{{Short description|Sudanese filmmaker (born 1985)}} {{Infobox person | name = Marwa Zein | image = | image_size = | caption = Marwa at Malmo Arab Film Festival 2019 | birth_name = Marwa Zein | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|12|04}} | birth_place = Mecca, Saudi Arabia | alma_mater = | occupation = {{hlist |Film director, Film producer, Scriptwriter}} | years_active = from 2008 | children = | spouse = | father = | mother = | known_for = {{hlist |''Khartoum Offside'' (2019) <br>''One Week, Two Days!'' (2016)<br>''A Game'' (2009)}} | website = https://www.marwazein.com/ }}
'''Marwa Zein''' ({{Langx|ar|مروى زين}} born 4 December 1985)<ref>{{Cite web |title=I am a film {{!}} Submit Your Short Movie |url=https://iamafilm.com/Marwazein |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=iamafilm.com}}</ref> is a Sudanese film director, scriptwriter and film producer. She is the author of the 2019 documentary, ''Khartoum Offside'', and an advocate of women's rights through her work.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.filmlinc.org/daily/new-york-african-film-festival-goes-virtual-with-streaming-rivers-the-past-into-the-present/ |title=New York African Film Festival Goes Virtual with Streaming Rivers: The Past into the Present |publisher=Film at Lincoln Center |date=November 19, 2020 |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://actfilmfest.colostate.edu/films/khartoum-offside/ |title=Sudan Offside |last=Diffrient |first=David Scott |publisher=acts.Human Rights Film Festival |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> She is the founder of ORE Production, a Khartoum-based film production company and one of the seven young filmmakers selected from around the world to attend the Cannes Film Festival 2019 by the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA).<ref name=Can>{{Cite web |url=https://www.iefta.org/seven-filmmakers-to-attend-cannes-2019/ |title=7 FILMMAKERS SELECTED FOR CANNES 2019 |publisher=IEFTA |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref>
==Career== For her graduation project, Zein wrote, directed and produced the short documentary film, ''A Game'', in 2009, translated into five languages and presented as an official selection in over 30 international festivals globally. At the 2016 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), her short film, ''One Week, Two Days!'', starring Yasmin Raies and Amro Saleh,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cinando.com/en/Film/one_week_two_days_341027/Detail |title=One Week, Two Days |publisher=Cinando |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> was premiered.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/5/32/245240/Arts--Culture/Film/-Egyptian-film-One-Week-Two-Days-to-compete-in-th-.aspx |title=Egyptian film One Week Two Days to compete in 13th Dubai film festival |date=October 5, 2016 |publisher=Ahram Online |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> It too was featured in various other film festivals.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://womenandhollywood.com/hot-docs-2019-women-directors-meet-marwa-zein-khartoum-offside/ |title=Hot Docs 2019 Women Directors: Meet Marwa Zein - "Khartoum Offside" |last=Rico |first=Gabriela |date=April 23, 2019 |publisher=Women and Hollywood |access-date=November 20, 2020 |archive-date=August 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819122943/https://womenandhollywood.com/hot-docs-2019-women-directors-meet-marwa-zein-khartoum-offside/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2019, she completed a four-year long project, which she wrote and directed, a sports documentary called ''Khartoum Offside''.<ref name=Ouf>{{Cite web |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/archive/jahresarchive/2019/02_programm_2019/02_filmdatenblatt_2019_201914803.html#tab=filmStills |title=FILM FILE {{!}} Oufsaiyed Elkhortoum |publisher=Berlinale |access-date=November 10, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Q/> It was globally premiered in the 2019 Berlinale Forum in Germany and was listed as one of three notable Sudanese films premiered in 2019 by ''Media Support''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mediasupport.org/the-future-of-football-in-sudan-is-also-female/ |title=The future of football in Sudan is (also) female |date=October 11, 2019 |publisher=Media Support |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Ber>{{Cite web |url=https://en.qantara.de/content/berlinale-2019-marwa-zeins-khartoum-offside-football-film-and-freedom-in-sudan |title=Berlinale 2019: Marwa Zein's "Khartoum Offside" {{!}} Football, film and freedom in Sudan |publisher=Qantara |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref> One central message of the film was stated in the introductory lines like this: {{Blockquote|“Under the current political Islamic military rule, women are not allowed to play football in Sudan – and we are not allowed to make films – but…”}} <ref name="Z">{{Cite web|date=October 31, 2020|title=SCREENING: KHARTOUM OFFSIDE (2019) AND THE BLEACHING SYNDROME (2020)|url=https://www.dardishi.com/events/2020/4/10/khartouoffside|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031071421/https://www.dardishi.com/events/2020/4/10/khartouoffside|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 31, 2020|access-date=November 10, 2020|publisher=Dardishi}}</ref><ref name=Q/>
In producing this film, she defied the Sudanese government's negative attitude towards women's involvement in filmmaking.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/NEW-YORK-AFRICAN-AMERICAN-FILM-FESTIVAL-Goes-Virtual-Dec-2-20201119 |title=NEW YORK AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL Goes Virtual Dec. 2 |publisher=Broadway World |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref> Although she didn't encounter direct physical assault during the course of making this film, she received some threats of her camera or material possibly being destroyed.<ref name="Q">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200218-the-worlds-most-fearless-filmmakers |title=The films that defy censorship |last=Aftab |first=Kaleem |publisher=BBC |date=February 20, 2020 |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://debalie.nl/cinema/idfa-khartoum-offside-by-movies-that-matter/ |title=IDFA: Khartoum Offside by Movies that Matter |publisher=DeBalie |access-date=November 10, 2020 |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128111906/https://debalie.nl/cinema/idfa-khartoum-offside-by-movies-that-matter/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://44.mostra.org/en/filmes/impedimento-em-cartum |title=International Perspective: Khartoum Offside |publisher=44.Monster |access-date=November 10, 2020}}</ref> Finally, however, she received the necessary clearance for shooting this film. After the political changes brought about by the Sudanese revolution of 2018/19, the film was presented at the opening of the Sudan Independent Film Festival in Khartoum in January 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sudan Independent Cinema Festival Screens 81 Films{{!}} Sudanow Magazine|url=https://sudanow-magazine.net/page.php?Id=903|access-date=2020-12-09|website=sudanow-magazine.net}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Ref. |- | 2019 | ''Khartoum Offside'' | Director, Producer, Writer | Sports documentary | <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9221304/ |title=Khartoum Offside (2019)] |publisher=IMDb |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref> |- | 2016 | ''One Week, Two Days!'' | Director, Writer | Short film, Drama | <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9061688/?ref_=m_nm_knf_i3 |title=One week, Two days! (2016) |publisher=IMDb |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref> |- | 2015 | ''What a lover can be?'' | Director, Producer | Documentary, Short film | <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9159042/?ref_=m_nm_knf_dr_i3 |publisher=IMDb |title=What a lover can be? (2015) |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref> |- | 2013 | ''Culture for All'' | Director | Documentary, Short film | <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9159048/?ref_=m_nm_knf_dr_i4 |title=Culture for all (2013) |publisher=IMDb |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref> |- | 2009 | ''A Game'' | Director, Writer, Co-producer | Short film, Drama | <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9154658/?ref_=m_nm_knf_i2 |title=A Game (2009) |publisher=IMDb |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref> |- | 2008 | ''Randa Shaath'' | Director, Writer, Producer | Documentary, Short film | <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9159028/?ref_=m_nm_knf_i4 |title=Randa Shaath (2008) |publisher=IMDb |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref> |}
==Accolades== {|class="wikitable" !Year !Event !Prize !Recipient !Result !Ref. |- | 2020 | ASA | ''2020 ASA Film Prize'' | rowspan=4|Herself, for Khartoum Offside | 2nd {{Runner-up}} | <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://africanstudies.org/awards-prizes-asa/announcing-the-2020-prize-winners-and-nominees/?fbclid=IwAR1woCslJoSLX_7cWXHEKKqLkslKaVnEV8tww-dtd41FWFRM0aTuxqbYHE0 |title=African Studies Association Announces 2020 Finalists and Awards for Africanists |publisher=African Studies Awards |location=New Jersey |date=November 9, 2020 |access-date=November 20, 2020 |archive-date=November 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127164632/https://africanstudies.org/awards-prizes-asa/announcing-the-2020-prize-winners-and-nominees/?fbclid=IwAR1woCslJoSLX_7cWXHEKKqLkslKaVnEV8tww-dtd41FWFRM0aTuxqbYHE0 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- | rowspan=3|2019 | AMAA | rowspan=3|''Best Documentary'' | {{Won}} |rowspan=2| <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/NEW-YORK-AFRICAN-AMERICAN-FILM-FESTIVAL-Goes-Virtual-Dec-2-20201119 |title=NEW YORK AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL Goes Virtual Dec. 2 |publisher=Broadway World |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> |- | CFF | {{won}} |- | Berlinale | {{Nominated}} | <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/middle-east-film-cinema-saudi-arabia-sudan-north-africa |title=Middle East film: The hottest features right now are from Saudi Arabia and Sudan |last=Fahim |first=Joseph |date=October 4, 2019 |publisher=Middle East Eye |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Berlin>{{Cite web |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/berlinale-2019-israel-takes-prize-sudan-scores-double |title=Berlinale 2019: Israel takes the prize, but Sudan scores a double |last=Fahim |first=Joseph |date=February 20, 2019 |publisher=Middle East Eye |location=Berlin |access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> |}
== See also ==
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://m.imdb.com/name/nm7723936/ Marwa Zein] on IMDb * [https://iamafilm.com/Marwazein Marwa Zein's Biography] on I am a Film
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Zein, Marwa}} Category:Sudanese film producers Category:Sudanese screenwriters Category:Sudanese women film directors Category:Living people Category:21st-century Sudanese artists Category:Sudanese documentary film directors Category:Sudanese film directors Category:1985 births