Darine Hotait

Darine Hotait is an American film director and writer of Lebanese descent.[1][2] She is best known for her short films, I Say Dust, Like Salt, Tallahassee, and Sherman.[3][4]

Darine Hotait
Born
Beirut, Lebanon
NationalityAmerican-Lebanese
Occupations
  • Director
  • writer
Years active2008 – present

Early life and education

Darine Hotait was born in Beirut, Lebanon. At an early age, her family emigrated to the United States of America.[5] She graduated with an MFA in screenwriting and film directing from the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California.[6] In 2010, she founded Cinephilia Productions, a New York-based film incubator and production company.[7]

Career

Hotait's short film, I Say Dust, starring Hala Alyan and Mounia Akl, premiered at Outfest in 2015.[8] The film was banned from screening in some Arab countries for portraying a kiss between two women on screen.[3] In 2018, her short film, Like Salt, starring Jessica Damouni and Ben Williams, received the Best Film Award at the Oscar-qualifying Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Festival.[9] In 2019, she received the New York State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Award.[10]

In 2021, Hotait released her film, Tallahassee starring Cherien Dabis, Hala Alyan, and Samia Halaby, premiered at the 10th Blackstar Film Festival and was released exclusively by The New Yorker in January 2022.[11][4] She directed the music video of Grammy-nominated album 'ONA' by singer Thana Alexa, premiered on Forbes.[12] In 2022, She released her film Sherman, starring Zainab Jah, premiered at the 30th Pan African Film Festival.[13]

Filmography

Films
YearTitleDirectorWriterProducer
2009 The Far Side of Laughter Yes Yes Yes
2009 Command or Truth Yes Yes Yes
2011 Beirut... Hide & Seek Yes Yes Yes
2013 Ash Yes
2015 I Say Dust Yes Yes
2018 Like Salt Yes Yes
2021 Tallahassee Yes Yes
2022 Sherman Yes

Music video
Year Title Director Writer
2021 ONA Yes Yes

Awards and nominations
Year Result Award Category Work Ref.
2016 Nominated Outfest Outstanding Narrative Short Film I Say Dust [8]
2018 Nominated Marfa Film Festival Best Short Film Like Salt
Nominated Carthage Film Festival Narrative Short Film [14]
2021 Nominated Woodstock Film Festival Best Short Film Tallahassee [4]
Nominated El Gouna Film Festival Short Films Competition [15]
Won Boston Palestine Film Festival Best Narrative Short [16]
Won Mizna Best Narrative Short [17]

References
  1. "BlackStar Film Fest 2021 Interview: Darine Hotait on Being Able to Step Outside Oneself in "Tallahassee"". moveablefest.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  2. "Interview: Darine Hotait, Award-winning Writer & Film Director". femmerevamp.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  3. "Q&A: Egyptian and Lebanese film festivals censor 'I Say Dust' because of a same-sex kiss". latimes.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  4. "'Tallahassee' Tackles Mental Health Stigma in Arab-American Communities". egyptianstreets.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  5. "The Arab-American identity in a diaspora context". spraggettonchess.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  6. "Cinephilia: A one-woman attempt to improve the region's screenwriting". madamasr.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  7. "Buro 24/7 Interview: Darine Hotait, founder of Cinephilia". buro247.me. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  8. "Outfest 2016 film guide" (PDF). outfest.org. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  9. "Sharjah Art Foundation's Film Festival, Sharjah Film Platform 3, Opens this Weekend". sharjahart.org. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  10. "New York Foundation for the Arts". nysca.org. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  11. "Grappling with Mental Illness in Secret, in "Tallahassee"". newyorker.com. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  12. "Meet The Grammy-Nominated Croatian-American Jazz Vocalist Singing The Stories Of Women Everywhere". forbes.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  13. "Sherman". paff.eventive.org. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  14. "The Six: What to watch at the Carthage Film Festival". arabnews.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  15. "Tallahassee (2021)". elgounafilmfestival.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  16. "Boston Palestine Film Festival 2021". americantowns.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  17. "Mizna Film Series Fall 2021: Best Of The Fest". mizna.org. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
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