Palestinian film director and poet Annemarie Jacir and
Lebanese actress, writer and aspiring director Maya Zbib are among six
exceptional young talents selected by some of the world's most distinguished
artists for a year of collaboration and inspiration in the international Rolex
Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, it was announced today.
The Initiative pairs established masters in the fields of dance, film,
literature, music, theatre and visual arts with undiscovered and emerging
artists from around the world. In addition to a year of unique personal access
to and creative dialogue with their mentor, the unrivalled corporate
philanthropy programme, currently in its fifth cycle, offers each protégé a
grant of US$25,000 and eligibility for a further US$25,000 towards an artistic
project following the mentoring year.
Annemarie Jacir, 36, is the film protégée for 2010-2011. She will be mentored by
Zhang Yimou, one of the most influential film-makers in recent history, who is
known for his critically acclaimed films, including Raise the Red Lantern, Hero
and House of Flying Daggers. Jacir's short film like twenty impossibles and
debut feature Salt of the Sea have been well received internationally, at the
Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Awards, and in the region, including the
Dubai and Abu Dhabi film festivals. Based in Jordan, Jacir is also co-founder of
the Dreams of a Nation project, dedicated to promoting Palestinian cinema.
Maya Zbib, 29, the new theatre protégée, will be mentored by American theatre,
opera and festival director Peter Sellars, renowned worldwide for his
extraordinary body of work over three decades. Zbib bridges theatre and
performance in her solo and group work at home and at international festivals.
She currently co-manages Beirut's Zoukak Theatre Company and Cultural
Association, which she co-founded in 2006, and also teaches at Lebanese
University's Institute of Fine Arts.
Al Bawaba
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