Sand Storm
Director: Elite Zexer
Script: Elite Zexer
Director of Photography: Shai Peleg
Producer: Haim Mecklberg, Estee Yacov-Mecklberg
Musician: Ran Bagno
Editing: Ronit Porat
Sound: Gil Toren, Ori Tchechick
Cast: Lamis Ammar, Ruba Blal-Asfour, Haitham Omari, Khadija Alakel, Jalal Masarwa
Israel / Fiction / 87' / HD / Color / 2016
When a Bedouin patriarch takes a second bride, his first wife chafes against her changing status while his daughter chases her own dreams of autonomy.
CV
Elite Zexer was born in 1980 in Netenya, Israel. After spending a year in Los Angeles, working as an intern in several production offices, she enrolled in Tel Aviv University. Elite completed her degree in 2006, double majoring in Film and Television and in Business Management. After working on several productions in fields such as production, casting and marketing, Elite enrolled again at the Tel Aviv University where she received MFA degree in Film Directing. Her first short, Take Note, won the best film award in the Tel-Aviv International Student Film Festival while her second one, Tasnim, participated in over 120 international film festivals. Sand Storm is her debut feature. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2016, where it won the Grand Jury Prize in the world cinema category. Sand Storm was named Best Film at the Ophir Awards—Israel’s version of the Academy Awards—while picking up a number of other accolades on the festival circuit. Subsequently, the drama was submitted as Israel’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2017 Oscars.
Filmography
Sand Storm, 2016
Fire Department, Bnei-Brak (Belgesel, Documentary), 2010
Tasnim (Kısa Film, Short Film), 2010
Take Note (Kısa Film, Short Film), 2008
Festivals Attended
Sundance Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival (Panaroma), Toronto International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Stockholm Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Sofia International Film Festival, Shanghai International Film Festival
Awards
World Cinema Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic - Sundance Film Festival
Best First Film - Stockholm Film Festival
Work in Progress Competition Award - Locarno Film Festival
Work in Progress Competition Award - Jerusalem Film Festival
Grand Jury Prize, New Directors Competition - Seattle International Film Festival
International Competition Grand Prize - Jeonju International Film Festival
Special Mention, International New Talent Competition - Taipei Film Festival
Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Production Design, Best Casting - Israel Film Academy Awards
Best Foreign Fiction Prize for first time filmmaker - Traverse City Film Festival