Anxious in Beirut, directed by Lebanese Zakaria Jaber and produced by Jordanian Jumana Saadeh, picked up the Golden Goblet Award June 17 at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
The documentary is a Jordanian/Lebanese/Qatari/Spanish production and delves into the life of director Jaber against the hardships that Lebanon has suffered over the past three years. The film sheds light on the Lebanese youth’s “life, challenges, and hopes.” Sales are handled by Michaela Cajkova of Prague-based Filmotor.
“Receiving the Golden Goblet Award at Shanghai International Film Festival is a testament to the remarkable dedication and hard work of the entire team behind the documentary. It is a proud moment for everyone involved,” comments Cajkova.
After director Jaber and producer joined forces on the project, they received a co-production grant from the Al Jazeera Documentary Fund. Subsequently, Al Jazeera English joined the production and commissioned the film for its Witness strand. 15L, a Spanish production house then joined as co-producers.
The film had its national premiere at the Ecran Du Reel Film Festival in Beirut before receiving the Goblet Award after its international roll-out at Shanghai. The film’s next stop will be for its Northern American premiere at Maine International Film Festival. After this, the film will feature at the Arab Film Festival.
