Mohamed Kordofani’s gripping debut Sudanese drama feature GOODBYE JULIA — and laureate of the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard Freedom Prize — continues to add another chapter to its success story, selling out tickets for its screenings across several theaters throughout the GCC on the first day of its regional rollout.
 
The theaters that have already sold out their screenings include Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Front, Sahara Mall, Red Sea Mall, and Town Square; Qatar’s VOX Cinemas and Doha Festival City; and Bahrain’s VOX Cinemas.
 
Just one week later, audiences in the UAE are set to enjoy the film — which is Sudan's official submission for Best Foreign Feature at the 2024 Academy Awards — on Thursday, December 14th. A full list of all Emirati theaters GOODBYE JULIA will be screening at will be revealed closer to the release date.
 
On December 7th, GOODBYE JULIA was launched across 57 cinemas across five GCC countries — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain — as part of its wide regional rollout.
 
Moreover, GOODBYE JULIA is further expanding its reach in France, where it was recently screened in 51 arthouse cinemas; the film has now broadened its theatrical reach to a total of 67 screens during its fifth weekend run in the country.
 
Since its historic commercial release in Egypt on October 25th, GOODBYE JULIA has recorded the highest revenues for an Arab film at the Egyptian box office, amassing over EGP 3m throughout its seven-week journey since then.
 
Most recently, the widely praised and acclaimed title also won an Audience Award at the Mostra De Cinema Arab, the top prize for Best Film at the 2023 Belfast Film Festival's International Competition, an Excellence and Best Actress Award at Canada's Muslim International Film Festival, as well as the Best Director and Best Leading Actress in a Debut Feature Film at the 18th Cyprus International Film Festival.
 
Recently, Lupita Nyong'o — the Academy Award winner for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for 12 YEARS A SLAVE — who’s most known for her role as Nakia in Marvel’s BLACK PANTHER films, announced that she has joined the film’s team as the film’s executive producer in direct support of the film and its impactful story.
 
Topping it all off, Egyptian critic Mohamed Sayed Abdel Rahim — who is a member of the 2024 Golden Globe Awards’ Voting Committee — recently revealed that the film has been selected to compete for the Best Non-English Language Film Award ahead of the shortlist’s announcement in December.
 
GOODBYE JULIA follows the story of Mona — a northern Sudanese retired singer in a tense marriage — who is wracked by guilt after covering up a murder. In an attempt to make amends, she takes in the deceased’s Southern Sudanese widow, Julia, and her son, Daniel, into her home.
 
Unable to confess her transgressions to Julia, Mona decides to leave the past behind and adjust to a new status quo, unaware that the country’s turmoil may find its way into her home and put her face to face with her sins.
 
GOODBYE JULIA stars Eiman Yousif, Siran Riak — the former Ms. South Sudan — Nazar Goma, and Ger Duany; is written and directed by Kordofani; and produced by Station Films’ acclaimed Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala — the director of Sudan’s first-ever submission to the Academy Awards YOU WILL DIE AT TWENTY — in collaboration with producer Mohamed Al-Omda, who co-produced Yemen’s Berlin International Film Festival selection THE BURDENED.
 
Kordofani is a Sudanese filmmaker whose short film NYERKUK won the Black Elephant Award for Best Sudanese Film, NAAS Award for Best Arab Film at the Carthage Film Festival, Jury Award at the Oran International Arab Film Festival, and Arnone-Belavite Pellegrini Award at the FCAAA in Milan.