Our Males and Females is a short film from Jordan directed by Ahmad Alyaseer. It was written by Rana Alyaseer and Ahmad Alyaseer and produced by Mais Salman and Ahmad Alyaseer. The film explores themes of gender identity, societal expectations, and the complexity of human relationships.
The film has won notable awards including Best Narrative Short film at the 54th Nashville Film Festival making it eligible for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
Plot A set of parents are faced with the painful task of washing and shrouding their deceased transgender daughter. Shrouding is an Islamic religious practice that is deemed obligatory to carry out upon death. But when no one agrees to wash her and shame falls onto the family, how far is the father willing to go to make sure his "son" is washed?
Cast Kamel El Basha as The Father Shafiqa Al Tal as The Mother Mutaz Al Labadi as The Male Washer Sna' Saleh as The Female Washer Tetiana Beras as The Daughter
Release Our Males and Females had its world premiere on January 19, 2023, at Slamdance Film Festival. A week after, it had its European premiere at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival where it was part of the international competition. Following that, the film had a strong festival run and it was selected for 17 Oscar Qualifying Film Festivals.
Reception Our Males and Females has garnered widespread acclaim from film critics. It has been reviewed and rated by Brian Penn of UK Film Review, Bobby Lepire from Film Threat, Matt Fagerholm of RogerEbert and Steve Kopian of Unseen Films.
Despite its short duration, the film has attracted comments by several media and other film reviewers. The Film Verdict media stated that the film is a work of resounding emotion that extends beyond its microcosmic scenario.
Production The film was self-funded in Jordan by the director. The film was banned by censorship from many Arab countries.
Awards The film has officially been selected for 160 film festivals in around 47 countries and has received 124 awards, including: YearCeremonyAward/CategoryStatus2023Nashville Film FestivalBest Narrative Short2023Odense International Film FestivalH. C. Andersen Award for Best Short Film2023Palm Springs International ShortFestBest Live Action Under 15 MinutesBest LGBTQ+ Short2023Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film FestivalGrand Prix2023Oldenburg Film FestivalJury Special Mention2023Dallas International Film FestivalAudience Award for Best Short FilmJury Special Prize2023Iris PrizeIris Prize2023Short Shorts Film Festival & AsiaGeorge Lucas Award2023La Guarimba International Film FestivalBest Fiction Short Film2023Athens International Film and Video FestivalBest Narrative Short2023Boston Short Film FestivalBest Narrative Short FilmBest LGBTQ+2023Cleveland International Film FestivalBest Live Action Short Film2023Florida Film FestivalBest Narrative Short2023Slamdance Film FestivalBest Narrative Short2023International Short Film Festival PsarokokaloBest Film with Emphasis on Diversity2023Tirana International Film FestivalBest Fiction Short Film2023FEST New Directors/New Films FestivalSilver Lynx2023Maremetraggio International ShorTS Film FestivalAudience Award2023Indy Shorts International Film FestivalNarrative Short2023Oslo/Fusion International Film FestivalHonorable Mention'''|Best Short Film| |- | rowspan="2" |2023 | rowspan="2" |Regard: Saguenay International Short Film Festival |Parallel Competition|Parallel Competition| |- |Short & Queer Award|Short & Queer Award| |- | rowspan="2" |2023 | rowspan="2" |BRUKIVKA International Film Festival |Jury Prize|Jury Prize| |- |Union of the Ukrainian Film Critics Prize|Union of the Ukrainian Film Critics Prize| |- | rowspan="4" |2023 | rowspan="4" |Cordillera International Film Festival |Best of Festival - Short Film|Best of Festival - Short Film| |- |Best Director Short Film|Best Director Short Film| |- |Best International Short Film|Best International Short Film| |- |Best LGBTQIA+ Award|Best LGBTQIA+ Award''
References
External links
Official Website