Alain Gomis is a French - Guinea Bissau –Senegalese director. He was born in 1972 in France, where he grew up. Holder of a master's degree in film studies from the University of Paris la Sorbonne, in 1993. His films have been selected at the most prestigious international festivals: Toronto, Chicago, L.A. AFI, San
Francisco, Sundance, London BFI... In 2002, L’Afrance, his first feature film, won
the Silver Leopard at the Locarno Festival. In 2008, Andalucia, his second feature film, was screened at the Venice Mostra. In 2013, his 3rd feature film, Tey, was selected in competition at the Berlinale, then won the Fespaco Gold Standard. The film was chosen by Senegal to represent the country at the Oscars.
His first film La Chaise was released in Tokyo in 2004. He joined the Theatre Company Seinendan, which is led by Oriza Hirata, in 2005. He wrote and directed the animation film Zakuro yashiki (2006) and later shot the feature film Human Comedy in Tokyo (2008), Kantai (2010), followed by Hotori No Sakuko (2013), Grand Prix at Tokyo IFF. His drama Harmonium (2016) won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at Festival de Cannes. A Girl Missing (2019) is his latest film, presented at Locarno and Toronto in 2019.
Hassan Kachach estudied medicine and practiced for some time before director Ahmed Rachedi offered him a role in his film It Was War. Kechache has become one of the cinematographic faces that have influenced the Algerian public. He made himself known to the general Algerian public in the film, Mostefa Ben Boulaïd, as well as in several television and film works, such as the Tunisian-Algerian film Les Palmiers blessés in 2010, Until the Birds Return which was selected for the Official Competition of the CFF 2017 and Un Certain Regard in Cannes... He won the prize for best male role at FIOFA
(Oran) 2009, gold generic (Algiers) 2018.
After studying cinema at INSAS from 1967 to 1970. He obtained a degree in art history and archaeology and then another in journalism and social communication at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) where he taught the script writing from 1988. He has directed numerous documentaries, short films and feature films, including: Traversées-1982 (La Mostra de Venise), Chich Khan -1992 (Directors’ Fortnight), Les Siestes Grenadine-1999, Le Professeur-2012 (Best Screenplay at the CFF) and Fatwa-2018 (Tanit d’Or at the Carthage FF).
Meryem Benm’Barek was born in Rabat, Morocco. She grows between Morocco, France and Belgium. In 2010, she joined INSAS in Brussels, where she directed several short films, including Jennah, selected for several international festivals and listed for the Oscars 2015. She also created a sound creation, How does it Sound, exhibited at the V&A in London and at the Sao Paulo Biennale. In 2018, Sofia, her first feature film, won several awards, including the Taher Cheriaa Prize, TV5 Monde, FACC, Mention Spéciale of the Jury at the Carthage FF and the prize for best screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival.
She studied medicine at the University of Cambridge and psychology at the University of Zimbabwe before attending the German Film and Television Academy, Berlin. She is the executive director of Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe and is the founding director of the Women’s Film Festival of Harare. She has received several awards in Zimbabwe for her contributions, and her films have won international awards in Africa and Europe.
Actress, director, translator and novelist. She has made a creative documentary, published four novels: Le Désespoir est un péché (Prix des Cinq Continents de la Francophonie 2001), Partition libre pour Isabelle, Le Diamantaire, Vous me direz au crépuscule, trois nouvelles: L’appel in Ma langue est mon territoire, Variations autour d’un conte in Babel Heureuse and La lettre d’Elise in Lettres de résistances, as well as interviews with musicians, performers, conductors, composers, including: Rinaldo Alessandrini, Bruno Coulais, Laurence Equilbey, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Baptiste Trottignon, Sandrine Piau, Jordi Savall, Robert Wyatt.
