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Make a Wish (Itmanna) by Cherien Dabis. Palestine/US, 2006, 12 min, 35mm, NY Premiere
Mariam, an 11-year-old Palestinian girl, is determined to buy the perfect birthday cake. As she embarks on a series of negotiations to find the money she needs, political turbulence winds alongside her in the form of news broadcasts and random gunshots. A trip to the bakery depicts not only the subtle tensions of a politically charged environment, but also the grief that can result from growing up under occupation.
Shorts 1 - Sat, Nov 10, 2:00 P.M. Q&A with director Cherien Dabis
Filmmaker's Biography
Born to Palestinian immigrant parents, Cherien Dabis is an award-winning independent filmmaker and graduate of Columbia University’s M.F.A. program in film. Her short films have screened at some of the world’s top film festivals. Dabis received several generous grants in support of Make a Wish, including the National Geographic Society’s All Roads Film Project Seed Grant, the Jerome Foundation’s New York City Media Arts Grant and a New York State Council on the Arts Electronic Media and Film Distribution Grant. For Amreeka, her debut feature film slated to go into production in early 2008, Dabis was awarded an Artist Fellowship in Screenwriting from the New York Foundation for the Arts as well as the L’Oréal Paris Woman of Worth Vision Award, presented at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival.
Festivals and Awards
- International Short Film Festival, Clermont-Ferrand, France, Prix de la Presse, Mention Spéciale du Jury, 2007
- Aspen ShortsFest, Special Jury Award, Bafta Award for Excellence, 2007
- Dubai International Film Festival, Gold Muhr for Best Short Film, 2006
- Cairo International Film Festival for Children, Ministry of Culture’s Golden Prize for Best Short Film, 2007
- Arab Film Festival Rotterdam, Silver Hawk Award for Best Short Film, 2007
- Lola Kenya Screen Film Festival for Children, Best Experimental Film, 2007
- Berlinale, 2007
- Sundance Film Festival, 2007
- South by Southwest Film Festival, 2007
- Newport Beach Film Festival, 2007
- Edinburgh International Film Festival, 2007
- Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, 2006
- London Palestine Film Festival, 2007
- Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, 2007
Credits
Cast: Mayar Rantisse, Lone Khilleh, Iman Aoun
Writer: Cherien Dabis
Producer: Cherien Dabis
Cinematographer: Alison Kelly
Editor: Cherien Dabis
Music: Kathryn Bostic
Print Source
Cherien Dabis
Olive Pictures
Tel: +1 917 922 3605
Email: Cherien27@hotmail.com
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