We are proud to share with you that It’s Complicated by Iman Karram – an AFMI fiscally sponsored project, part of AFMI Creators – will make its world premiere at Hollyshorts on August 15th.
And that’s not all… Zoe Saldaña joined the film as Executive Producer!
It’s Complicated tells the story of Yara, a Palestinian American screenwriter, who forms an unexpected sisterhood with Hana, a poet and teacher in Gaza, through online Arabic lessons. But, when war erupts and Hana suddenly disappears, Yara is forced to confront grief, diasporic guilt, and the responsibility of using her art and her voice to carry Hana’s story forward.
Just over a year ago we welcomed Iman Karram to our AFMI Creators fiscal sponsorship program and supported her efforts to get this important short film made. You might remember it as “Like The Tide” which was its working title. If you donated to it, Thank You! This is what AFMI Creators is for, to support our communities telling our stories.
Written and produced by Iman Karram, who also stars in it, It’s Complicated is directed by Darine Hotait, a writer and film director whose work explores the politics of identity, Arab & African diaspora, social stigmas, and science fiction, and who was named on Disney’s 2022 List of Directors on the Rise. Darine Hotait is also an alumna of the Arab Film Festival: we screened three of her short films (I Say Dust, Like Salt, and Tallahassee) during past editions.
Last month Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldaña (Oscar for Emilia Perez) announced she was joining the team as Executive Producer. She told The Hollywood Reporter: “Iman has made a deeply personal film about identity, grief, sisterhood, and the responsibility artists feel to carry the stories of their communities forward. I was moved by the tenderness of the relationship at the center of the film and by Iman’s commitment to telling a story rooted in Palestinian womanhood with honesty, humor, and heart. I’m proud to support her voice and the team behind It’s Complicated as the film begins its festival journey.”
It’s been amazing to see Iman’s perseverance, talent, and passion take this project from idea to finished movie ready to premiere at one of the most prestigious (short) film festivals in the country in such a short time.
Now in its 22nd edition, Hollyshorts is an Academy Awards® and BAFTA-qualifying film festival, and has been “recognized by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the ‘Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee,’ This year’s festival opens on Thursday Aug. 13th and runs through Sunday August 23rd.
It’s Complicated will have its world premiere on Saturday August 15th, screening as part of the Locals Only program in Los Angeles.
Find more details + tickets here.
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