CONTINUED AWARDS SUCCESS FOR 'SON OF BABYLON' (16/11/2010)
Leeds / Iraqi feature film Son of Babylon continues to have outstanding success on the international film festival circuit ahead of its February UK release, collecting two more awards this month; The Golden Giraldillo for Best Film at Seville International Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize at the 11th Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival.
Son of Babylon directed by Mohammed Al-Daradji and produced by Human Film with support from Screen Yorkshire and the UK Film Council, tells the story of a mother's desperate search for her son in Iraq following the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime.The film has consistently screened to critical acclaim at festivals across the globe, picking up a host of awards and nominations. It has made the BIFA Raindance Award shortlist and has also been selected as Iraq's official entry for the Oscar nominations 2011. 
Set in 2003, Son of Babylon (co-written by Mohammed Al-Daradji and Jennifer Norridge) follows a 12-year-old Kurdish boy and his grandmother travelling through northern Iraq in search of their missing father/son, who was a soldier in the Gulf War. Son of Babylon is a sensitive road movie that shows with iconic images and situations, the search for healing after a reign of terror by war in a devastated country. Despite the tragic circumstances of the film's humour and lightness, Al-Daradji arouses sympathy and the hope for reconciliation in Iraq that audiences globally are connecting with.
Son of Babylon is scheduled for release by Dogwoof on 11th February 2011.
AWARDS, SELECTIONS AND NOMINATIONS
Son of Babylon recently scooped Best Film at the Third Eye Asian Film Festival, which selected the film for it's opening gala on 29th October. Other accolades include the prestigious NETPAC award at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, as well as screening at Sundance, Berlin, where the film picked up The Amnesty International Film Prize Award & The Peace Prize Award. Son of Babylon also screened at Edinburgh IFF this summer where it received a special mention under the Moët New Director's Award and last month took the Award for Artistic Achievement at the IFF Cinema City Serbia.
The producers of the film hope the awards will all go further towards spotlighting their associated IRAQ'S MISSING campaign that is lobbying for the identification of Iraq's missing people in a more efficient way. The campaign has the backing of the Ministry of Human Rights in Iraq. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/iraqs-missing-campaign
Son of Babylon has the support of partners from across the globe: Iraq Al-Rafidain, Crm-114, Cinema Production Centre, Sundance Institute, the UK Film Council, Screen Yorkshire, UK Trade & Investment, Fond Sud & CNC, Hivos, Doen, Nederlands Fonds voor de Film and Rotterdam Media Fonds, Jordan's Royal Film Commission, Sunnyland Film ART, Mawred Fund, Pyramedia and ADACH. Roissy Films is handling international sales.
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