Jan Eric Mack’s short film «Facing Mecca» has been selected for two Canadian festivals in September.

The Québec City Film Festival shows the film on September 19 and 22 together with John Carroll Lynch’ drama «Lucky». At Calgary International Film Festival, the short drama is running in the competitive series «Small Victories».

We thank both festivals for the selection and are excited about the outcome of the competition.

«Facing Mecca», the short film directed by Jan-Eric Mack, celebrated its world premiere at the 23rd Palm Springs International ShortFest and won two awards at the festival’s closing ceremony on Sunday, June 25.

The film about a Syrian refugee who faces the hardships of Swiss bureaucracy following the death of his wife was named “Best of Festival” and “Best Student Live Action Short Over 15 Minutes”. Winning these awards, the film is eligible for a submission to the 90^th Academy Awards in 2018.

Jan-Eric Mack was present at the ceremony and was accompanied by the co-writer of the film Anna Schinz and the leading actor Jay Abdo.

The ShortFest jury members who selected the awarded films were David Ansen (film critic/PSIFF Lead Programmer), Lindsey Bahr (Associated Press), Kate Bosworth (actress/producer), Ian Durkin (Vimeo), Sam Lansky (Time Magazine), and Heidi Zwicker (Sundance).

Swiss Director Jan-Eric Mack has already won national and international awards for his critically acclaimed short films «Ronaldo» (2010) and «Alfonso» (2013).

For Producer Joël Jent this marks the second year in a row that one of his films have been awarded at Palm Springs after «Bon Voyage», directed by Marc Wilkins, won in 2016 in the category «Best Live Action Short Over 15 Minutes» being later on Academy Awards ShortListed beginning of 2017.

«Facing Mecca» was produced by Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion and coproduced by ZHdK Zurich University of the Arts and SRF Swiss Radio and Television.

On the 8th of June 2017 the filming for Samir's latest feature film «Baghdad in My Shadow» will commence. After his successful and touching documentary «Iraqi Odyssey» he will now set about a new feature film for which he co-wrote the script with Furat Al Jamil.

The film is a Swiss-German-English coproduction by Dschoint Ventschr, Coin Film, and Ipso Facto Films. The main characters will be portrayed by first-rate Iraqi actors such as Haytham Al Jadah (Taufiq), Zahraa Ghandour (Amal), and Awatif Salman (Samira). Moreover, the English actor Daniel Adegboyega (Elliot) and the German Maxim Mehmet (Sven) will be part of the cast as well. 

Content:
Taufiq, an old failed writer, Amal, a wife hiding and Muhanad, a clandestine gay IT-specialist all meet at „Abu Nawas“, a cosy café and popular hangout for Iraqi exiles in London. Instigated by the preacher of a salafist mosque, the writer’s nephew Nasseer, a fanatic religious youth, attacks his uncle and turns everyone’s life upside down.

The 52th edition of the Solothurn Film Festival will take place from January 19 to 26. Four films produced by Dschoint Ventschr will be screened this year at the festival, including two world premieres: «unerhört jenisch», a documentary by Karoline Arn and Martina Rieder as well as the animadoc «1917 - der wahre Oktober» by Katrin Rothe. «Stille Reserven» by Valentin Hitz and Marc Wilkins short film «Bon Voyage» will also be shown. The directors will be present at the festival and take place in a Q&A after the screenings.

Screenings:

«unerhört jenisch» by Martina Rieder and Karoline Arn
Friday, January 20th 2017, 9:00pm, Reithalle (world premiere)
Monday, January 23rd 2017, 12:30am, Reithalle

«1917 - Der wahre Oktober» von Katrin Rothe 
Saturday January 21st 2017, 5:30pm, Capitol (world premiere)

«Bon Voyage» by Marc Wilkins
Wednesday, January 18th 2017, 7:30 pm, Reithalle (special screening, free entry)
Saturday, January 21st 2017, 9:30 am, Canva
Monday, January 23rd 2017, 9:00 pm, Canva

«Stille Reserven» by Valentin Hitz
Friday, January 20th 2017, 8:45pm, Konzertsaal
Wednesday, January 25th 2017, 8:30pm, Canva Club

Jan-Eric Mack’s short film «Facing Mekka» will be shot from the 12^th to the 20^th of November. The script has been written by Anna Schinz and Jan-Eric Mack. 

Content:
Volunteer Roli successfully supports the refugee Farred in bringing his dead wife back to his home town in order to bury her there. Farred and his daughters hope to be able to start a new life in Switzerland after the burial.

The short film is a co-production with the Zurich University of Arts and the Swiss Radio and Television SRF. Peter Freiburghaus, Ruth Schwegler and the Syrian actor Jay Abdo are starring in the film.