An Underway Dream

We follow similar events in the lives of unrelated characters. A painter with no inspiration, a  teacher not finding the right lesson, a young accordionist unable to play in her training, an  actor late for his stage rehearsal, and a doctor hesitant to help a sick neighbour. They’re all  stuck and unable to progress towards fulfilling their potentials, like the director of the film  itself, who at the editing room, feels something is still missing. The characters’ stories are  halted until the director finds the right move. On his way, he meets a group of boys bullying  a kid and he interferes to help him, an incident that will inspire him, as well as push the  film’s characters towards their dreams.    

My attention is always drawn to observing how people behave, I follow the events of their  lives, fascinated by their resilience in front of life’s obstacles. During my training in filmmaking, I followed my colleagues, inspired by their passion and their pursuit to realize their dreams, they work for them without stopping, and today their dreams are underway. - Roqaia Farah, Director's Note   

Directed by Roqaia Farah    

Action for Hope (AFH) was founded in 2015 to provide cultural development and cultural relief programs that meet the cultural and social needs of marginalized and displaced communities in the Arab region.  The selected films are part of the Action for Hope Film School, which was launched in March 2017, building on the video training workshops that were organized by Action for Hope in Lebanon since 2013, within the cultural relief convoys and also as standalone activities.

AFH believes in the role of Arts and Culture in empowering individuals and communities, particularly those in distress.  We provide people with access to culture and tools for creative expression to enrich their lives, increase the cultural capital of communities around them, and enable their contribution to our shared humanity. AFH has a vision of a just and tolerant world, where communities risking social fragmentation because of war, displacement, or extreme poverty use creativity to face and surmount their difficult circumstances.    

AFH Goals:  

1. Integrate cultural activities into communities that undergo displacement or marginalization, and enable the members of such communities to practice their cultural rights  

2. Provide artistically talented people living in marginalized communities with the skills needed to document their stories, express themselves creatively, and work professionally in the arts  

3. Contribute to the diversity of cultural life in the countries where Action for Hope is present through presenting the work of artists from marginalized communities  

4. Contribute to the preservation and revival of the cultural heritage of displaced or marginalized communities by supporting its study and practice  

5. Lead and stimulate discussions among civil society actors to promote cross-sector collaboration, and advocate the role the Arts can play in addressing social challenges    

ADDITIONAL INFO  

Website: WWW.act4hope.org  

Facebook: @act4hope  

Tel: +961 1 739243

A father discovers that his son floats, which makes him different from other kids. To keep them both safe from the judgement of the world, Dad hides, covers, and grounds him. But when his son's ability becomes public, Dad must decide whether to run and hide or to accept his son as he is. 

Certification: Rated Parental Guidance (PG) for mild thematic elements.    

Float is a short film produced by Disney Pixar as a part of the SparkShorts series of experimental shorts.The YouTube release of the Asian-led short is in clear solidarity with the Asian American communities who are enduring rising attacks.   

 RESOURCES 

‘Float’ Director Bobby Rubio on Unconscious Bias and Pixar’s First Filipino American Character - Variety Magazine  

Pixar’s ‘Float’ on Disney+ Is a Moving, Must-Watch Metaphor for Autism    

Ibu Wasidah wanted more than just being a mum, so she joined the Women Farmers group in her village and together they create a sustainable way of life. They get help from Anang, a photographer from Jakarta who uses his work to promote the products produced by the women and connect city and village through food and art.   

This film was created as part of the Indonesia Distanced Stories programme, in partnership with British Council Indonesia and In-Docs.  

A roadside motel off of I-95 is an unlikely haven for asylum seekers during their first hours in America. And yet, after their long journeys, this is where many refugees will spend their very first night in this country, before taking connecting flights to their final point of resettlement. “Hotel U.S.A.”  captures a group of newcomers during their first moments in the country, exploring the sense of loss  and hope that pervades the refugee experience.    

Millions of refugees vie for entry to the United States, but only the lucky few are approved for  resettlement here. Their journeys, organized by the International Organization for Migration, are long  and exhausting. When they finally arrive on our shores, a new life filled with uncertainty lies ahead.    During the course of just one night at this motel, refugees get their first taste of life in the country.  Some arrive after decades in a refugee camp, and learn how to use a TV or turn on a faucet. Others  mourn what has been left behind and contemplate what the future holds. For all of them, this is a  moment to catch their breath at a suspended moment in their journey, before they face the hurdles  that lie ahead.    

Moving quietly from room to room, this short, observational documentary points a humanistic lens at a little-seen moment in the refugee story, revealing both the mundane and extraordinary moments of a displaced life.    

Hotel USA is a tender and intimate documentary that follows a group of refugees as they spend their first night in the United States in a New Jersey roadside motel, before settling into their new lives. Not much is said about the undoubtedly harrowing conditions that have landed them there, the harsh immigration procedures they have had to pass through to justify their place, or the inevitable challenges they will face in creating a life in a foreign land. Instead, we see a young woman worried about whether she’s packed her makeup and a father wondering what job he’ll find to support his family. These might be small parts of a refugee’s experience, but they are essential. - Guernica Magazine    

Directed by Andrea Meller & Marisa Pearl   

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS  

WINNER: Short Documentary Awards, Minneapolis St. Paul, International Film Festival 2017  OFFICIAL SELECTION Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2017  OFFICIAL SELECTION Tribeca Film Festival 2017  

OFFICIAL SELECTION DocuWest Documentary Film Festival 'We Have Issues' 2017  

OFFICIAL SELECTION BIG SKY Documentary Festival 2017  

OFFICIAL SELECTION DOCFEST SF Documentary Festival 2017    

RESOURCES 

Presented by SIMA: Hotel U.S.A.- Guernica Magazine  

First Night In America - The New York Times 

Witness A Moving Examination of Refugees' Experiences - Good Magazine  

Filmmaker Q&A: SIMA 2018 Documentary Short Winners   

Official Facebook Page  

Set in 2014 Syria, a family fix the TV antenna to continue watching the FIFA world cup final match. Adam, a young Argentina-fan, bets his older Germany-fan brother on the winner. The match is interrupted by a sudden air bombing raid shutting down the electricity. As usual for the family, they take cover until the bombing is over, and the older brother amusingly tells Adam that in heaven he can watch football all day long. After the raid, although warned by his mother not to, the older brother goes outside to fix the TV antenna again.  Live Broadcast is a deeply personal story inspired by Khaito and her family’s lived experience of watching soccer under siege in Syria.           

My family and I were trying to watch soccer under siege in Syria. The film shows the reality of many families there. The news on the TV don’t usually show these images about us. They don’t show emotions of people in their houses, they just show the fighting between the people in power. When I was 15, I decided If I will survive, I will learn how to make films to show people the facts and the stories I witnessed during the war. In our world, soldiers in tanks are scared of words and art more than anything else. - Shahd Khaito, Director's Note    

Directed by Shahd Khaito    

Action for Hope (AFH) was founded in 2015 to provide cultural development and cultural relief programs that meet the cultural and social needs of marginalized and displaced communities in the Arab region.  The selected films are part of the Action for Hope Film School, which was launched in March 2017, building on the video training workshops that were organized by Action for Hope in Lebanon since 2013, within the cultural relief convoys and also as standalone activities. 

AFH believes in the role of Arts and Culture in empowering individuals and communities, particularly those in distress.  We provide people with access to culture and tools for creative expression to enrich their lives, increase the cultural capital of communities around them, and enable their contribution to our shared humanity. AFH has a vision of a just and tolerant world, where communities risking social fragmentation because of war, displacement, or extreme poverty use creativity to face and surmount their difficult circumstances.   

ADDITIONAL INFO 

Website: WWW.act4hope.org  

Facebook: @act4hope  

Tel: +961 1 739243  

If we were able to trace our ancestors beyond the neat branches of our immediate family trees, we would find something more like a mesh of interwoven roots spreading all across the world. This film tells the story of us all, whether we come from a family that's stayed in the same area for generations, or have travelled half way around the world in search of somewhere safe to live.     

This short stop-motion animation uses music, words and images to explore questions like these. Suitable for all age groups.    

Animation by Rosie Wyllie  

Music and Sound by Katharine Seaton  

Script and production by Catherine Henderson  

A man lives alone in his apartment with nothing to do. While making a cup of coffee on the stove, he hears a solo oud playing nearby, and becomes captivated by its sound. He turns off the stove and starts following the oud sound, which leads him outside of his apartment, throughout the building, until he reaches the roof. There he finds pieces of chalk rock; he uses them to express his state of mind.    

Since the first day I entered Lebanon, I feel restricted and suffocated, this feeling even follows everyone I know here. The theme of the film originated from chats with friends who share this feeling. I aimed to portray in the film, using desaturated colors and unsettling camera, this state of isolation that has followed us all. - Suleiman Al-Tinawi, Director's Note    

Directed by Suleiman Al-Tinawi    

Action for Hope (AFH) was founded in 2015 to provide cultural development and cultural relief programs that meet the cultural and social needs of marginalized and displaced communities in the Arab region. The selected films are part of the Action for Hope Film School, which was launched in March 2017, building on the video training workshops that were organized by Action for Hope in Lebanon since 2013, within the cultural relief convoys and also as standalone activities.    

AFH believes in the role of Arts and Culture in empowering individuals and communities, particularly those in distress.  We provide people with access to culture and tools for creative expression to enrich their lives, increase the cultural capital of communities around them, and enable their contribution to our shared humanity. AFH has a vision of a just and tolerant world, where communities risking social fragmentation because of war, displacement, or extreme poverty use creativity to face and surmount their difficult circumstances.

ADDITIONAL INFO  

Website: WWW.act4hope.org   

Facebook: @act4hope   

Tel: +961 1 739243  

A ten-minute film featuring 100+ artworks from refugee and migrant girls and women from more than 25 nations, and international award-winning artist and human rights activist Salma Zulfiqar. Building on the original Migration Blanket artwork, created with women in Birmingham and recognising the West Midlands as the heart of sanctuary in the UK for women and girls fleeing violence in search of safety, the film is a call for solidarity, compassion, tolerance, peace and protection of women and girls on the move - particularly those making dangerous journeys to Europe.     

Directed by Salma Zulfiqar  

Supported by the Arts Council UK, The United Nations, and the Midlands Arts Centre.     

We live in a world where hatred is increasing and my project aims to bring people closer together by creating better understanding of cultures through art.  Many migrant women in Birmingham are isolated and vulnerable and this project has helped some of them express their struggles and dreams and learn more about who they are and about what they want to achieve in life through art. - Artist Salma Zulfiqar     

AWARDS & SCREENINGS  

WINNER - Best Animation, Berlin Film Festival, 2021     

RESOURCES   

Official website Art Connects  

Salma Zulfiqar - Artist profile   

Arts Council England article

To find out more about upcoming screenings please contact artconnectscf@gmail.com 

A powerful spoken word performance by award-winning British Pakistani Artist and Activist Director Salma Zulfiqar, Syrian Refugees and Iranian former Asylum seekers. The poem performed was written by Salma Zulfiqar with contributions from the Refugees and the former Asylum seeker. The content reminds the audience why refugees are leaving their homes and calls for safe migration routes and to allow for humanitarian sea rescue and explores the refugees and migrants issues surrounding social cohesion in the UK. This film is part of Salma Zulfiqar’s Migration project which promotes peace, empowerment and social cohesion in communities. The film was filmed together with Elaheh Nadali and Kia Aria, Iranian Refugees in Birmingham. The spoken word performance was delivered by Salma Zulfiqar, Lava Al Hameed and her brother Aland Al Hameed , Ramadhan Aloush and his wife Heva, daughter Silva and son Muhammed. They are all Syrian refugees Elaheh Nadali who is Iranian.   

Directed by Salma Zulfiqar     

AWARDS & SCREENINGS  

OFFICIAL SELECTION - International Peace & Film Festival, 2020    

RESOURCES  

International Peace Festival Film Entry     

To find out more about upcoming screenings please contact artconnectscf@gmail.com 

Wind is a 2019 American animated short film directed and written by Edwin Chang, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the fifth film in Pixar's "SparkShorts" program, and focuses on a grandmother and grandson longing to escape an endless chasm. 

Certification: Rated Parental Guidance (PG) for mild thematic elements.    

The setting for "Wind" is a little dark and post-apocalyptic with a sense of urgency to try to escape the current surroundings. But there's a sense of optimism and love between the two characters that infuses the short with a sense of family and hope. - abc7News     

Wind is a short film produced by Disney Pixar as a part of the SparkShorts series of experimental shorts.The YouTube release of the Asian-led short is in clear solidarity with the Asian American communities who are enduring the rising attacks.

RESOURCES  

Pixar's 'Wind' honors Korean grandmother's sacrifices to get her sons to America - abc7 News

A Pixar engineer became a director to tell his immigration story in 'Wind' on Disney+ - SFGATE

The story of a woman caught living in two parallel worlds. She belongs to her past as much as she does to her present. Her memories in Syria continue to shadow her as she pursues a new life in the U.K.   

Directed and produced by Mira Naddaf  

Produced by Yusuf Alnjde     

SCREENINGS  

OFFICIAL SELECTION & SCREENING: Positively Different' Short Film Festival in Athens, 2020

Asylum seekers in indefinite detention around the UK leave messages in vain on an abandoned answerphone in the basement of a government ministry. They are invisible to the outside world; yet exist under a regime of constant surveillance. Their past traumas return in their dreams and erupt in hallucinations that fill them with panic and fear. With the threat of deportation ever present, they describe their own psychological deterioration as they pass the days in an unlimited confinement that strips their lives of all certainty. This animation film contains sensitive content inspired by lived experiences of seeking asylum.  

Executed beautifully... a tremendously affecting animated documentary... both amazingly thought provoking and stylishly done. - Little White Lies Magazine    

Packs a political punch that many feature films dream of possessing. - Hussein Currimbhoy, Sheffield/Docfest   

Directed by Tim Travers Hawkins    

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS  

WINNER: SILVER DRAGON, Best Animation, Krakow Film Festival 2010  

Nominated for the British Animation Awards 2010