Safina Filmmaker Lounge

Mohammed Alnaas, the young filmmaker behind the viral short film "A Tale of Two Dinars", tells us about his unbelievable journey that started by shooting a graduation video for his sister, to making one of the most viral and recognized films on the power of boycotting. From teaching himself to edit on an old laptop, to acting in his own films when no actors were available, Alnaas truly embraces the idea that resourcefulness is the mother of creativity.Alnaas is a Libyan film director, writer, editor, actor and vfx artist who has won numerous awards for his work, has been commissioned by the likes of Watermelon Pictures, and has been invited to speak on the power of storytelling in our lives.Intro music: “We Just Wanna Be Free" by Zach Matari (@zachmatari)Instagram: @alnaas___Insagram: @rollaselbakInstagram: @safinafilmmakerprojectSafina Filmmaker Project 2024

Filmmaker Darin Sallam tells us about her journey making her influential Palestinian-themed film, Farha. From film festival rejections to cinematic triumphs — and everything in between — Sallam shares the challenges she faced in bringing a story set during the 1948 Palestinian Nakba to life within today's industry landscape.Sallam is a Jordanian film director and writer of Palestinian roots. She has five award-winning short films to her name, including Still Alive, The Dark Outside and “The Parrot”. Farha (2021) is her debut narrative feature film as director.Intro music: “A Bridge to Mend" by Rizik (@rizikmusic)Instagram: @darin.sallamInsagram: @rollaselbakInstagram: @safinafilmmakerprojectSafina Filmmaker Project 2024