STORIES® FILMMAKER FAWAZ AL-MATROUK WILL PARTAKE IN THE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE’S SCREENWRITERS INTENSIVE
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STORIES® is proud to share that our management client Fawaz Al-Matrouk has been selected to participate in the Sundance Institute’s seventh annual Screenwriters Intensive for his feature project Mr. Rob, the true-life story of Rob Lawrie, a man who tried to rescue a young girl from the notorious ‘Jungle’ refugee camp, but was arrested for human smuggling.
Part of the Sundance Institute’s commitment to introducing the industry to an inclusive pipeline of exciting new storytellers, the Intensive is a workshop for writers or writer/directors from underrepresented communities developing their first narrative feature. Fellows at the Intensive advance the art and craft of their work under the guidance of experienced filmmakers and in collaboration with Institute’s Feature Film Program.
Fawaz Al-Matrouk is a Kuwaiti writer-director based in San Francisco. His short films have played in over thirty festivals worldwide, including Cannes, Dubai, and Clermont-Ferrand, winning awards for writing, directing, and audience choice. As a commercial director, he made over a hundred ads including two television spots for Subaru. Fawaz completed a BA in history at the University of Toronto, where he studied Arab-Western relations, and an MFA in cinematic arts at the University of Southern California, where his thesis film To Rest in Peace was mentored by Ridley Scott. His screenplay Anwar won two residences with SFFILM FilmHouse, and his short story “The Tail of Danny Whiskers” was published in Nature, the premier science journal. Most recently, his screenplay Mr. Rob won support from SFFILM Rainin Grant. Previous recipients of the Rainin Grant include filmmakers Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You), Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther), and Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild).
Fawaz continues to draw on his unique perspective to explore stories on the border of humanity and injustice, about people trying to do a bit of right in a world of wrong.
STORIES® head of development and production, Evan J. Cholfin, recalls, “I remember meeting Fawaz at a party my first week of film school, and we spent nearly the entire evening talking about Gladiator, Blade Runner, and Kingdom of Heaven. It’s truly an honor and a privilege to be his manager and produce his first feature.”
Tomoya Suzuki, STORIES® President and CEO, shares, “We are beyond thrilled to see a great filmmaker like Fawaz Al-Matrouk receive the support of the Sundance Institute as he embarks on the next steps in his life’s journey. We can’t wait to see Fawaz’s career continue to flourish.”
About STORIES®
STORIES® LLC is a full-service production, commercial and literary management company based in Tokyo with its international arm, STORIES® INTERNATIONAL, INC., based in Los Angeles. The company is an affiliate of legendary video game publisher SEGA® Group and Hakuhodo DY Group, a top-10 global advertising agency group. STORIES® has three divisions: Film & TV, Branded Entertainment, and Creative Management. STORIES® is focused on bringing Japanese stories to a global audience through adaptations of Japanese intellectual properties into English-language film, television, and digital series for a worldwide release. STORIES® is currently producing filmed entertainment adaptations of multiple SEGA® video game properties. STORIES® also creates award-winning branded entertainment by connecting Hollywood creators with major international brands through Hakuhodo DY Group as well as its international partners. STORIES®‘ full-service commercial and literary management division fosters the careers of creators from both Hollywood and around the world. The company works with critically and commercially acclaimed directors, producers, and writers to develop and produce projects at virtually any scale.
Visit STORIES® at www.stories-llc.com for more information and the latest company news.
STORIES® LLC
Established 2011
Head office 5-3-1 AKASAKA MINATO-KU TOKYO, Japan 107-6320
TEL/FAX +81-3-6441-9032 / +81-3-6441-9039
President and CEO Tomoya Suzuki
Officers Michinori Shibuya, Ken Agarida, Manabu Sasaki, Miho
Fukushima, Naoko Mori, Tomo Koizumi, Eriko Sekiya
Capital Investors Hakuhodo DY Media Partners Inc. , SEGA corporation and others.
Scope of Business Film, TV and Web content development, Branded Entertainment and Commercial and Literary Management
STORIES® INTERNATIONAL, INC. (100% owned by STORIES, LLC.)
Head office 300 Corporate Pointe Suite 330, Culver City, CA 90230
TEL/FAX 310-596-8045 / 310-596-8046
President and CEO Tomoya Suzuki
Corporate Secretary Yasunari Yanagihara
Head of Development and Production Evan J. Cholfin
www.stories-llc.com
