TIFF Review: Despite a fearless performance from Maisa Abd Elhadi, Hany Abu Assad’s ‘Huda’s Salon’ is mostly a misfire [Grade: C]
Hany Abu Assad’s return to Palestinian dramas is a mixed bag of didactic storytelling and expertly delivered thrills. A feminist thriller that is both well-meaning... Read More
Mina Takla
Mina Takla is a foreign correspondent for AwardsWatch and the co-founder of The Syndicate, an online news agency that offers original content services to several film brands including Empire Magazine’s Middle East edition and the Dubai Film Festival. Takla has attended, covered and written for multiple film festivals online including the Dubai International Film Festival, Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Annecy Film Festivals. He has been following the Oscar race since 2000 with accurate, office-pool winning predictions year after year. He writes monthly in Empire Arabia, the Arabic version of the world’s top cinema magazine and conducts press junkets with Hollywood stars in the UK and the US. He holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Marketing from Australia’s Wollongong University and is currently based in Dubai, UAE.
TIFF Review: Asghar Farhadi hits a humanistic high with ‘A Hero’ [Grade: A]
Asghar Farhadi’s latest is one of his best, blending moral complications and social commentary to deliver an intellectual and emotional experience with a screenplay that... Read More
Cannes 2021: Who’s in the running in one of the most competitive seasons in years
Excitement is high as the Cannes Film Festival is set to return with a highly anticipated edition that is sure to mark with it the... Read More
TIFF Review: ‘Beginning’ knows where to start but no idea how to end
Plot: When a mysterious attack takes place on a church in one of Georgia’s remote villages, a game of power ensues between a woman and... Read More
TIFF Review: Naomi Kawase gets maternal with ‘True Mothers,’ her best film in years
Plot: In Japan, a couple who are unable to give birth to a child of their own decide to adopt. Years later, their child’s true... Read More
TIFF Review: ‘Summer of 85’ leaves the viewer out in the cold
Plot: In 1985, a young man falls in love with an adventurous, free-spirited man. Over a brief yet intense period of time, they experience love... Read More
TIFF Review: ‘Gaza Mon Amour’ is one of the best Middle Eastern films of the year
Plot: A 40-something fisherman in Gaza who has never been married catches an Apollo statue by pure chance. The statue, of this Greek God who... Read More
TIFF Review: Using myth and metaphor, ‘Wolfwalkers’ astounds with arresting visuals and masterful storytelling
Plot: Blending elements of Irish folklore, this new installment in Cartoon Saloon’s folklore inspired trilogy (Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea) transports viewers into... Read More
TIFF Review: Mads Mikkelsen is superb in Thomas Vinterberg’s intoxicating ‘Another Round’
Plot: A group of friends who happen to work together as teachers in the same school decide to go on an experiment: drink all day... Read More
TIFF Review: Suzanne Lindon’s ‘Spring Blossom’ is a charming tale of first love
Plot: A 16-year old girl enters a romantic relationship with an older theatre actor whose play is being performed nearby. Review: Suzanne Lindon’s SPRING BLOSSOM... Read More
2024 North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Nominations 
2024 Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) Winners: ‘Anora’ Named Best Film Among its Six Awards 
2024 Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) Nominations 
2024 Black Reel Awards Nominations: ‘Nickel Boys,’ ‘The Piano Lesson’ Lead