From a curious 8-year-old exploring the expressiveness of mood and feelings to an award-winning young filmmaker, Hala El Kouch is a writer, actress, editor, and photographer, gaining well-deserved attention for her works.
Growing up in Nigeria, and then moving to Lebanon, Hala started her filmmaking career after pursuing her studies in 2008 in Audiovisual (BA) and MBA in film directing at the Lebanese University (LU).
Ignoring societal standards, she writes her films boldly, focusing on people’s emotions and vulnerability as a way to release her audiences’ from misery and pain, as she tackles social issues.
The Lebanese filmmaker was awarded numerous times. She has won Canon’s “Women Who Empower” program, along with 9 other winners in 2021, as well as first place in Besme’s Photo Contest.
Hala El Kouch was also selected among 16 international filmmakers to participate in the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam (IDFA) with her documentary “The Place Where I Belong” as part of the IDFA Project Space 2022.
Her films were featured in many prestigious film festivals, including her documentary “The Perfect Picture”, which was officially selected at the Gabes Film Festival (2021), ARGO (2022), and Hollywood Women Themes International Film Festival (2022), among others.
Additionally, Hala EL Kouch’s Fiction “Fishing Out Of the Sea” also won many awards, such as the 1st Prize at the Beirut Greek International Film Festival, the 1st Prize at the 24th European International Film Festival, and more!
Related: Lebanese Film ‘The Place Where I Belong’ Selected For The Documentary Film Festival In Amsterdam
