‘Theeb’ receives two BAFTA nods

AMMAN — The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) announced on Friday that it has nominated acclaimed Jordanian feature “Theeb” for two of its awards.

The bedouin Western has garnered nominations for Best Film Not in the English Language and Outstanding Debut by British Writer, Director or Producer (Naji Abu Nowar-writer/director and producer Robert Lloyd).

The BAFTA winners will be announced at a ceremony slated for February 14.

“Theeb” is among the nine shortlisted films to be considered for the Best Foreign-Language Film Award in the 88th Academy Awards.

The nine films currently contending in the category were selected out of 80 submissions.

“Theeb”, which was filmed entirely in the Southern Badia, is one of only two shortlisted films not from Europe — the second being Colombian feature “Embrace of the Serpent”.

The final list of Oscar nominations will be announced on January 14, 2016.

Since its release in international film festivals in August 2014, “Theeb” has been screened in 25 countries, won 18 awards, including Best Director at the Venice Film Festival, and most recently three awards at the 12th Trans-Saharan International Film Festival in Zagora, Morocco, according to the movie’s distributor, MAD Solutions.

Recently, the award-winning film had a commercial release in the US and garnered more than $136,000 in ticket sales within five weeks. 

The film, co-scripted with Bassel Ghandour and set in the Arabian Desert of 1916, was also released in 12 countries in the Arab world and Europe, and is set to have a limited re-release in several Arab countries “just in time for its bid for the Oscars”, MAD Solutions said in a statement.

The producers collaborated with bedouin tribes to ensure the authentic depiction of life in the region. The cast was entirely formed from the local tribesmen of these communities after they were engaged in acting workshops in the eight months prior to principal photography.

The feature follows Theeb (Jacir Eid), a young bedouin boy, and his 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 distributor said.

In addition to Eid, the film also stars Hussein Salameh, Hassan Mutlag, Marji Audeh and Jack Fox, the only professional actor on the cast.