‘Theeb’ bags two more awards in Belgrade

AMMAN — Critically acclaimed Jordanian feature “Theeb” added two more awards to its collection on Monday, bagging the Main Award — The Belgrade Victor — and the Award for Best Script at the 43rd Belgrade International Film Festival.

The film, which hits local theatres on March 19, has now won nine awards in various international film festivals, MAD Solutions, the firm handling the film’s marketing, said in a statement.

Set in the Arabian Desert of 1916, Naji Abu Nowar’s film “follows Theeb, a young bedouin boy and his elder brother Hussein, as they leave the safety of their tribe to venture on a treacherous journey at the dawn of the Great Arab Revolt”. 

“If Theeb is to survive, he must quickly learn about adulthood, trust and betrayal,” the statement said.

The Belgrade Victor is the main award at the festival, which opened in 1971 and has grown into a major film festival in Eastern Europe, “boasting almost 4,000... international films and attracting four million visitors”.

“Theeb” will also be screened at the eighth Ayam Beirut Al Cinemaiya on March 17.

The film arrives in theatres in Jordan, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates on March 19, expanding for a wider cinematic release across further countries on March 26, according to MAD Solutions.

“Theeb” has received the Orizzonti Award for Best Director at Venice Film Festival. It also received a Special Mention at BFI London Film Festival, in addition to the New Horizons’ Best Film from the Arab World Award and the FIPRESCI Award for Best Narrative Film at Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

Abu Nowar and the rest of the film crew spent over a year in the Southern Badia to shoot the movie, selecting and training a cast of amateurs from the local community.

The cast included only one professional actor — Jack Fox of the UK as the British officer.

Written by Abu Nowar and Bassel Ghandour, the 100-minute adventure film was produced by Bayt Al Shawareb, which was founded by Ghandour, in association with Rupert Lloyd’s Noor Pictures and in coproduction with Nasser Kalaji and Laith Majali’s Immortal Entertainment.

Nadine Toukan, whose previous work includes acclaimed local films “Captain Abu Raed” and “When Monaliza Smiled”, is the executive producer.

“Theeb” has also received a Certificate of Appreciation within the Prospects of Arab Cinema section at Cairo International Film Festival and Best Directorial Debut Award at the Directors’ Debuts Competition within the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (CAMERIMAGE) in Poland.