FARAWAY
A FILM BY AZIZ ZOROMBA
Documentary Short – Québec – 2020 – 18 min
Color | French, English and Arabic with French and English subtitles | 1.66 | 5.1
SYNOPSIS
After being estranged from his family for his homosexuality, we observe a young Arab man over four seasons and from far away as he navigates his solitude – all the while attempting to reconnect with his mother.
CREW
DIRECTOR: Aziz Zoromba
PRODUCER: Aziz Zoromba, Carol Nguyen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Max Machado
SOUND: Sacha Radcliff
EDITING: Ashley Gilmour, Aziz Zoromba
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY
Aziz Zoromba is a Canadian filmmaker of Egyptian origin. His work mainly explores the themes of cultural identity, family life, coming of age and the repercussions of being a first generation French Canadian. His two narrative short films, Leila and Amal, have been screened through several international festivals such as TIFF Top10, Festival du nouveau cinéma and in a private screening at Sundance Film Festival 2019 (Ignite). He was recently selected as a Sundance Ignite Fellow, offering a one-year mentorship with the Sundance Institute and a grant to help fund his short documentary Lointain, which is also supported by Hotdocs and the Canadian Arts Council. Aziz recently produced the short documentary No Crying at the Dinner table, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, followed by a journey at VIFF, FNC, RIDM, IDFA, SXSW (others) and received a nomination from the Canadian Academy for best short documentary.
FILMOGRAPHY
AMAL | 2018
LEILA | 2017
AFTER FREEDOM | 2014
FESTIVALS & AWARDS
Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal (RIDM), 2020
Slamdance, 2021
Festival de la Francophonie à Lima, 2021
RVQC, 2021
Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival, 2021
Future of Film Showcase (FOFS), 2021 *BEST FILM
Palm Springs International ShortFest, 2021
Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist, 2021
Damn These Heels LGBTQ Film Festival, 2021
Indy Shorts International Film Festival, 2021
Social World Film Festival, 2021
Gala Prends ça Court!, 2021 *ART ET ESSAI AWARD *COLONELLE FILMS AWARD
La Fabrique Culturelle, 2021
Queer Lisboa, 2021
Kyiv International Short Film Festival, 2021
Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, 2021
Courts d’un Soir, 2021
Camden International Film Festival, 2021
Mix Milano Film Festival, 2021
Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, 2021 *PUBLIC AWARDS FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Les Percéides, Septembre 2021
Tirana International Film Festival, Septembre 2021
Drunken Film Fest Oakland, 2021
Soura Film Festival, 2021
Rabat International Author Film Festival, 2021 *BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
MIX Brasil Festival, 2021
FIDBA, International Documentary Film Festival, 2021
Plein(s) Écran(s), 2022
Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival, 2022
Kort Film Festival – Programme of PinX 2022, 2022
Wicked Queer Boston LGBTQ+ Film Festival, 2022
XPOSED Queer Film Festival, 2022
Reel Affirmations : Washington DC’s International LGBT Film Festival, 2022
Annual Arab Film Festival, 2022
Arab Film Festival, 2022 *BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT AWARD