Firas Khoury’s ALAM Lands Its World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

release date August 23 2022

The feature film ALAM, directed by Firas Khoury, will land its world premiere at the 47th edition of Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which is scheduled to run from Sept. 8th to 18th, and will be screened at the festival's Contemporary World Cinema category.

Toronto International Film Festival is back with its full-capacity, physical edition after two years of disruption because of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Hollywood stars like Steven Spielberg, Harry Styles, and Peter Farrelly, to name a few, shall grace this year’s red carpet.

The film follows the storyline of Tamer who is a Palestinian living in Israel. He and his friends lead a typical high school student’s life until the arrival of the beautiful Maysaa'. To please her, Tamer agrees to take part in a mysterious flag operation on the eve of Israel's Independence Day, which is a mourning day for Palestinians.

ALAM's film project was funded by Doha Film Institute in 2015 and was chosen to participate in the Cinéfondation workshop at the 2017 Cannes International Film Festival. The project was featured at the 2019 Venice Gap-Financing Market and received a USD$10,000 grant from Cairo Film Connection-Cairo International Film Festival, as well as a USD$20,000 script development grant from SANAD Abu Dhabi Film Fund. It was also featured at Atlas workshops of Marrakech International Film Festival.

Written and directed by Firas Khoury, film ALAM stars Mahmood Bakri, Sereen Khass, Saleh Bakri, Mohammad Karaki, Ahmad Zaghmouri, and Muhammad Abed Elrahman. Lensed by the cinematographer Frida Marzouk and edited by Nadia Ben Rachid, ALAM is produced by Marie Pierre Macia, Claire Gadéa, Naomie Lagadec (MPM Film, France), Melik Kochbati (Paprika Films, Tunisia), and Ossama Bawardi (Philistine Films, Palestine). MAD Solutions and Lagoonie Film Production are in charge of the film's distribution throughout the Arab world.

Firas Khoury is a Palestinian scriptwriter and director, with a Bachelor of Arts in cinema. Khoury’s portfolio includes several short films; including the award-winning films Seven Days in Deir Bulus (2007) and Yellow Mums (2010). These films were broadcast in festivals around the world and on TV channels, including Arte and VVD.

In 2019, he finished his short film, Maradona’s Legs, which landed its world premiere at the Palm Springs Film Festival and is now available on Netflix as of October 15, 2021.

Aside from directing, Khoury is dedicated to disseminating Palestinian films and teaching young people. He also taught cinematic expression at the School of Cinema of the Freedom Theatre in Jenin refugee camp and the University of Nazareth, Haifa Aimashgal, and in Tunis. Khoury is a co-founder of Group Falastinema, which develops film workshops and presents screenings throughout Palestine.