With the world premiere of the DFI co-financed film ‘May in the Summer’, by Cherien Dabis, hopes are high that the film will be received favorably by audiences and critics at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. As the opening film for the US Dramatic Competition, the work of acclaimed Arab-American filmmaker will be screened alongside an impressive slate of international titles. Having gained international recognition for her first feature Amreeka, Dabis’ follow-up film is a dramatic comedy set in Jordan, where a bride-to-be is forced to re-evaluate her life when she reunites with her family, only to be confronted with the aftermath of her parents’ divorce.

May in the Summer stars Palestinian actress and director Hiam Abbas (The Visitor, Lemon Tree, The Syrian Bride, Munich) and American comedienne Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development, Cedar Rapids, Amreeka, The Runaways) along with Dabis and Alexander Siddig. The film is produced by Chris Tricarico and Alix Madigan, and was co-financed by DFI underlining its commitment to nurture a strong Arab film industry by supporting regional and international productions. Other financiers in the project include Azenga (Rick Rosenthal and Nick Morton) and Durga (Ritu Singh Pande). The project also received development support from the Time Warner Storytelling Grant, part of the Sundance Grants and Fellowship Programme and a Production grant from the Jordan Film Fund, Royal Film Commission of Jordan.

Cherien Dabis has achieved numerous accolades for her previous project ‘Amreeka’ in the global film festival circuit including prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, Cairo International Film Festival, and Sundance Film Festival. In relation to the film Dabis said, ‘I’m very grateful to Doha Film Institute for their years of involvement and their assistance in making this film possible.’ To learn more about the premiere and other projects financed by DFI, read the full press release here.