Sarra El Abed
Director | Screenwriter
Sarra El Abed was born in Tunisia and migrated to Montreal with her parents at the age of 9. Her work reflects the influence of both cultures.
Her short documentary, AIN’T NO TIME FOR WOMEN, filmed in Tunisia and available on THE NEW YORKER, has been featured in festivals worldwide. Presented at Clermont-Ferrand, Dok Leipzig, and Slamdance in competition, and nominated for the IDA Awards 2021, the film also won the Best Canadian Short Film Award at Hot Docs and the Grand Prix de la relève Radio-Canada at the Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal (RIDM). This prize enabled Sarra to direct the documentary LES COLLECTIONNEURS under the aegis of Radio-Canada. Filmed in Cairo and currently available on Tou.Tv, this project highlights the director’s passion for music.
Flitting between fiction and documentary, the author takes an interest in the mundane aspects of everyday life, which she sublimates through her characters. Her characters are often feminine and flamboyant, and her aesthetics are abundant. In her work, the fantasy of the ordinary prevails, always with a touch of humor.
Currently, the author is writing two feature-length fiction films, ADIEU MINETTE and GENS QUI RIENT, GENS QUI PLEURENT. With ADIEU MINETTE, the author participated in the TIFF Filmmaker Lab and the TIFF Talent Accelerator 2021. Additionally, she won the FNC X Netflix Pitch and was selected as a TIFF Netflix Fellow.
Filmography
Those who laugh, Those who cry
In development
Feature film – Fiction
Screenwriter and director
Produced by Club Vidéo
*CALQ Creation Grant
Adieu Minette
In development
Feature film – Fiction
Screenwriter and director
Produced by Club Vidéo
*SODEC Emerging Creators Grant
*CALQ Vivacity Grant
The Collectors
2023
Medium-length TV film – Documentary
Screenwriter and director
Produced by Radio-Canada | Casadel Films
Available on Tou.Tv
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
Solveig Anspach Prize 2021
Nomination for the IDA Awards 2021
Best Canadian Short Film, Hot Docs Films Festival, 2021
Best Quebec Short Film and Audience Award, Off-Court Trouville, 2021
FIPRESCI International Jury Prize, Regard sur le Court-Métrage au Saguenay, 2021
Honorable Mention from the Jury, Slamdance Festival, 2021
Radio-Canada Prix de la relève, RIDM, 2020
Short of the Week - Short Awards WEB, 2022
Jury's Prize, Longue Vue sur Le Court, Montreal, 2020
Best Short Film and Jury Prize, Court d’un Soir, Montreal, 2021
Best Canadian Short Documentary, DOXA Documentary Film Festival, 2021
Prix de la relève, Plein(s) Écran(s), 2021
Best Canadian Short Film, Breakthroughs Film Festival, 2021
Best Short Documentary, Filministes Festival, 2020
Prends ça court! Gala - 5 awards, 2021
Best of Regard on La Fabrique Culturelle, Canada, 2021
Special Mention from the Jury, Indie Lisboa, 2021
FESTIVALS
International Short Film Festival of Clermont-Ferrand - International Competition, 2021
DOK Leipzig – International Competition – Germany, 2020
Palm Springs Short Fest and Market - International Competition – 2021
Melbourne International Film Festival - International Competition – 2021
Visions du Réel Festival - International Market - 2021
RIDM – Emerging Talents Evening – Montreal, 2020
Torino Short Film Market Vol.5 – Italy, 2020
Longue Vue on Le Court – National Competition – Montreal, 2020
DOXA Documentary Film Festival, Canada, 2021
OFF - Odense International Film Festival, Denmark, 2021
Regards Festival - Official Competition, 2021
Canadian Film Fest - Official Competition, 2021
International Film Festival of Ottawa - Official Selection, 2021
Beirut International Women Film Festival - Official Competition, 2021
Leiden International Short Film Experience - Official Competition - Denmark, 2021
FIDBA - Official Competition - Argentina, 2021
Les Rencontre Cinessonne, France, 2021
Beirut Embassy of Canada Screening - Lebanon, 2021
Interfilm Berlin - Germany, 2021
Twin Cities Arab Film Festival - USA, 2021
Arab Film Festival - USA, 2021
Indie Street Film Festival - USA, 2021
DC Short Film Festival - USA, 2021
Cairo International Film Festival - Egypt, 2021
One Short Punch Festival - France, 2022
Flying Film Festival - Swiss Airline, on air, 2021
Africa In Motion, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2021
FIPA DOC - France, 2021
Int. Film Festival ZOOM, Poland, 2021
Int. Doc & Short Film Festival of Kerala, India, 2021
POW Film Fest, USA, 2021
Aarhus Arab Film Festival, Denmark, 2021
Big Muddy Film Festival, USA, 2022
Courtoujours Festival, France, 2021
FIWOM Seoul, South Korea, 2021
Milwaukee International Film Festival, USA, 2022
Francophone Short Film Festival in Harlem, USA, 2021
International Film Festival of Education, France, 2021
Short Film Festival Celebration, France, 2021
Frozen River Film Festival, USA, 2022
Maremetraggio Short International Film Festival, Italy, 2022
Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival, Poland, 2022
Quebec Cinema Days, Italy, 2022
Les Yeux Ouverts, France, 2022
Quebec Cinema Rendez-vous, Canada, 2021
One Evening Short Film Festival, Canada, 2021
Les Percéides, Canada, 2021
Montreal Feminist Film Festival, Canada, 2021
The Long Short Weekend, Canada, 2021
Quebec Ethnographic Film Festival (FIFEQ), Canada, 2021
Canadian Film Fest, Canada, 2021
Toronto Arab Film Festival, Canada, 2021
International Film Festival of Ottawa, Canada, 2021
MENA Film Festival (special screening), Canada, 2021
ReFrame Film Festival, Canada, 2021
Gimme Some Truth Doc Fest, Canada, 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
Plein(s) Écran(s)
2022
Member of the pre-selection jury
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