Filmography
Both films screened in student festivals and won awards in directing, acting and cinematography. Both films were picked up for distribution by Zahra Pictures were Farahat started as an intern then full time employee for international Producer and mentor Ahmad Zahra.
Saudi-German director and producer Fahmi Farahat had his first gleams of production at the age of 15. He appeared regularly on SaudiTV’s The Rap Session, an English talk show, as well as, acted in school theater.
After receiving a diploma in computer programming, Farahat moved to the California and found his calling as a filmmaker. He graduated in 2006 from California State University, Fullerton with a degree in Radio, TV & Film. While in film school, Farahat produced and directed an independent 16mm philosophical film; Allegory of the Cave, an adaptation of Plato's The Republic. He then directed, Beyond the Fence, a coming of age adventure set in 1980 during the Iranian hostage crisis and is the first 35mm film every made at his university.
In 2007, Farahat completed his 1st feature length film entitled Saudis in America, a documentary that was projected at festival and public screenings in the USA, Canada, Mexico, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The film was available on Amazon.com, Netflix, Blockbuster.com and some local stores. That same year, Farahat was hired as an editor on a feature length narrative entitled Making Maya. He also co-produced a short film entitled A Father Taken, which premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival, then in Syria, Russia and finally won the Audience Choice Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival, California.
In 2008, Farahat directed Ahmad's Xmas Carol, a film about a Muslim-American boy who wants to celebrate Christmas in hopes of getting the new Action Joe Kung Fu Fighter. He also directed Lulu’s Curls, a film about a 7-year-old Arab-American girl who will do anything to straighten her hair before the most important day of her life, the first grade. Lulu screened at the San Diego International Children’s Film Festival, San Francisco Bay Area International Children's Film Festival, Big Bear Lake International Film Festival, the Arab Film Festival, and Gulf Film Festival.
Farahat also produced many projects such as Eid El-Um, Can you Hear me? and the youtube viral social music video A Land Called Paradise, which won the Grand Prize at the LinkTV Film Contest.
In 2010, Farahat served as an Associate Producer, 1st Assistant Director and Editor on a critically acclaimed drama Three Veils. Produced by Ahmad Zahra, Directed by Rolla Salbek and featuring an all star cast that includes Sheetal Sheth (Can’t Think Straight, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World) Mercedes Masöhn (Entourage, the Closer, Red Sands) Erick Avari (Heroes, Mr. Deeds, Mall Cop) and from the Arab world, Syrian actress Angela Zahra, Arabic Superstar Madline Tabar and introducing the Saudi broadcaster Salwa Shaker. The film premiered and won the Audience Choice Award at the Portland Women’s Film Festival 2011, as well as, screenings and awards at the D.C International LGBT Film Festival, Arab Film Festival, Paris International Feminist Film Festival, Boston International Film Festival, Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, Toronto Independent Film Festival, Italy Women's Film Festival and many more.
In 2012, Farahat relocated from California to Saudi Arabia, where cinemas are band. He hops one day to become a crucial part of the Saudi and GCC cinema movement. His work includes: Directing the Saudi feature The Corporation, a mockumentary comedy about gender segregation in the work force; Directing the docu-drama A Night to Remember, winner of 3rd place for Best Documentary at the Abu Dhabi International film festival; Producing and editing Winak? (Where R U?) winner of Best Arab Short at the Doha-Tribeca Film Festival.
By the end of that year, he had directed One Man’s Tricycle, an artistic documentary about a man who rides his tricycle in the crowded and polluted city of Riyadh. Produced and edited Fatin Drives Me Crazy directed by Mohammed Sendi, a film about a Saudi girl who drives her husbands car. The films premiered in Dubai and was screened in NYC and Sweden. Today, Farahat is an advocate for human rights and the right to freedom of movement. He rides a tricycle, like the one in his documentary One Man's Tricycle, and aims to use it as a means of transportation instead of his car.
Farahat then served as a producer, 1st AD and edited on a number of Saudi films commissioned by Al-Hadaf for MBC Group, the most watched TV network in the Middle East. The films are: My House; Apartment 6; (Me) My Wife + I; Coma, Dot.; The Sheep; Lena’s Surprise; and the widely criticized film by his dear friend, Mohammed Sendi, Driving Alanoud, also about women's right to drive. He also directed Hospitality Suite, based on the popular American play with the same name; and Negative Loop, a science fiction film set in the year 2025 about a time traveler, his wife, and his future self who came to visit them from the year 2050. A films in Arabic Sign Language entitled God's Little Gift.
In 2017, Farahat Produced the internationally acclaimed short film, The Wedding Dress by Mohammed Salman. The film won multiple awards locally and internationally. He then directed Journey of Discovery, a documentary looking back at Saudi Arabia's space venture in the mid 80's. Featuring Saudi Astronaut, his Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman and a number of Saudi scientists who worked with NASA on this exploration.
In 2018, he produced and directed the controversial film, Rules of the Game. A story of a newly wed Saudi couple meeting, alone for the first time, in the bedroom. The film premiered at the South Asian Film Festival in India, as well as, won the Nikon award at the Bahrain Film Festival 2018 and Best Short Film at the Falcon Art Festival and The Rotterdam Arab Film Festival, 2019. His more recent project is a live interactive film screened from 7 deferent perspectives entitled Yajuj: Curse of Iram.