The Lebanese film "Bil Halal" (Halal Love) will compete for the World Cinema Dramatic awards at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, which will take place in the U.S. state of Utah's Park City between Jan. 21-31.
Directed by Lebanese filmmaker and TV director Assad Fouladkar, "Bil Halal" was officially selected in the festival's World Dramatic section following its world premiere at the 2015 Dubai International Film Festival in the Arabian Nights section.
The film, which will be screened five times during the festival, will compete with 11 other films for awards that include acting, directing, cinematography and the Grand Jury Prize honoring the best film.
The "World Cinema Dramatic" competition will be judged by prominent British film critic and artistic director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival Mark Adams, Mexican film critic Fernanda Solorzano and Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
Like some of Fouladkar's other work, "Bil Halal" revolves around love and relationships in Arab culture. But unlike his acclaimed first feature "Lama Hakeit Maryam" (When Maryam Spoke Out), about a young Lebanese married couple struggling to cope with societal pressure, Fouladkar's second approaches the topic with much more humor.
The film is a tragicomedy that looks into the entangled web of religion, tradition, romance and marriage in Arab society, through the interwoven stories of four Lebanese Muslim women living in Beirut. It follows the women as they try to navigate their turbulent love lives without giving up their religious beliefs.
"Bil Halal" has received praise for its insight, comedy and the solid performances of its ensemble cast, which includes Darine Hamze, Rodrigue Sleiman, Mirna Moukarzel and Ali Sammoury.
Fouladkar started directing while he studied filmmaking at Boston University. His thesis, the short film "God Have Mercy," won 13 international awards and was a finalist at the Academy Awards competition for the best student film.
Fouladkar continued to receive recognition with "Lama Hakeit Maryam," as it won numerous regional and international awards and was selected as Lebanon's official submission for the best foreign-language film Academy Award. He later worked in Egypt, where he directed the popular Egyptian sitcom "Ragel We Sit Sittat."