Ja'far 'Abd Al-Hamid
Encyclopedia
Ja'far 'Abd Al-Hamid is an Iraqi British filmmaker of "Mesocafe".
Born in Iraq
, Ja'far and his family moved to other parts of the Arab world
before settling in London
in the mid 1980s.
While studying social sciences at the University of London
, Ja'far began to assist in independent TV and radio productions in London. After attending courses in film production at London's Lux Centre, Hoxton
, he began to write film criticism for the Arabic daily Al-Hayat newspaper, and later for the Paris
-based Cahiers du cinéma
magazine.
After completing an MA in Film Studies, he worked on a PhD thesis on film adaptations.
His credits include organizing film festivals within London and the Gulf, most notably, programming assistant at the Raindance Film Festival
in 2006.
Born in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Ja'far and his family moved to other parts of the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
before settling in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the mid 1980s.
While studying social sciences at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, Ja'far began to assist in independent TV and radio productions in London. After attending courses in film production at London's Lux Centre, Hoxton
Hoxton
Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, immediately north of the financial district of the City of London. The area of Hoxton is bordered by Regent's Canal on the north side, Wharf Road and City Road on the west, Old Street on the south, and Kingsland Road on the east.Hoxton is also a...
, he began to write film criticism for the Arabic daily Al-Hayat newspaper, and later for the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-based Cahiers du cinéma
Cahiers du cinéma
Cahiers du Cinéma is an influential French film magazine founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca. It developed from the earlier magazine Revue du Cinéma involving members of two Paris film clubs — Objectif 49 and...
magazine.
After completing an MA in Film Studies, he worked on a PhD thesis on film adaptations.
His credits include organizing film festivals within London and the Gulf, most notably, programming assistant at the Raindance Film Festival
Raindance Film Festival
Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates from various cities including: London, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin and Brussels...
in 2006.
Filmography
- 2009 - Mesocafe
- 2005 - Eyes Wide Open
- 2001 - A Two Hour Delay
- 1991 - Test Drive
External links
- Mesocafe Official Site
- Ja'far 'Abd Al-Hamid at Shooting PeopleShooting PeopleShooting People is an international social network for independent filmmakers that was founded in 1998 by Cath Le Couteur and Jess Search. With over 35,000 subscribers in the UK and NY, members share resources and knowledge to get their films made and seen....