16 Jul ‘Dwellers of the Cabins’ wins IEFTA Development Award at Amman Film Industry Days 2024
Amman Film Industry Days (AFID) held in the framework of Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF), concluded on 9 July 2024. Over the course of six days, it hosted a variety of activities including workshops, masterclasses, panels and pitching platforms for projects.
IEFTA’s cash award of €6,500 for the “Development” category, went to Dwellers of the Cabins (Documentary – Egypt/Qatar) directed by: Hind Bakr, and produced by Tamer Nady and Hind Bakr.
Hend Bakr
(Director & Producer)
Hend Bakr is a director and producer, with Nubian origins, who graduated from the Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies at Al-Azhar University. She studied filmmaking at the Jesuit Cinema School in 2010 and participated in the Mediterranean Youth Biennale in Rome in 2011 with the project Halima, She co-founded Rufy’s Films, a major film production company based in Alexandria. Hend directed and produced her first feature documentary The Tedious Tour of M in 2023, which was officially selected in international film festivals in Aswan Women’s, Amman International film festivals, and Gabes CinemaFen where it received a special mention from the jury.
Tamer Nady
(Producer)
PRODUCER’S NOTE: Through playful weaving of documentary realism, preplanned abstract scenes, and evocative archival footage, Dwellers of the Cabins delves deep into the human experience, exploring themes of displacement, cultural heritage, and the enduring quest for belonging. By spotlighting a culture often marginalized in mainstream narratives, the film challenges notions of identity and belonging among immigrant minorities. We believe its resonance extends beyond borders, particularly amid widespread global migration movements.
Dwellers of the Cabins
Synopsis: In the early 1920s, the flooding of the Nile submerged Nubian villages, pushing some Nubian families to relocate to the city of Alexandria to serve King Fuad. The King ordered for wooden cabins to be built on the outskirts of the royal palace as a dwelling for them. To protect their culture, language and purity of their race, they transformed the Cabins into a Nubian village nestled within the city. Hend, a fourth-generation dweller, grapples with Producer’s Note
About The Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF)
The 5th Edition of The Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF), took place on 03 – 11 July 2024.
Launched in 2020, the festival distinctive edge was its focus on first-time achievements in cinema, and is Jordan’s first international film festival that showcases Arab and international movies. Initially developed with MAD Solutions – the Festival is organised under the umbrella of the Royal Film Commission – Jordan.
“Developing and promoting an Arab cinema that reflects the creativity of the region and tackles the issues that are prevalent today.”