BBC Arabic to Air Short Films Ayny and Nocturne in Black

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Featured in MAD Solutions' the Oscar Shorts Program

BBC Arabic to Air Short Films Ayny and Nocturne in Black


The two short films Ayny by director Ahmed Saleh and Nocturne in Black by Jimmy Keyrouz, will be screened have been selected to screen within the BBC's program From the Festival. Both of the two films are included in the Oscar Shorts program that has been released by MAD Solutions in theatres across the Arab world.

The BBC TVprogramming From the Festival provides audiences with the opportunity to watch a number of short films as well as short and feature-length documentaries that will compete this year within the 2018 BBC Arabic Festival (20-26 April).

About Ayny:

Based on true events, Ayny follows two young boys who run away from their mother's protection and slack line on the danger of war to play music with the instrument they always dreamt to own.

Ayny is written, directed, edited and voiced by Ahmad Saleh, music by Nizar Rohana, animated by Frank Pingel, DOP Lionel Poutiaire Somé, and produced by Stefan Gieren. The film is a co-production between Germany, Jordan and Palestine.

Ayny won several awards including the Best of the Best award at the 8th Zayed University Middle East Film Festival (ZUMEFF) in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Best Third Movie - Film Competition from Outside Iraq at the 2nd Qumrah International Film Festival in Iraq, Student Academy Award for Best Foreign Animation and the main award (Amarji Alsumaria) at the 2nd Amarji International Film Festival for Short Films in Al Najaf, Iraq. The film landed its world premiere in the Muhr Short competition of the 13th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). Ayny was also screened at the Beirut Cinema Days, Sudan Independent Film Festival (SIFF), Animate. Ps (Palestine Animation Festival), ALFILM - Arab Film Festival Berlin, Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts, Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film, International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Festival Ciné-Palestine in Paris, Palm Springs International Shortfest in California, and most recently, the Arab Film Festival Australia.

About Nocturne in Black:

Nocturne in Black was inspired by an article about a Syrian young man who continues to play his piano under threat of persecution in the midst of his country's civil war and struggles to rebuild his piano after it is destroyed by terrorists.

Written, directed and edited by Jimmy Keyrouz, Nocturne in Black stars Julian Farhat, Tarek Yaacoub, Karim Zein, and Rachid Salloum. The film is produced by Marc Fadel, Ellie Foumbi, Felecia Hunter, and Jimmy Keyrouz.

Nocturne in Black landed its world premiere at the Columbia University Film Festival where it won the Jury Selects. In 2016, the film received a number of awards including; the Gold Medal at the 43rd Student Academy Awards, the Jury Award for Best Narrative Short Film at the Long Beach International Film Festival, the Marion Carter Green Award at the National Board of Review, the Gold Circle Award at the Caucus Foundation Award, the IFP Audience Award at the Independent Film Project, and the Best Director award at the NDU International Film Festival in Lebanon. Most recently, the film won the BIFF Award for Best Short Film at the Boulder International Film Festival, and the Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the BAFTA Student Film Awards.

Screening Times of Ayny and Nocturne in Black on BBC Arabic TV (GMT)

Sunday, 11 March, at 7:15 pm
Monday, 12 March, at 2:15 pm
Tuesday, 13 March, at 4:15 pm and 10:15 pm
Thursday, 15 March, at 4:15 pm