Jan Eric Mack’s short film FACING MECCA was awarded with this year’s Student Academy Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The film was produced by Joël Jent in coproduction with Zurich University of Arts and SRF swiss Radio and Television and co-funded by Zurich Filmfunds and the Canton of Glarus. The script was written by Anna Schinz and the director Jan-Eric Mack.
Jan-Erick Mack and Joël Jent were present at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills in order to receive the medal in the category „Narrative (International Film Schools)“.
The film has already won the „Best of Festival“ award at the 23rd Palm Springs International ShortFest and is thus qualified for the Shortlist of the 90th Academy Awards 2018.
FACING MECCA is a short drama about a Swiss pensioner (Peter Freiburghaus) who helps a Syrian refugee (Jay Abdo) to bury his wife according to Muslim rites.
→ More information on the film
