Ziad Touma
Encyclopedia
Ziad Touma is a Lebanese
Canadian
film director
, producer and screenwriter
born in Beirut
, Lebanon
in 1974 and residing in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. He is the founder of the film, television and digital media production company Couzin Films
.
's communications program in 1994. His student film "Dinner at Bubby's" won best Canadian student film at the Montreal International Short Film Festival in 1995.
Before establishing Couzin Films, between 1995 and 2001, he was a director at MusiquePlus
and MusiMax
, spacialty music channels in Montreal
and series writer and director at Galafilm.
He also took part in Showcase's Kink and documentaries for the series Made in Montreal for CTV
and TV5
and directed a documentary story for MusiMax entitled On s'en va à Granby about new musical talents.
He worked as a freelance journalist, reporting on trends in the local and international urban culture for some of Quebec's top publications such as LaPresse, Voir
, ICI
, Clin d'Oeil and Summum magazines. Ziad also penned a social commentary column for over four years in the monthly magazine Nightlife
, after which he acted as its creative director.
In 2003, he directed his first long feature movie, the theatrically distributed feature film Saved by the Belles. The film won several awards in festivals around the world win "Best Feature Film" award at Toronto's Inside Out Film and Video Festival
in 2003. The following year, in 2004, it was nominated for three Canadian Genie Awards for "Best Achievement in Cinematography", "Best Achievement in Art Direction" and "Best Achievement in Music - Original Song".
Touma was chosen as of the "Noisemakers" of 2001, by Montreal Mirror
cultural weekly. Playback
magazine chose him as one of their “Top Ten to watch”.
He produced a feature documentary entitled "Profession Veejay" for MusiquePlus
, the award winning short film “Birthday Girl” and the feature film Adam's Wall
, that began its theatrical run in Fall 2008.
He has also directed television series Webdreams
(2005), Chop Shop
(2009) and Dussault Inc.
(2011)
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
born in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
in 1974 and residing in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He is the founder of the film, television and digital media production company Couzin Films
Couzin Films
Couzin Films is a Montreal-based Canadian film, television and digital media production company established by Ziad Touma, a Lebanese Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter.-Filmography:...
.
Earlier Years
Ziad Touma graduated from Concordia UniversityConcordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
's communications program in 1994. His student film "Dinner at Bubby's" won best Canadian student film at the Montreal International Short Film Festival in 1995.
Before establishing Couzin Films, between 1995 and 2001, he was a director at MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media operating from Montreal, Quebec.MusiquePlus is devoted to music and music related programming from various genres including pop, rock, RnB and focuses on a younger demographic than its sister station, MusiMax...
and MusiMax
MusiMax
MusiMax is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media operating out of Montreal, Quebec.MusiMax is devoted to music and music related programming focusing more on adult contemporary, soft-rock, classic rock and lighter music than its sister station, MusiquePlus...
, spacialty music channels in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and series writer and director at Galafilm.
He also took part in Showcase's Kink and documentaries for the series Made in Montreal for CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
and TV5
TV5MONDE
TV5MONDE is a global television network, broadcasting several channels of French language programming. It is an approved participant member of the European Broadcasting Union.-History:...
and directed a documentary story for MusiMax entitled On s'en va à Granby about new musical talents.
He worked as a freelance journalist, reporting on trends in the local and international urban culture for some of Quebec's top publications such as LaPresse, Voir
Voir
Voir is a chain of francophone alternative weekly newspapers in the Canadian province of Quebec published by Communications Voir.The magazine was founded by Pierre Paquet in November 1986.-Editions:The newspaper publishes separate local editions in:...
, ICI
Ici (magazine)
ici was an alternative weekly French language magazine distributed in print in Montreal, Quebec, and online through the Canoe.ca network from 1997 to 2009.It had an audience of 89,000 readers a week...
, Clin d'Oeil and Summum magazines. Ziad also penned a social commentary column for over four years in the monthly magazine Nightlife
Nightlife Magazine
publishes articles, reports, reviews and cultural information on outings, music, fashion, design, art, culture and entertainment. Each month, – the current guide to city life in Montreal, reaches more than 160,000 people through its different platforms: magazine, newsletter, website and social...
, after which he acted as its creative director.
Career
In 2002, he co-directed "9 à 5: Une folle nuit" with René-Pierre Bélanger. It depicts six people prowling through the darkest recesses of the city, guide us through Montreal's nocturnal urban jungle, uncovering its secrets and codes of behaviour. Diverse in so many ways, these clubbers have one thing in common: a love of night-time and its music.In 2003, he directed his first long feature movie, the theatrically distributed feature film Saved by the Belles. The film won several awards in festivals around the world win "Best Feature Film" award at Toronto's Inside Out Film and Video Festival
Inside Out Film and Video Festival
The Inside Out Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival is an annual film festival in Toronto, Ontario, devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender film and video works...
in 2003. The following year, in 2004, it was nominated for three Canadian Genie Awards for "Best Achievement in Cinematography", "Best Achievement in Art Direction" and "Best Achievement in Music - Original Song".
Touma was chosen as of the "Noisemakers" of 2001, by Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror is a free English language alternative newsweekly based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with a circulation of 70,000, and reaches a quarter of a million readers per week. It is published by Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée....
cultural weekly. Playback
Playback (magazine)
Playback is a Canadian film, broadcasting and interactive media website owned by Brunico Communications. In May 2010, after 24 years of publication, Playback magazine stopped publishing its biweekly print edition....
magazine chose him as one of their “Top Ten to watch”.
He produced a feature documentary entitled "Profession Veejay" for MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media operating from Montreal, Quebec.MusiquePlus is devoted to music and music related programming from various genres including pop, rock, RnB and focuses on a younger demographic than its sister station, MusiMax...
, the award winning short film “Birthday Girl” and the feature film Adam's Wall
Adam's Wall
Adam's Wall is a Canadian film released in Montreal on October 17, 2008. The film is directed by Michael Mackenzie, who also co-wrote the film with Dana Schoel and produced by Ziad Touma of Couzin Films and by Olivier Sirois...
, that began its theatrical run in Fall 2008.
He has also directed television series Webdreams
Webdreams
Webdreams is a Gemini nominated Canadian TV show produced by Showcase. It currently airs on Showcase and IFC.All episodes of the show are currently available online at ....
(2005), Chop Shop
Chop Shop (TV series)
Chop Shop is a Canadian docusoap television series created, directed and produced by Ziad Touma that premiered on February 4, 2009, on the Slice Network. The show follows the stylists at a rock and roll hair salon in Vancouver, British Columbia. The series was produced by Paperny...
(2009) and Dussault Inc.
Dussault Inc.
Dussault Inc. is a docu-sitcom television show about struggling fashion business. The series is conceived and produced by Paperny Entertainment and directed by Ziad Touma. It is broadcast on Saturdays at 8:30pm on Canadian CityTV station.-Synopsis:...
(2011)
Directing
- 1994: Dinner at Bubby's (short film)
- 1998: Line-Up (short film)
- 2002: 9 à 5: Une folle nuit co-directed with René-Pierre Bélanger
- 2003: Kink (TV series - 13 episodes)
- 2003: Saved by the BellesSaved by the BellesSaved by the Belles also known by its French title Échappée belles is a 2003 feature film by Ziad Touma, his first long feature movie. Touma is a Lebanese Canadian film director and producer residing in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
(aka Échappée belles) (feature film) - 2005: WebdreamsWebdreamsWebdreams is a Gemini nominated Canadian TV show produced by Showcase. It currently airs on Showcase and IFC.All episodes of the show are currently available online at ....
(TV series) - 2009: Chop ShopChop Shop (TV series)Chop Shop is a Canadian docusoap television series created, directed and produced by Ziad Touma that premiered on February 4, 2009, on the Slice Network. The show follows the stylists at a rock and roll hair salon in Vancouver, British Columbia. The series was produced by Paperny...
(TV series - 13 episodes) - 2011: Dussault Inc.Dussault Inc.Dussault Inc. is a docu-sitcom television show about struggling fashion business. The series is conceived and produced by Paperny Entertainment and directed by Ziad Touma. It is broadcast on Saturdays at 8:30pm on Canadian CityTV station.-Synopsis:...
(TV series - 16 episodes) - 2011: Dakar à Bandiagara (TV series)
Production
- 2003: Saved by the BellesSaved by the BellesSaved by the Belles also known by its French title Échappée belles is a 2003 feature film by Ziad Touma, his first long feature movie. Touma is a Lebanese Canadian film director and producer residing in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
(aka Échappée belles) (producer) - 2007: Birthday Girl (producer)
- 2008: Adam's WallAdam's WallAdam's Wall is a Canadian film released in Montreal on October 17, 2008. The film is directed by Michael Mackenzie, who also co-wrote the film with Dana Schoel and produced by Ziad Touma of Couzin Films and by Olivier Sirois...
(executive producer) (producer) - 2009: Chop ShopChop Shop (TV series)Chop Shop is a Canadian docusoap television series created, directed and produced by Ziad Touma that premiered on February 4, 2009, on the Slice Network. The show follows the stylists at a rock and roll hair salon in Vancouver, British Columbia. The series was produced by Paperny...
(TV series - 13 episodes) (producer) - 2010: IncendiesIncendiesIncendies is a 2010 Quebec film written and directed by Denis Villeneuve. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad's play, Scorched, Incendies follows the journey of twin brother and sister as they attempt to unravel the mystery of their mother's life. The film premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals...
(associate producer) - 2011: Dussault Inc.Dussault Inc.Dussault Inc. is a docu-sitcom television show about struggling fashion business. The series is conceived and produced by Paperny Entertainment and directed by Ziad Touma. It is broadcast on Saturdays at 8:30pm on Canadian CityTV station.-Synopsis:...
(TV series - 16 episodes) (executive producer)
Screenwriter
- 1998: Line-Up
- 2003: Saved by the BellesSaved by the BellesSaved by the Belles also known by its French title Échappée belles is a 2003 feature film by Ziad Touma, his first long feature movie. Touma is a Lebanese Canadian film director and producer residing in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
(aka Échappée belles) - 2005: WebdreamsWebdreamsWebdreams is a Gemini nominated Canadian TV show produced by Showcase. It currently airs on Showcase and IFC.All episodes of the show are currently available online at ....
(TV series) - 2009: Chop ShopChop ShopChop Shop a.k.a. Scott Konzelmann, is a noise musician who has released recordings on Pure, RRRecords, Banned Production, V2_Archief and Generator Sound Art....
(TV series - 9 episodes) (creator)
Awards and nominations
- In 2003, fis film "Saved by the Belles" won "Best Feature Film" award at Toronto's Inside Out Film and Video FestivalInside Out Film and Video FestivalThe Inside Out Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival is an annual film festival in Toronto, Ontario, devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender film and video works...
. - In 2004, the same film was nominated for three Canadian Genie Awards for "Best Achievement in Cinematography", "Best Achievement in Art Direction" and "Best Achievement in Music - Original Song".