Sarra El Abed
Director | Screenwriter
Sarra El Abed finished her degree in film direction at UQAM in 2018, where she was awarded the best fiction prize for her graduation project. AIN’T NO TIME FOR WOMEN (Y’a pas d’heure pour les femmes) is her fourth film and has won multiple awards in national and international festivals (Clermont Ferrand, RIDM, Slamdance…). In April, she won the award for Best Canadian Short at the Hot Docs Festival, making her film eligible for the Oscars.
Flirting between fiction and documentary filmmaking, she likes to breathe whimsy into the ordinary and comedy into dramatic situations.
She’s currently working on her first feature film, ADIEU MINETTE
Filmography
Adieu Minette
In development
Feature film – Fiction
Screenwriter and director
Produced by Club Vidéo
*SODEC Emerging Creators Grant
*CALQ Vivacity Grant
La ruée vers l'or
In development
Medium-length TV film – Documentary
Screenwriter and director
Produced by Radio-Canada/Casadel Films
Ain't no time for women (Y’a pas d’heure pour les femmes)
2019
Short film - Documentary
Screenwriter and director
Produced by Club Vidéo and distributed by Travelling
*SODEC's Young Creators Grant
Best Canadian Short, Hot Docs Films Festival, 2021
IDA Awards - Nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Short
Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival - Official Competition , 2021
Emerging Talent Award Radio-Canada – RIDM, 2020
Honorable Mention of the Jury at the Slamdance Festival, 2021
Jury's Favourite Award – Longue Vue sur Le Court, 2020
Best documentary short – Filministes Festival, 2020
Gala Prends ça court ! - 5 awards, 2021
FESTIVALS
DOK Leipzig – Official Competition – Germany, 2020
RIDM –Emerging Talent Night – Montréal, 2020
Torino Short Film Market Vol.5 – Italy, 2020
DOXA Documentary Film Festival, Canada, 2021
OFF - Odense International Film Festival , Danemark, 2021
Festival Regards - Compétition Officielle, 2021
Canadian Film Fest - Official Competition, 2021
International Film Festival of Ottawa - Official Selection, 2021
Beirut International Women Film Festival - Official Competition, 2021
À Mort
2018
Short film | 14 minutes
Director and screenwriter
Best fiction award (by Post Moderne) - SLA Location - les Studios Piccolo, 2017
Célébration
2016
Court-métrage - Fiction
Screenwriter and director
Produced by Chantal Production
FESTIVALS
Rendez-Vous du Cinéma Québécois – Montréal, 2017
Presented at the Phi Center as part of Talent Tout Court – Montréal 2019
Others experiences
Kourtrajmé Marseille
2021
Masterclass on documentary filmmaking and
Workshop on directing
Elbarlament – Women Make Film
2020
Panelist at a conference on women in cinema
Festival de l’âme à l’écran
2020
Member of the pre-selection jury
Education
2015-2018 - École des médias, UQAM | Communication Cinema - Profil Direction
*Best Fiction Film Award from the Media School
2013-2015 - Concordia University | Major in Art History and Film Studies