Uma Thurman will be on the jury of the SundanceTV short film competition in the Middle East and North Africa region. The renowned actress and producer will be accompanied in her mission by filmmakers Annemarie Jacir and Sophia Al-Maria under the direction of Harold Gronenthal, Executive Vice President, Programming and Marketing for AMC Networks International (AMCNI), SundanceTV’s broadcaster outside North America.
Uma Thurman is best known for her iconic roles in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classics Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, which earned her an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globes nomination respectively. She has starred in many famous films including “Dangerous Liaisons”, “Henry & June”, “The Truth About Cats & Dogs” and “Gattaca”. Thurman received a Golden Globe Award for “Hysterical Blindness”, which she produced and starred in. Recently, Thurman was awarded the Actors Fund Medal of Honor at the annual gala in New York City.
Palestinian filmmaker and poet, Annemarie Jacir, has forged a new artistic territory, having written, directed and produced more than sixteen films. Two of her films were presented in the first official selection at Cannes, one in Berlin and one in Venice, Locarno and Telluride. His three feature films were all presented in Palestine for the official Oscar. Founder of Philistine Films, she regularly collaborates with her fellow filmmakers as editor, scriptwriter and producer. In 2018, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was also on the jury of the Cannes and Berlinale Film Festivals. She is co-founder of the newly established Dar Yusuf Nasri Jacir Association for Art and Research in Bethlehem, fulfilling the family dream of establishing a space for the arts in Palestine.
Sophia Al-Maria is a Qatari-American writer and artist. Her video art work has been presented in many contexts, from solo exhibitions at the Tate Britain and the Whitney Museum to group exhibitions in community colleges and online fundraising platforms. Most recently, she wrote a television series entitled Little Birds (Sky Atlantic) featuring Yumna Marwan and Juno Temple set in Tangier in 1955. Her first book, “The Girl Who Fell to Earth” (Harper Collins), was published in 2012. His second book, “Sad Sack” (Bookworks UK), is however his favourite.
Contest details
Launched by SundanceTV in collaboration with beIN Media Group and the Doha Film Institute, the MENA edition of the SundanceTV Short Film Competition is a platform for independent storytellers and emerging talents from the region to share their stories. Entries for this competition can be submitted until 25 October on the link “https://www.bein.net/en/sundancetvshorts/”. They are to be submitted by the producer or director, who must provide proof of residency in the MENA region. Films must not exceed 15 minutes in length and must be subtitled in English. The SundanceTV Shorts competition is open to anyone who has a story to share. According to a statement from SundanceTV, no difference will be made between a short film produced with sophisticated equipment or with a mobile phone. The only condition is to respect the official SundanceTV specifications and technical requirements, available on the website. The winner of the competition will participate in an exclusive masterclass with Uma Thurman. The winner and the three finalists will be announced in November and their films will be screened during the festival and broadcast exclusively on SundanceTV, channel 75 of beIN in the MENA region, later in the year.
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