Anas Khalaf
Directing
Biography
Anas Khalaf is a Syrian filmmaker who currently lives in Jordan, having left Damascus with his family as a result of the Syrian conflict. He holds an MBA from the Normandy Business School, and with his wife Rana Kazkaz, he co-founded the production company Synéastes Films in 2010. He is the screenwriter and director of three short films, including 'Mare Nostrum' (2016), which has been selected for more than 30 festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival and the Dubai International Film Festival, and has won nine international prizes. He also works as an actor, having played roles in 'Dégradé' (2015), 'With Premeditation' (2014) and the television series 'The Bureau' (2015-).
Known For
Year 1936. As villages across Palestine rise against British colonial rule, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe and some arriving with nefarious Zionist-colonial ambitions, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.
Palestine 36
A Syrian exile living in Australia returns when his brother is taken into custody by the Assad regime in 2011.
The Translator
In a Swiss ski resort, Yasser works as a maintenance worker, safe from persecution by the Syrian regime, but far from his family stranded in Lebanon. His encounter with Galyna, a Ukrainian refugee, will make him realize the weight of his years of exile.
Assigned
Walid, an overweight Lebanese man, is caught in a destructive spiral. He works at his uncle's tennis club but is sent away to build a tennis court. His encounters with Laith and Maya, with whom Walid shares more than he thinks, lead him to find the path back towards hope.
Love-45
On a Mediterranean shore, a Syrian father's decision to give his daughter a better life puts her in danger of losing it.
Mare Nostrum
A chronicle of a day in the life of a Palestinian cab driver in Los Angeles, DRIVING TO ZIGZIGLAND, portrays the social struggle of the Arab immigrant in post-9/11 America. A film audition typecasts Bashar to play an Al Qaeda terrorist role. The utilities are due and Bashar has twenty-four hours to make the money. For the remaining hours left until tomorrow, an unceasing flow of passengers ride in Bashar's taxi and give the Arab cabbie the run around on issues that deal with suicide bombers, George Bush, Cat Stevens, the war in Iraq, music, and world geography. Bashar's quest to make the money is won until he realizes he has to choose between the Department of Homeland Security and his family.
Driving to Zigzigland
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