Marwa Zein

Marwa Zein ( born 4 December 1985) is a Sudanese film director, scriptwriter and film producer. She is the author of the 2019 documentary, Khartoum Offside, and an advocate of women's rights through her work. She is the founder of ORE Production, a Khartoum-based film production company and one of the seven young filmmakers selected from around the world to attend the Cannes Film Festival 2019 by the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA).

Career 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. One central message of the film was stated in the introductory lines like this: 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.

Filmography 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

Accolades YearEventPrizeRecipient ResultRef. 2020 ASA 2020 ASA Film PrizeHerself, for Khartoum Offside 2nd 2019 AMAABest Documentary CFF Berlinale