The Journey Wins the Best Actress Award at the Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles
Winning its Eighth Award since its Premiere
The Journey Wins the Best Actress Award at the Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles
During its participation in the 4th Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) in Los Angeles, Zahraa Ghandour the star of The Journey by Iraqi director Mohamed Al-Daradji won the Best Actress Award. This marks the film's eighth international award and the actress' third award for her role in the film.
The Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) aims to annually bring the best of a broad selection of films from 50 Asian countries to Los Angeles to strengthen ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries.
Iraq's Ministry of Culture selected The Journey to be its official submission to the 2019 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film received a Special Mention at the Oran Arabic International Film Festival in Algeria, and before that, it landed its Jordanian premiere at the 24th Franco Arab Film Festival. The film won the Jury Award and Best Actress Award at the Muscat International Film Festival, in addition to the Special Jury Award at its Egyptian premiere at the Sharm El-Sheikh Film Festival, and the Grand Prize of the Arab World Institute to director Mohamed Al-Daradji and Best Actress Award to Zahraa Ghandour at the Festival des Cinémas Arabes à Paris in France.
The Journey screened at more than 10 international festivals all over the world, the last of which were the 23rd Rabat International Festival of Author Cinema, the Palestine Cinema Days and the Arab Film Festival Zurich . It landed its Arab world premiere at the 14th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), within the Muhr Feature Competition, competed in the official competitions of the BFI London Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and the Busan International Film Festival, and made its US premiere at the Miami Film Festival. The Journey also screened at the Cairo Cinema Days in Egypt.Additionally, it was commercially released in Jordanian and Emirati theaters starting from early November.
Set in Baghdad in 2006. As Sara stands on the cusp of committing an unthinkable act, an unforeseen and awkward encounter gives her the opportunity to witness the potential consequences of her destructive action. But is this a second chance or an admission of guilt?
Directed by Mohamed Al Daradji, who co-wrote the film with Isabelle Stead, The Journey stars Zahraa Ghandour and Ameer Jbara. The film is produced by Human Film, Iraqi Independent Film Center (IIFC),in cooperation with Lionceau Films, Iraq Al-Rafidain and Iraqi Media Network. The Journey received grants from the Doha Film Institute, AFAC - The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, World Cinema Fund (WCF), the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image Animée (CNC) of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Institut Français, Netherlands Film Fund, SANAD Development Fund (Abu Dhabi Film Festival) and Screen Yorkshire. The film is distributed in the Arab world by MAD Solutions.