'Slingshot Hip Hop' Documentary Screens at Stanford University

The documentary Slingshot Hip Hop screened at Stanford University on April 7, 2011 as part of part of the "Global Hip Hop Cultures" series that is organized by Professor H. Samy Alim through Stanford's Institute for Diversity in the Arts (IDA). The documentary braids together the stories of young Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank and inside Israel as they discover Hip Hop and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty. From internal checkpoints and Separation Walls to gender norms and generational differences, this is the story of young people crossing the borders that separate them.

In attendance was the film's Director Jackie Salloum who participated in an extensive Q&A session following the screening of her movie and answered dozens of questions by Stanford students and others (see exclusive video clips and photos below). She also autographed DVD copies of her film and offered for sale the soundtrack from the film--as well as CDs by Palestinian Hip Hop artists DAM and Abeer, both of whom who are featured in the movie (those items are all available for sale on the movie's web site at http://www.slingshothiphop.com). Salloum is a New York based artist and filmmaker. Drawing on her Palestinian and Syrian roots, her pop-infused work focuses on challenging the stereotypes of Arabs in the media. She has directed several shorts exploring this issue, including Planet of the Arabs, which was an official selection in the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. After receiving her MFA from New York University, Salloum began directing her first feature length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop. Five years in the making it made it’s premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival-Documentary Competition. Salloum’s work is also the basis of a youth education program on Palestine, and she frequently speaks at universities and conferences internationally. Please scroll down to see exclusive video clips from her Q &A session with Stanford students who attended her film's screening on April 11, 2011.

Here is the trailer for the movie followed by a list of awards taht the film has received. Please scroll down below the list of awards to see exclusive video clips from Director Jackie Salloum's Q &A session with Stanford students who attended her film's screening on April 11, 2011.

SLINGSHOT HIP HOP recently won:

“Jury Prize” Festival Cinéma et Politique de Tours, Paris, France
“Silver Hanoman Prize” JAFF film festival, Indonesia
“Best Mediterranean Film” Granada Festival Cine del Sur, Spain
“Audience Award: Best Documentary” Cairo Refugee Film Festival, Egypt
“Audience Award: Best Film” Cairo Refugee Film Festival, Egypt
“Most Anticipated Film” Cairo Refugee Film Festival, Egypt
“Audience Award: Best Documentary“ Films de Femmes, France
“Audience Award: Best Film“ DOX BOX Film Festival, Syria
“Audience Award: Best Film“ Beirut International Film festival, Lebanon
“Best Director” Beirut International Film festival, Lebanon
“The Festival des Libertés Award” Festival des Libertés festival in Brussels, Belgium
“Audience Award: Best Film“ Arabian Sights Film Festival/Washington DCInternational Film Festival
“Audience Award: Best Film“ Toronto Palestine Film Festival
Top 3 Finalist for the IDFA- “DOC U” Competition
Nominated for the Sundance Film Festival 2008 – “Documentary Competition”

OTHER AWARDS:

“Documentary Competition” Sundance Film Festival 2008
“Audience Award: Best Documentary“ Films de Femmes, France
“Audience Award: Best Film“ DOX BOX Film Festival, Syria
“Best Director” Beirut International Film festival, Lebanon
“Audience Award: Best Film“ Beirut International Film festival, Lebanon
“Jury Prize” Festival Cinéma et Politique de Tours, Paris, France
“Audience Award: Best Film“ Arabian Sights/Washington DC International Film Festival
“Silver Hanoman Prize” JAFF film festival, Indonesia
“Best Mediterranean Film” Granada Festival Cine del Sur, Spain
“Audience Award: Best Documentary” Cairo Refugee Film Festival, Egypt
“Audience Award: Best Film” Cairo Refugee Film Festival, Egypt
“Most Anticipated Film” Cairo Refugee Film Festival, Egypt
“Audience Award: Best Film“ Toronto Palestine Film Festival, Canada
“The Festival des Libertés Award” Festival des Libertés festival in Brussels, Belgium
“Aloha Accolade Winner” Honolulu Film Festival, Hawaii
Top 3 Finalist for the IDFA- “DOC U” Competition

Here are 3 exclusive video clips from Director Jackie Salloum's Q & A session at Stanford University on April 11, 2011.