Five Boys and A Wheel Screens at the Short Films Section of the Portland International Film Festival

Back to Press Releases

Making Its North American Premiere

Five Boys and A Wheel Screens at the Short Films Section of the Portland International Film Festival


The Jordanian/Palestinian short film Five Boys and A Wheel by director Said Zagha will make its North American premiere by taking part in the 40th Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) (February 9 - 25). The film will be screening at the festival's short films section, the SHORT CUTS 2: Family Ties, on Sunday, February 12 at 11:30 am (GMT +8).

The film had its world premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival with the attendance of its director Said Zagha and lead actor Ali Suliman. The film also competed in the festival's Muhr Short competition.

Based on American author Raymond Carver's short story 'Bicycles, Muscles, Cigarettes', the film is set in Jordan where a young father has to help his son out of a petty conflict with the neighbors. As the parents of each respective family are summoned to discuss the issue at hand, the discussions begin to quickly spin out of control, putting the values of the father to test.

The film received support from the Royal Film Commission - Jordan (RFC). Five Boys and A Wheel stars Ali Suliman, Nadira Omran, Haydar Kfoof, and is produced by Akram Al-Ashqar, Ahmad Khatib and director Said Zagha. MAD Solutions is handling the film's distribution across the Arab world.

Said Zagha is a Palestinian filmmaker from Ramallah. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Film from Ohio's Kenyon College in 2011. Said is currently developing his first feature film, entitled The Girl.

The Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) is an annual showcase of the very best in new world cinema. Drawing an audience of over 40,000, PIFF is the largest film event in Oregon, premiering more than 140 international shorts and feature films to Portland audiences each February. Established in 1977, PIFF is one of the oldest festivals in the United States, and is known for its audience awards. It's run by Portland's North West Film Center.

Time and Place of Five Boys and A Wheel's Screening at the Portland International Film Festival (PIFF)(GMT+8)
Sunday, February 12 at 11:30 am, Whitsell Auditorium