The indie studio has two other films playing in Toronto, Mia Hansen-Løve’s “Bergman Island” and Ruth Paxton’s “A Banquet.”
“To finally have the chance to work with IFC Films...
- 8/11/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
After 10 consecutive days of violence, the renewed Israeli-Palestinian conflict is already considered the worst clash since 2014. For a film community known to be fiercely opposed to the politics led by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers and producers fear the escalation of violence will cause irreparable damage. There have been countless fallouts between Israelis and Palestinians in the region over the last 70 years, but industry executives indicate that the proliferation of social media is taking commentary on the conflict to unprecedented levels.
“Today, because of social media, hatred is spreading much quicker. This is a nightmare, and it will affect relationships in the medium to long term,” predicts Rani Massalha, the Paris-based French-Palestinian producer of Tarzan and Arab Nasser’s “Gaza Mon Amour” which opened at Venice and represented Palestine in the Oscar race this year.
“When I started my career as a director with ‘Girafada,...
“Today, because of social media, hatred is spreading much quicker. This is a nightmare, and it will affect relationships in the medium to long term,” predicts Rani Massalha, the Paris-based French-Palestinian producer of Tarzan and Arab Nasser’s “Gaza Mon Amour” which opened at Venice and represented Palestine in the Oscar race this year.
“When I started my career as a director with ‘Girafada,...
- 5/19/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Waleed Zuaiter, who scored a Leading Actor BAFTA nomination for his role in Channel 4 and Hulu series Baghdad Central, has joined the cast of Sky’s crime drama Gangs Of London.
Production is now underway on season two of the Gareth Evans-created show. Sky recently confirmed directors for the series. Tom Butterworth is lead-writing this time. Evans is executive producing with Matt Flannery, Pulse Films’ Thomas Benski, Hugh Warren and Helen Grégory, Jane Featherstone for Sister, and Gabriel Silver for Sky Studios.
Zuaiter’s credits include Gideon Raff’s Netflix/Canal+ miniseries The Spy opposite Sacha Baron Cohen and HBO’s Oslo, which is released in May. His films roles include in Lodnon Has Fallen, The Men Who Stare At Goats and 20th Century Women. He was the producer and star of Hany Abu-Assad’s Oscar-nominated Omar.
Zuaiter is repped by A3 Artists Agency, The Artists Partnership,...
Production is now underway on season two of the Gareth Evans-created show. Sky recently confirmed directors for the series. Tom Butterworth is lead-writing this time. Evans is executive producing with Matt Flannery, Pulse Films’ Thomas Benski, Hugh Warren and Helen Grégory, Jane Featherstone for Sister, and Gabriel Silver for Sky Studios.
Zuaiter’s credits include Gideon Raff’s Netflix/Canal+ miniseries The Spy opposite Sacha Baron Cohen and HBO’s Oslo, which is released in May. His films roles include in Lodnon Has Fallen, The Men Who Stare At Goats and 20th Century Women. He was the producer and star of Hany Abu-Assad’s Oscar-nominated Omar.
Zuaiter is repped by A3 Artists Agency, The Artists Partnership,...
- 5/18/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Huda’s Salon
Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad heads into his eighth feature with Huda’s Salon, a based-on-a-true-story nightmare which was forced to halt production twice due to the pandemic. Scripted by Abu-Assad, he’s joined in the producer’s seat by Amira and Maher Diab, Shahinaz el Akkad, and Alaa Karkouti. Lensed by Ehab Assal (who shot Abu-Assad’s Omar and The Idol), Manal Awad stars as Huda, joined by the stellar Ali Suliman, Maisa Abd Elhadi, and Samer Bisharat. Abu-Assad’a major breakout was 2005’s Paradise Now, which competed in Berlin and won several prizes. 2013’s Omar played in Un Certain Regard at Cannes where it picked up a Special Jury Prize and his 2002 debut Rana’s Wedding was in Critics’ Week.…...
Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad heads into his eighth feature with Huda’s Salon, a based-on-a-true-story nightmare which was forced to halt production twice due to the pandemic. Scripted by Abu-Assad, he’s joined in the producer’s seat by Amira and Maher Diab, Shahinaz el Akkad, and Alaa Karkouti. Lensed by Ehab Assal (who shot Abu-Assad’s Omar and The Idol), Manal Awad stars as Huda, joined by the stellar Ali Suliman, Maisa Abd Elhadi, and Samer Bisharat. Abu-Assad’a major breakout was 2005’s Paradise Now, which competed in Berlin and won several prizes. 2013’s Omar played in Un Certain Regard at Cannes where it picked up a Special Jury Prize and his 2002 debut Rana’s Wedding was in Critics’ Week.…...
- 1/3/2021
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Production has finally completed on “Huda’s Salon,” the new film from double Academy-Award nominated director Hany Abu-Assad. Production was halted twice this year because of regulations brought in to stop the spread of coronavirus. Variety spoke to the Palestinian director from his home in Nazareth after he gave a masterclass via Zoom at the Cairo Film Festival.
Written and directed by Abu-Assad, “Huda’s Salon” is based on real-life events telling the story of a woman whose visit to a hair salon turns into a nightmare when its owner blackmails her. Starring Manal Awad, Maisa Abd Elhadi and Ali Suliman, filming took place on location in Nazareth and Bethlehem.
H&a Production, the company run by Abu-Assad and his wife Amira Diab, are lead producing, alongside Egyptian producer and Cairo Film Festival head honcho Mohamed Hefzy at Film Clinic. Philistine Films came on board during the lockdown. Sales are...
Written and directed by Abu-Assad, “Huda’s Salon” is based on real-life events telling the story of a woman whose visit to a hair salon turns into a nightmare when its owner blackmails her. Starring Manal Awad, Maisa Abd Elhadi and Ali Suliman, filming took place on location in Nazareth and Bethlehem.
H&a Production, the company run by Abu-Assad and his wife Amira Diab, are lead producing, alongside Egyptian producer and Cairo Film Festival head honcho Mohamed Hefzy at Film Clinic. Philistine Films came on board during the lockdown. Sales are...
- 12/6/2020
- by Kaleem Aftab
- Variety Film + TV
“Gaza Mon Amour,” starring Hiam Abbass (“Succession”) and Salim Daw (“Fauda”), will serve as Palestine’s official entry in the International Feature Film category at the 93rd Academy Awards.
Directed by Tarzan and Arab Nasser, “Gaza Mon Amour” is represented in international markets by the Paris-based company Versatile Films and has been officially selected by Palestine’s Oscar committee.
Set in contemporary Gaza, the film revolves around Issa, a 60-year-old fisherman who is secretly in love with Siham, a woman who works at the market with her daughter Leila. When he mysteriously finds an ancient phallic statue of Apollo in his fishing nets, Issa feels that this discovery will change his life forever. As his confidence starts to grow, Issa decides to approach Siham.
“Gaza Mon Amour” world premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival in the Horizons section, and went on to screen at Toronto, where it won the Netpac Award.
Directed by Tarzan and Arab Nasser, “Gaza Mon Amour” is represented in international markets by the Paris-based company Versatile Films and has been officially selected by Palestine’s Oscar committee.
Set in contemporary Gaza, the film revolves around Issa, a 60-year-old fisherman who is secretly in love with Siham, a woman who works at the market with her daughter Leila. When he mysteriously finds an ancient phallic statue of Apollo in his fishing nets, Issa feels that this discovery will change his life forever. As his confidence starts to grow, Issa decides to approach Siham.
“Gaza Mon Amour” world premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival in the Horizons section, and went on to screen at Toronto, where it won the Netpac Award.
- 10/22/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Waleed Zuaiter, who has starred in Netflix’s The Spy and Hulu and Channel 4 drama Baghdad Central, has launched his own production company to tackle diversity in TV and film.
Zuaiter, who produced Omar, the Palestinian feature that was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, has established FlipNarrative, which will be based in LA, London and Beirut. He wants to amplify underrepresented and historically misrepresented voices around the world and to be a bridge between the U.S. and the Middle East and North Africa.
He has unveiled a slew of projects already in various stages of development. These include The Valley, a fictionalized take on the illicit drug trade in Lebanon, a romantic comedy feature set in Palestine/Israel, an epic female centric family drama feature set in Morocco, and Perception, a documentary currently in post-production about world-renowned artist, El Seed, who ventures into the...
Zuaiter, who produced Omar, the Palestinian feature that was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, has established FlipNarrative, which will be based in LA, London and Beirut. He wants to amplify underrepresented and historically misrepresented voices around the world and to be a bridge between the U.S. and the Middle East and North Africa.
He has unveiled a slew of projects already in various stages of development. These include The Valley, a fictionalized take on the illicit drug trade in Lebanon, a romantic comedy feature set in Palestine/Israel, an epic female centric family drama feature set in Morocco, and Perception, a documentary currently in post-production about world-renowned artist, El Seed, who ventures into the...
- 10/1/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The Parisian outfit has notably closed sales on Uncle and Motherland, and is now preparing the ground for Apples, The Cemil Show and Abu Omar. Somewhat uncertain before embarking upon the unprecedented experience of the Cannes Film Festival’s Online Marché du Film, the French international sales agency Alpha Violet - a dedicated discoverer of young, international and high-potential film auteurs - has swiftly found its feet in this virtual environment and has already struck a number of high notes, closing sales in the opening days of the Market. Indeed, the team led by Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato has sold Uncle by Danish director Frelle Petersen (an 88 Miles production) to HBO Eastern Europe, and to Alfhaville Cinema for Mexico; Motherland by the American of Lithuanian origin Tomas Vengris, for Japan (Uzumasa); Identifying Features by Fernanda Valadez (awarded Sundance’s Audience Award with its screenplay scooping a Special Prize from the.
Dubayah worked on many of the major Palestinian films of the last 15 years.
The Palestinian film world has paid to tribute to prominent sound engineer Raja Dubayah, who has died at the age of 46 after a short illness.
Dubayah worked on many of the major Palestinian feature productions of the last 15 years including Annemarie Jacir’s When I Saw You and Wajib; Hany Abu-Assad’s Omar and The Idol; Mai Masri’s 3000 Nights; and Shady Srour’s Nazareth-set comedy Holy Air.
A rarity in the under-resourced Palestinian filmmaking scene, where it is difficult for aspiring technicians to get the training...
The Palestinian film world has paid to tribute to prominent sound engineer Raja Dubayah, who has died at the age of 46 after a short illness.
Dubayah worked on many of the major Palestinian feature productions of the last 15 years including Annemarie Jacir’s When I Saw You and Wajib; Hany Abu-Assad’s Omar and The Idol; Mai Masri’s 3000 Nights; and Shady Srour’s Nazareth-set comedy Holy Air.
A rarity in the under-resourced Palestinian filmmaking scene, where it is difficult for aspiring technicians to get the training...
- 6/19/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦69¦
- ScreenDaily
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