Marwa Zein

• Name — Marwa Zein • Birth Name — Marwa Zein • Born — 4 December 1985 • Birthplace — Mecca, Saudi Arabia • Occupation — * Film director, Film producer, Scriptwriter • Years Active — from 2008 • Known for — * Khartoum Offside (2019) One Week, Two Days! (2016) A Game (2009) • Website — https: www.marwazein.com/

For her graduation project, Zein wrote, directed and produced the short documentary film, A Game, in 2009, translated into five languages and presented as an official selection in over 30 international festivals globally. At the 2016 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), her short film, One Week, Two Days!, starring Yasmin Raies and Amro Saleh, was premiered. It too was featured in various other film festivals. In 2019, she completed a four-year long project, which she wrote and directed, a sports documentary called Khartoum Offside. It was globally premiered in the 2019 Berlinale Forum in Germany and was listed as one of three notable Sudanese films premiered in 2019 by Media Support. One central message of the film was stated in the introductory lines like this: “Under the current political Islamic military rule, women are not allowed to play football in Sudan – and we are not allowed to make films – but…” In producing this film, she defied the Sudanese government's negative attitude towards women's involvement in filmmaking. Although she didn't encounter direct physical assault during the course of making this film, she received some threats of her camera or material possibly being destroyed. Finally, however, she received the necessary clearance for shooting this film. After the political changes brought about by the Sudanese revolution of 2018/19, the film was presented at the opening of the Sudan Independent Film Festival in Khartoum in January 2020.

• Year — Film — Role — Notes — Ref. • 2019 — Khartoum Offside — Director, Producer, Writer — Sports documentary • 2016 — One Week, Two Days! — Director, Writer — Short film, Drama • 2015 — What a lover can be? — Director, Producer — Documentary, Short film • 2013 — Culture for All — Director — Documentary, Short film • 2009 — A Game — Director, Writer, Co-producer — Short film, Drama • 2008 — Randa Shaath — Director, Writer, Producer — Documentary, Short film

• Year — Event — Prize — Recipient — Result — Ref. • 2020 — ASA — 2020 ASA Film Prize — Herself, for Khartoum Offside — 2nd • 2019 — AMAA — Best Documentary • CFF • Berlinale