PETALS, was written and directed by Ghofran Gouda, one of our Six Month Independent Filmmaking alumni. In January 2018, the film was nominated for the Sharjah Film Festival in the UAE and was featured in the Gulf News 25 Must Watch Films
In 2019 the film was nominated for the Rabat International Author Film Festival in Morocco, swiftly followed by a nomination in the Beirut International Women Film Festival. This is what Ghofran has to say about her motivations to write PETALS and giving a voice to others:
I always wanted to tell the stories of the small voices in war. The stories of those behind the battlefront, who know nothing about the war ideologies and its real causes – that’s what led me to write and direct Petals.
I was inspired by real and true stories. I consider myself lucky to have been able to do this short with very talented colleagues who were able to understand the story and help me to convert it to a film.
I am also very thankful to Central Film School and its educators for teaching me, guiding me, helping me, motivating me and encouraging me to be who I really am. They offered us excellent equipment and facilities so that we can produce our films and bring our stories to life.
“I tell stories”, this is how I used to introduce myself to people. I’ve always had an interest in how imagination can build new worlds and characters, and engage people with them in a way that they’d forget that what they are watching isn’t real. As I believe theory and practice go hand in hand, I found the course matched my individual interests, and it enabled me to extend my knowledge of writing and developing films through studying the story structure, and learning so many useful filmmaking skills. Screenwriting is my passion, and I’m looking forward to making a successful career in it. Currently I am writing and exploring some ideas for a short film and preparing to write my first novel.
We wish Ghofran continued success on the Film Festival circuit and in her career as a Writer and Director. You can find our more about Writer and Director, Ghofran Gouda by following her Instagram: @ghofrangouda