Editor

Acclaimed Emerging Filmmaker Will Be in Residence February 2-15 
with a Full Schedule of School Visits, Film Screenings, a Free Artist Talk and Networking Events

The San Francisco Film Society has announced that Welsh-Egyptian filmmaker Sally El Hosaini will be in San Francisco February 2 - 15 for the Film Society's ninth Artist in Residence program. El Hosaini's packed two-week schedule will include programs in each of the Film Society's core areas -- education, exhibition and filmmaker services -- including visits to Bay Area high school and college classrooms, a screening of her critically acclaimed festival hit My Brother the Devil (February 11), an artist talk (February 12) and various networking events with the local film community. The Winter 2015 Artist in Residence program is made possible by a grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"We are very excited to welcome Sally El Hosaini to San Francisco and introduce her to our local film community," said SFFS Executive Director Noah Cowan. "Her astonishing first feature -- which took the festival circuit by storm in 2012 -- is absolutely worth another close look on the big screen, and we look forward to engaging her with both the education and filmmaking communities here in the Bay Area. We're certain that she has some valuable lessons to impart to anyone with an interest in the global independent filmmaking scene."

For complete Artist in Residence information visit sffs.org/Education/Artist-in-Residence

Sally El Hosaini's critically acclaimed debut feature My Brother the Devil picked up major prizes at the Berlin, Sundance and London Film Festivals. The film screened at more than 40 international festivals, winning 12 awards, 17 nominations and an honorable mention. The film was released theatrically in the U.K., U.S., Canada and Germany. As writer / director of the film, El Hosaini won the Most Promising Newcomer Award at the 2013 Evening Standard Film Awards, Best Screenplay at the 2013 Writer's Guild of Great Britain Awards, Best Newcomer at the 2012 BFI London Film Festival and the U.K. New Talent Award at the British Women in Film and Television Awards 2012. She has been profiled by The Guardian, Screen International, BBC America, Indiewire and Variety, which featured her as one of their 2014 "Brits to Watch." She recently finished directing Danny Boyle's 2014 TV series Babylon for Channel 4 / Sundance Channel and is currently working on her next feature film.

My Brother the Devil (England 2012, 111 min.) will be screened Wednesday February 11 at 7:00 pm at Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema (One Embarcadero Center, Promenade Level). The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker. Tickets are $10 for SFFS members, $12 general, $11 for students and persons with disabilities. Box office now open online at sffs.org.

About My Brother the Devil:
Fourteen-year-old Mo is a lonely, sensitive boy whose hunger for the rant and banter of buddies makes him prone to tread dangerous territories. He idolizes his handsome older brother, Rashid, a charismatic, well-respected member of a local gang, whose drug dealing enables "Rash" to provide for his family. Aching to be seen as a tough guy himself, Mo takes a job that unlocks a fateful turn of events and forces the brothers to confront their inner demons. It turns out that hate is easy. It is love and understanding that take real courage. Sally El Hosaini proves herself a bold and brilliant new directorial talent with this gorgeous and masterful debut. Rich in beauty, humility, and authenticity, My Brother the Devil is an urban tale that burns with vision and passion-a gem bound to find a place of distinction.
 -- Shari Frilot, Sundance Film Festival

Sally El Hosaini will also participate in an intimate artist talk Thursday February 12, 6:00 pm at FilmHouse (644 Broadway Street at Stockton), in which she will explore explore the challenges of directing a first feature, using her award-winning debut My Brother The Devil as a case study. Topics that will be covered include: moving from the page to the screen, working with non-actors and professional actors, developing a working practice, and lighting, composition and editing. This event is free and open to the public. To reserve a seat, visit sffs.org.

Visiting artists are selected based on their filmmaking experience, compelling body of work and desire to share their knowledge with emerging filmmakers and film students. Under the auspices of the Film Society's Education department, El Hosaini is scheduled to visit several high school and college classes during her residency. SFFS artists in residence typically take part in 6-8 school visits during their time in San Francisco, reaching more than 400 students. In collaboration with Filmmaker360, the Film Society's filmmaker services program, El Hosaini will also have the opportunity to meet and network with Bay Area filmmakers. A lunch discussion with SFFS FilmHouse residents and various other meet-and-greet events with the broader Bay Area filmmaking community are scheduled to take place over the course of her residency.

The previous SFFS Artists in Residence are Zeresenay Berhane Mehari and Mehret Mandefro (Ethiopia/U.S.), Federico Veiroj (Uruguay), Ido Haar (Israel), Oday Rasheed (Iraq), Anna Boden (U.S.), Ashim Ahluwalia (India), Mohamed Diab (Egypt) and Sebastián Silva (Chile).