SIMO
A FILM BY AZIZ ZOROMBA
*WINNER OF THE BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM AT THE CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS*
Short Film – Québec – 2022 – 23 min
Color | French and Arabic with English subtitles | 1.85 | 5.1
SYNOPSIS
Simo and Emad’s brotherhood is filled with competition and jealousy. In a desire to prove his popularity and his capabilities to his older brother, Simo sneakily takes over Emad’s online gaming channel. His actions take a dangerous turn that may seriously impact the future of their family.
Cast
Basel El Rayes, Seif El Rayes, Aladeen Tawfeek
Crew
DIRECTOR : Aziz Zoromba
WRITER : Aziz Zoromba
PRODUCERS : Rosalie Chicoine Perreault (Scara•b Films)
CINEMATOGRAPHY : Alexandre Nour Desjardins
PRODUCTION DESIGN : Kenny Dorvil, Rebecca Dory
SOUND DESIGN : Ilyaa Ghafouri
EDITING : Omar Elhamy, Aziz Zoromba
MUSIC : Ilyaa Ghafouri
Director statement
SIMO is a personal exploration of teenage-hood. It is an intimate look into an immigrant family’s resilience and the power they hold when united. I wanted to reconnect with the elements that defined that period for me: music, video- games & football — each representing alternative outlooks on masculinity & our attachment to cultural heritage. SIMO dives into the repercussions of growing up with the labels that coincide with being an Arab in the West, whilst also being a celebration of Egyptian culture, emphasized by its all-Egyptian cast.
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY
A graduate of the Mel Hoppenheim film school, Aziz Zoromba is a Canadian-Egyptian director and producer. His works, documentaries and fiction, mainly explore the themes of cultural identity, family life and the repercussions of being a second generation Canadian. His short film Lointain (2020) was screened internationally at around thirty festivals. He is the recipient of a 2019 Sundance Ignite grant and fellowship from the Sundance Institute. His new short film SIMO will have its world premiere at TIFF 2022.
FILMOGRAPHY
SIMO I 2022
FARAWAY I 2020
FESTIVALS & AWARDS
Canadian Screen Awards, 2023 *BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM — Oscar-qualifying Award
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), 2022 *BEST CANADIAN FILM AWARD — Oscar-qualifying Award
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (FNC), 2022 *AUDIENCE AWARD
Whistler Film Festival, 2022
Festival International du cinéma francophone en Acadie, 2022
South Western International Film Festival, 2022 *AUDIENCE AWARD
Sundance Film Festival, 2023
BERLINALE Generation, 2023
Psarokokalo International Short Film Festival, 2023
Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ Film Festival, 2023
Festival Carrousel de Rimouski, 2023
Aspen ShortFest, 2023
Rendez-Vous Québec Cinéma (RVQC), 2023
Festival REGARD, 2023 *SPECIAL MENTION – BEST YOUTH FILM COMPETITION
International Film Festival of Ottawa, 2023
Canada’s TOP TEN (TIFF), 2023
Gala Prends Ça Court!, Mars 2023 *DENIS VILLENEUVE’S FAVORITE SHORT AWARD *GRANDÉ STUDIOS AWARD *CHASSEUR FILMS AWARD *ROMEO AWARD *MAX MÉDIA FILMS AWARD *COLONELLE FILMS AWARD – BEST DIRECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHY *DISTILLERIE DU QUAI AWARD *RAY-ON AWARD
Reel2Reel Vancouver, 2023
Filmfest Dresden, 2023
Festival de Cinéma Vues d’Afrique, 2023 *REGARD D’ICI AWARD
The Corner Seats International Film Festival, 2023
Zawya Shorts, 2023 *AUDIENCE AWARD *BEST FILM