Zain Duraie gained international recognition with her short film GIVE UP THE GHOST, which premiered in the Orizzonti Shorts Competition at the Venice Film Festival and went on to win multiple awards, including Best Arab Short at El Gouna and the Vimeo Staff Pick Award at Palm Springs. In 2024, she was selected for Berlinale Talents and named one of Screen International’s Arab Stars of Tomorrow, further establishing her as part of a new generation of Arab filmmakers gaining global recognition.
SINK: Duraie’s debut feature is a drama exploring mental health and familial denial that premiered in Toronto’s Discovery Program before screening in competition at the BFI London Film Festival. The film went on to win the Ecumenical Jury Award at the Mannheim-Heidelberg Film Festival.
PALESTINE 36: Duraie also worked as a production manager on Annemarie Jacir’s latest feature, which also premiered at Toronto to a lengthy standing ovation and was Palestine’s official submission to the Oscars for Best International Feature.
