Latest news with #AcademyofMotionPictureArtsandSciences
Al-Ahram Weekly
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Al-Ahram Weekly
The Arab Oscars - Culture - Al-Ahram Weekly
This year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 11 Arab filmmakers to join its ranks, as part of a new class of 395 members from around the world. It's a quiet but significant shift, one that reflects a growing recognition of Arab cinema's bold voices and diverse forms. From Morocco to Palestine, Lebanon to Tunisia, the list includes a wide range of talents: visionary directors, sharp editors, fearless producers, and pioneers who have shaped the region's cinematic landscape. Among them are Asmae El Moudir, whose debut shook Cannes; co-directors Hamdan Ballal and Basel Adra, whose documentary No Other Land just won the Oscar; and editor Rabab Haj Yahya, whose work has given shape to some of the most urgent stories of our times. Also on the list are Palestinian auteurs Elia Suleiman, who has spent decades turning silence into resistance; Michel Khleifi, whose films gave Palestinian cinema its poetic depth; Maha Haj, whose scripts are as subtle as they are political; and Lebanese filmmaker Danielle Arbid, always walking the line between memory and rebellion. Syria's Soudade Kaadan brings the tenderness of survival to the screen, while Tunisia's Habib Attia continues to back daring, socially charged films. And, finally, there is Myriam Sassine, who is not just a producer, but a builder of platforms and futures. Their inclusion speaks not just to personal achievements, but to a region that continues to create, persist, and reimagine itself—on and off screen. Among this year's invitees is Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir, whose debut feature The Mother of All Lies catapulted her to international recognition. A graduate of both the Moroccan Film Academy and La Fémis in Paris, El Moudir has worked across television and independent cinema, directing documentaries for platforms such as SNRT, Al Jazeera, BBC, and Al Araby TV. But it was this deeply personal and formally daring film that brought her to global attention. The Mother of All Lies explores the silences within El Moudir's own family and the suppressed history of the 1981 bread riots in Casablanca. In a striking visual language that blends miniature sets with real testimonies, the film premiered at Cannes in 2023, winning the Un Certain Regard Award for Best Director and the Golden Eye for Best Documentary. It went on to receive over 25 international awards, including the Étoile d'Or at the Marrakech International Film Festival, the first Moroccan film to win the prize. The film was Morocco's official Oscar submission for Best International Feature and was shortlisted among the final 15. El Moudir also earned nominations for the PGA Awards and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, and took home the IDA Award for Best Director. In 2024, she served as a jury member for Un Certain Regard, cementing her place as one of the most important new voices in Arab and global documentary filmmaking. Palestinian filmmakers Hamdan Ballal and Basel Adra join the Academy on the heels of their co-directed documentary No Other Land (2023). Shot over four years in collaboration with two other filmmakers, the film documents the Israeli occupation attempts to forcibly expel Palestinian residents from Masafer Yatta, a rural area in the occupied West Bank under constant threat of demolition. Premiering at the Berlinale in 2024, No Other Land won both the Panorama Audience Award and Best Documentary Award, and went on to win the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2025. Hamdan Ballal, born in 1989 in Susiya, is a filmmaker, photographer and long-time human rights advocate. His work reflects the daily pressures of the occupation alongside the quiet resilience of Palestinian life. Just weeks after the film's Oscar win, Ballal was attacked by settlers near his home and later detained while injured by Israeli soldiers, a moment that drew international condemnation. Basel Adra, born in 1996 in At-Tuwani, began filming house demolitions as a teenager. His reporting for +972 Magazine, Local Call, and B'Tselem has made him a crucial witness to systemic violence in the area. Like Ballal, he has faced arrest and assault while documenting events on the ground. Among the newly invited members is Palestinian-American editor Rabab Haj Yahya, whose work over the past decade has shaped some of the most compelling documentaries in recent memory. Based in New York, Haj Yahya brings a rare blend of political insight, narrative sensitivity, and emotional clarity to the edit room. Her editing debut, Speed Sisters (2015), followed the first all-female Palestinian car racing team and stood out for its energy and refusal to lean on clichés. It premiered at Hot Docs, streamed on Netflix, and was nominated for a Critics' Choice Award. A few years later, her work on The Feeling of Being Watched (2018) – a personal investigation into FBI surveillance of Arab-American communities – earned her the Best Editing Award at the Woodstock Film Festival and helped cement her reputation as a bold storyteller unafraid to dig deep. Since then, Haj Yahya has edited a wide range of projects that push formal boundaries while tackling urgent social questions including Another Body (2023), which was nominated for an Emmy. She also edited The Legend of the Underground (2021) and Apart (2021), another Emmy nominee. In recognition of her impact, she received the Sulafa Jadallah Award, named after Palestine's pioneering woman photojournalist. Palestinian writer-director Maha Haj has also been invited to join the Academy, a recognition that feels long overdue for a filmmaker whose quiet, sharp storytelling has carved a distinct place in contemporary Arab cinema. Her debut feature, Personal Affairs (2016), premiered at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section. In 2022, Haj returned to Cannes with Mediterranean Fever, which won Best Screenplay in Un Certain Regard. More recently, her short Upshot (2024) won Best Short Film at El Gouna and screened at Locarno. Like Haj Yahya, whose craft lies in weaving fragments into a meanful whole, Elia Suleiman has spent decades refining a cinematic language where silence speaks louder than words. The Palestinian director and screenwriter is among the most distinctive voices in global cinema, and his invitation to the Academy feels less like a new chapter, more like a quiet acknowledgment of a legacy already written. Born in 1960 in Nazareth, Suleiman built an internationally acclaimed body of work grounded in deadpan humour, poetic stillness, and the absurdity of everyday life under occupation. He made his feature debut with Chronicle of a Disappearance (1996), which won Best First Film at Venice. His 2002 film Divine Intervention – a surreal tragicomedy unfolding between Nazareth and Ramallah – won the Jury Prize and FIPRESCI Award at Cannes, making him the first Palestinian filmmaker to receive such honours. He continued with The Time That Remains (2009), a semi-autobiographical account of Palestinian life post-1948, and It Must Be Heaven (2019), which competed for the Palme d'Or and earned a Special Mention from the jury. Suleiman's influence extends beyond his own films. In 1994, he co-founded the Film & Media Department at Birzeit University, and he has taught and lectured across Europe and the Arab world. If Suleiman's cinema captures the stillness of life under pressure, then Michel Khleifi's work lays the foundation for that quiet to be heard. Khleifi is widely recognised as one of the architects of modern Palestinian cinema, pushing it beyond slogans into spaces of complexity, intimacy and contradiction. His debut feature Fertile Memory (1981) was the first full-length Palestinian film shot in the West Bank under occupation. Blending documentary with lyrical fiction, it introduced a narrative style that would become his hallmark, where personal memory and political history collide. In Ma'loul Celebrates Its Destruction (1985), Khleifi documented a village erased from the map, and in Wedding in Galilee (1987), he imagined a ceremony negotiated between a Palestinian family and Israeli military authorities, a film that went on to win at Cannes and San Sebastián, becoming the first Palestinian entry to compete at the festival. His later works, including Canticle of the Stones (1990), Tale of the Three Jewels (1995), and The Sprawling Route 181 (2003, co-directed with Eyal Sivan). In 2009, he returned with Zindeeq, a meditative feature on the impossibility of return. Where Khleifi documented the landscapes of Palestine with a rooted gaze, Danielle Arbid has navigated the dislocations of exile with equal intensity. Her invitation to the Academy recognises a body of work that has consistently defied genre and expectation, tracing the edges of identity, sexuality, and memory across borders. Though she never attended film school, she built a cinematic language of her own – raw, restless, and unapologetically personal. Her films often blur the line between fiction and documentary, narrative and essay, the intimate and the political. Her breakout feature, In the Battlefields (2004), premiered at the Cannes Directors' Fortnight. She followed it with A Lost Man (2007), and Beirut Hotel (2011), a political thriller banned in Lebanon but widely seen elsewhere. With Parisienne (2015), she turned inward, crafting a semi-autobiographical portrait of a young Arab woman navigating France. Then came Simple Passion (2020), based on Annie Ernaux's novel, which screened at Cannes and Toronto and confirmed Arbid's reputation as a filmmaker willing to embrace vulnerability and eroticism without filters. Alongside her fiction, Arbid has created powerful essay films and documentaries. As a visual artist, her photography and installations have been shown at the Centre Pompidou and the Venice Biennale, where she represented Lebanon in 2022. Her invitation to the Academy acknowledges not only her cinematic achievements but her refusal to be boxed in by nationality, genre or expectation. Syrian director Soudade Kaadan's invitation to the Academy marks a major milestone for a filmmaker who has, over the past decade, crafted a singular voice that resists spectacle while refusing silence. Her debut feature The Day I Lost My Shadow (2018) premiered at Venice and won the Lion of the Future award for Best First Feature. She followed with Aziza (2019), a darkly comic short about displacement that won Sundance's Grand Jury Prize. Then came Nezouh (2022), a luminous coming-of-age story set in besieged Damascus, told from the perspective of a teenage girl discovering possibility in the ruins. The film premiered in Venice's Horizons Extra section, won the Audience Award, and later received the Amnesty International Human Rights Award in Rome—making Kaadan the only Arab woman to win at Venice twice. Now based in London, she co-founded KAF Production with her sister to support Syrian independent filmmaking. Tunisian producer Habib Attia's invitation to the Academy recognises his role as one of the most influential Arab producers working today, someone who has consistently championed daring, politically engaged cinema across Tunisia and beyond. Born in 1983, since 2007 Attia has been the CEO of Cinétéléfilms, a Tunis-based production company founded by his father. Under his leadership, the company became a vital platform for ambitious Arab films that take creative and social risks. His long-standing collaboration with director Kaouther Ben Hania is central to this legacy. Together they produced Le Challat de Tunis (2014), Zaineb Hates the Snow (2016), Beauty and the Dogs (2017), and The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020), which earned Tunisia its first Oscar nomination for Best International Feature. Their latest collaboration, Four Daughters (2023), a hybrid docu-fiction starring Hend Sabry, premiered at Cannes and reinforced Attia's reputation for backing formally inventive and emotionally charged projects. But his reach extends further: he has co-produced films with Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, supported Hinde Boujemaa's It Was Better Tomorrow (Venice, 2012), and helped bring the post-revolution documentary No More Fear (2011) to international audiences. He also produced We Could Be Heroes (2018), which won the Grand Prize at Hot Docs. Like Attia, Myriam Sassine has shaped the landscape of Arab cinema not only through the films she produces but through the spaces she creates for others in which to thrive. Her invitation to the Academy recognizes both her creative achievements and her visionary role in building institutions, networks, and festivals that sustain bold, independent filmmaking in the region. Based in Beirut, Sassine studied audiovisual arts and cinema research at ALBA, and began her career in 2005 working on international television formats. But her true impact began in 2010 when she joined Abbout Productions—a cornerstone of Lebanese independent cinema. There, she quickly became a key producer behind some of the most acclaimed films of the past decade: Costa Brava, Lebanon by Mounia Akl, 1982 by Oualid Mouaness, All This Victory by Ahmad Ghossein, and documentaries like Panoptic by Rana Eid and Amal by Mohamed Siam. From 2016 to 2020, she served as COO of Schortcut Films, co-producing international successes such as Félicité by Alain Gomis and Beauty and the Dogs by Kaouther Ben Hania. Through this cross-regional work, Sassine helped bridge Arab filmmaking with global platforms, ensuring that stories rooted in Beirut or Tunis could reach audiences from Berlin to Toronto. In 2016, she co-founded the Maskoon Fantastic Film Festival, the first genre film festival in the Arab world. Since 2021, she has also led the Beirut Cinema Platform, supporting emerging Arab filmmakers through development labs and co-production forums. The growing presence of Arab filmmakers within the Academy reflects a broader shift, one that recognises the richness, urgency, and range of cinematic voices coming from the region. It's also worth noting that this moment builds on earlier invitations extended to several leading Egyptian filmmakers in recent years. Among them are actress Yousra, director Amr Salama, producers Mohamed Hefzy and Karim Amer, composer Hesham Nazih, director Mohamed Siam, and Disney animator Yasser Hamed, each contributing in their own way to the evolving conversation between Arab cinema and the global screen. * A version of this article appears in print in the 10 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Meet Yugandhar Tammareddy, Telugu cinema's VFX expert joining the Oscars Academy in 2025
Visual effects supervisor Yugandhar Tammareddy, who has worked on Telugu films like Rangasthalam, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, and Devara, has been inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He is the only one from the Telugu film industry in this year's class of 534 new global members, which also includes Kamal Haasan, Ayushmann Khurrana and filmmaker Payal Kapadia. With this lifetime membership, Yugandhar gets to vote for the Oscars and take part in events leading up to the awards each year. 'Someone from the Academy reached out to me late last year,' he says. 'They did background checks and finalised everything over six months.' Yugandhar, who has spent 26 years in the world of animation and VFX, remembers one of his earliest films clearly — Rajakumarudu (1999), which was Mahesh Babu's debut. 'There were just two VFX shots in the film. One had Mahesh slicing an apple with a sword — and that apple was entirely VFX. It was a huge thing back then.' Yugandhar's love for creative work began early, and with his father's encouragement, he dove into animation in the mid-90s. 'I started learning 3D software and working on computers, which wasn't common at the time,' he says. Fact file The other Indian members chosen in VFX category by the Academy this year: Ravi Bansal (The Jungle Book), Abishek Nair (Solo: A Star Wars Story), and Jateen Thakkar (Leo, Mirzya) Some of the films Yugandhar has worked on: Devara, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, Rangasthalam, Deviputrudu, Uppena, Sarileru Neekevvaru, Khaidi no.150,. Yugandhar Tammareddy recalls how Ammoru (1995) sparked interest in 'special effects' at a time when VFX in Indian cinema was rare and laborious. Film reels had to be scanned and teams had to coordinate with studios in other cities — an expensive and time-consuming process. In the early 2000s, Hyderabad saw steady growth in animation and visual effects, which boomed in the last decade as big-budget productions embraced larger-than-life storytelling. 'Today, films demand detailed, cutting-edge VFX,' says Yugandhar. Before choosing a film, he listens to story narrations to gauge the director's vision and identify scope for VFX. 'We assess the complexity, budget, timelines, and the balance between live action and effects,' he explains. His role involves coordinating with action choreographers, cinematographers, production designers, and VFX studios. Extensive storyboards are done as part of pre-production workflow. Yugandhar co-founded Pixelloid Studios in 2005 and was its managing director till 2013, followed by a stint at DQ Entertainment. He now works independently under VFX Nation, taking on two to three films annually and collaborating with studios across India and abroad. 'Working solo lets me pick the right teams for the job, not just one studio's expertise.' The Academy highlighted his work in Rangasthalam and Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo — both examples of 'invisible' VFX. In Rangasthalam, for instance, a scene showing Ram Charan cycling on rough terrain was actually shot with him on a stationary bike, with the environment fully created through VFX. 'The road was bumpy and it would have been tough to ensure smooth camera movements, so we opted for visual effects.' Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo featured over 400 VFX shots, spanning action sequences and minor fixes like removing background wires, and Yugandhar says it was a fairly simple film to work on. More recently, Yugandhar is proud of his work on Daaku Maharajand Devara - Part One, which featured over 3,000 VFX shots and coordinating with 10 to 15 studios. He credits the respective directors, Bobby Kolli and Koratala Siva, and the cinematography and action choreography teams for their clarity and planning. 'The container and underwater sequences were filmed first for Devara, giving VFX teams more time,' he notes. Now, he is taking a break from VFX to complete writing his script and pursue a long-held dream: directing a superhero film. 'Talks are on,' he says with a smile. 'I am determined to make it happen.'
Express Tribune
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Netflix's 'KPop Demon Hunters' emerges as strong Oscars contender for Best Animated Feature category
KPop Demon Hunters has been named as a potential contender for Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards. Directed by Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, the animated film was released by Netflix and features three K-pop idols—Rumi, Mira and Zoey—who secretly work as demon hunters. The story blends music and action with a supernatural theme and is set in a fantasy universe shaped by pop culture aesthetics. The film includes original music, such as the track 'Golden,' and showcases animation influenced by anime and contemporary K-pop visuals. . KPop Demon Hunters was featured in Variety's 2025 Oscars Awards Circuit column, which outlined contenders in multiple categories based on films released between January and June. Other films highlighted in the animated category included How to Train Your Dragon, among others. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is scheduled to announce official nominations for the 2025 Oscars in early January. Other early contenders across major Oscar categories include Sinners for Best Picture, Best Director, and multiple acting awards, led by Michael B. Jordan. F1, starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, is being considered in technical categories such as cinematography, visual effects, and editing. The Ballad of Wallis Island is in the running for Best Original Score, while Snow White has been named in the Original Song category. 28 Years Later, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, and Warfare are among the titles gaining attention in makeup, sound, and production design categories.
Hans India
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Pawan Kalyan congratulates Kamal Haasan on invitation to join Oscar's Class of 2025
Amaravati; Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has congratulated legendary actor Kamal Haasan for being selected as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). The Jana Sena leader called it a moment of immense pride for the Indian film industry. Pawan Kalyan, who is a popular actor of Tollywood, took to 'X' on Sunday to congratulate Kamal Haasan. It is a moment of immense pride to Indian film industry that Padma Bhushan Kamal Haasan has been selected as a member of the prestigious Awards 2025 committee, he said. "With a phenomenal acting career spanning six decades, Kamal Haasan garu is more than an actor. His cinematic brilliance as an actor, storyteller, and director, along with his versatile talent and decades of experience, has made a lasting impact on Indian and global cinema," Pawan Kalyan said. "His exceptional command over every aspect of filmmaking as a writer, singer, director, producer, and actor is truly inspiring. He is a true master of the craft. I extend heartfelt congratulations and wish him many more years of impactful service to world cinema," posted Pawan Kalyan. Actors Kamal Haasan, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Cannes Grand Prix-winning filmmaker Payal Kapadia are among the 534 artists and executives to have been invited this year by AMPAS. The Los Angeles-based Academy, which conducts the Oscars, announced the 'Oscars' Class of 2025'. Kamal Haasan on Saturday reacted to his selection as a member of AMPAS. "I am honoured to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This recognition is not mine alone, it belongs to the Indian film community and the countless storytellers who shaped me," the actor posted on 'X'. "Indian cinema has so much to offer the world, and I look forward to deepening our engagement with the global film fraternity. My congratulations to my fellow artists & technicians who have joined the Academy," he added.
Hans India
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Kamal Haasan thanks TN CM Stalin for congratulatory note on Oscar academy invite
Veteran actor, filmmaker, and politician Kamal Haasan expressed heartfelt gratitude to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday after receiving his congratulatory message for being invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body behind the prestigious Oscar Awards. Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Kamal Haasan wrote, 'If the invite from the Academy is a joy, then the congratulatory message from the Honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has added more joy. Thank you very much.' The message came shortly after CM Stalin posted his own note on social media, extending warm congratulations to Kamal Haasan for receiving the rare honour. 'Heartfelt congratulations to my dear friend and versatile artiste Kamal Haasan on being invited to join the Academy,' Stalin wrote. He further added that the honour was 'long overdue' and a 'recognition of the profound impact Kamal Haasan has had on the film industry across languages and national boundaries.' Stalin concluded by expressing confidence that 'many more heights will come searching for him.' The Academy, known globally for awarding excellence in cinema through the Oscars, announced its 2025 invitee list on Friday, comprising 534 artists and executives who have made significant contributions to the world of film. Kamal Haasan was listed in the Actors category, with the acclaimed films 'Vikram' and 'Nayakan' noted beside his name. Kamal Haasan is only the second South Indian actor to be invited to join the Academy, following actor Suriya, who was invited in 2022. In a statement, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang said: 'We are thrilled to invite this esteemed class of artists, technologists, and professionals to join the Academy. Their commitment to filmmaking has made an indelible impact on our global cinematic community.' The Academy also highlighted its continued efforts toward representation, inclusion, and equity. Of the 2025 invited class, 41% are women, 45% belong to underrepresented communities, and 55% hail from 60 countries outside the U.S. Among them are 91 Oscar nominees, including 26 winners, and three Scientific and Technical Award recipients. Kamal Haasan's latest honour marks yet another milestone in a career spanning over six decades, reaffirming his status as one of Indian cinema's most influential figures.
