SHORT FILM SCREENWRITING CONTEST IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OPEN SCREENPLAY - Winner Announcement
We are very pleased to announce the winners of ARAB STORIES: DEBUNKING ARAB MYTHS
This first-ever contest on Arab identity in Canada received responses from around the globe. There were a total of 1348 meaningful stories submitted that represented many diverse cities and backgrounds.
We sincerely thank all participants for sharing their immense talent with us in an effort to debunk Arab myths and create our own narratives that mainstream media fails to demonstrate.
After exhaustive judging, the winners are:
$1,000 CAD FIRST PRIZE:
By: Karim Zouak
$500 CAD SECOND PRIZE:
By: Lee Peterkin
$250 CAD THIRD PRIZE:
By: Mais Elfar
Congratulations to all the winners and participants!
You can find each of the screenplays on the Open Screenplay page.
For decades, the mainstream media in the West has systematically stereotyped and vilified people of Arab origin. In over 900 Hollywood films, Arabs have been depicted as brute murderers, religious fanatics, oil-rich dimwits or abusers of women, not to mention quintessential villains. Such degradation of an entire people ultimately leads to their dehumanization. Today, Arabs in the West are constantly required to face racist stereotypes, profiling at airports, suspicious glares on the subway, and struggle to express a historic language, identity, and culture of immense depth and diversity.
“Growing up as a Canadian-Palestinian, I witnessed firsthand the racist stereotypes perpetuated against Arabs by Hollywood and the mainstream media. We’re delighted to partner with the visionaries behind the Canadian Arab Institute to see new narratives being created by Arabs across Canada and dispel the various stereotypes that have long unjustly followed this rich and diverse community. We invite all writers to join and write from the heart and help advance the discourse around this topic in a creative and meaningful way”
- Khaled Sabawi, Founder & CEO, Open Screenplay, Inc.