Biography

Mohamad El-Hadidi (Hadidi) is a film director, producer, cinematographer, and photographer, and co-founder of Rufy’s Films, an independent film collective and production house based in Alexandria, Egypt, from 2010 to 2021. He is an alumnus of the Berlinale Talents 2018. 

Hadidi studied filmmaking at the Jesuits film school in Alexandria in 2009/2010, and a few months later, participated in Egypt's January 25th revolution.

His latest film as a cinematographer Lift Like a Girl, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, received the Golden Dove prize at Dok.Leipzig Film Festival, and 3 prizes at the Cairo International Film Festival. 

Alban Wady Elneel, his first short film, was released in 2013. During the same year, he co-directed, co-produced, and co-shot the collaborative feature "The Mice Room" with Rufy’s Films’ other five members/filmmakers.

@Randa Shaath

Films that Hadidi was involved in as producer and cinematographer were screened all over the world in festivals such as the Berlinale, IDFA, TIFF, Tampere, São Paulo, Dubai, AFI Fest, and DOK Leipzig. 

As a photographer, he received prizes such as the European Union Prize in 2011 and Egypt Photo Marathon Grand Prize in 2012. He was also shortlisted for the Google Photography Prize in 2012. His first solo exhibition took place at Aberdbabei Gallery in Copenhagen in 2018, followed by another in B’sarya for Arts in Alexandria in 2020. 

At this point in his career, he is working on a variety of film and photography projects in an attempt to explore and comprehend 'distance' as a new reality in his life since he left his Alexandria and moved to Berlin, then left for Barcelona after 7 October. He recently finished a short film titled Bandido about this struggle.

Currently, he is writing the script of his first feature fiction film as a director, The Sea Was Once Blue.

When Hadidi is not working with images, he is a cook, masseur, football enthusiast, and music playlist compiler. 

Resume

EDUCATION

Independent Filmmaking Workshop
The School Of Cinema, Jesuits Cultural Center
Alexandria, Egypt
2009 – 2010

Lycée Français d'Alexandrie
Alexandria, Egypt
1990 – 2003

EXPERIENCE

Co-founder & Filmmaker
Rufy’s Films 🔗
2010 – present

Freelance Filmmaker
2010 – present

Freelance Photographer
2008 – present

WORKSHOPS & TRAININGS (Selected)
DOK.Lab Münchner Filmwerkstatt 🔗
July 2020 - April 2021

Meditalents Screenwriting Lab 🔗
March 2018 - November 2018

Berlinale Talents 🔗
Feb. 2018

Med Film Factory
Oct. 2017

Screenwriting lab with the renowned Egyptian screenwriter Mariam Naoum
April 2016 - April 2017

FILMOGRAPHY

Director

  • Director, Bandido, 20’, Fiction, 2024

  • Director, Stepping Out OF The Box? , 33', Documentary, 2015

  • Co-Director, The Mice Room, 85', Fiction, 2013

  • Assistant Director, Al Araba Al Madfuna, 20’, Experimental, Director: Wael Shawky 2013.

  • Director, Alban Wady El-Neel, 15', Fiction, 2013

  • Assistant Director, Zakaria, 14', Fiction, Director: Emad Maher, 2011

  • Assistant Director, Bahari, Fiction, 15’, Director: Ahmed El-Ghoneimy, 2011

  • Assistant Director, Hawi, Fiction, 90’, Director: Ibrahim El Batout, 2010

  • Co-Director, Black Out, 3', Documentary, 2010

  • Director, Pixelated Red, 8', Fiction, 2010

Producer

  • Producer, The City Will Pursue You, 72’, Documentary, Director: Ahmed Nabil, 2017

  • Producer, Aida, 17', Documentary, Director: Maysoon El-Massry, 2015

  • Producer, 17 Fouad Street, 32', Documentary, Director: Ahmed Nabil, 2014

  • Producer, El Bostan El Saeed Street, 15', Fiction, Director: Maysoon El-Massry, 2014

  • Co-Producer, The Mice Room, 85', Fiction, 2013

  • Producer, Alban Wady El-Neel, 15', Fiction, 2013

Director of Photography

  • DOP, Lift Like a Girl, 90’, Documentary, Director: Mayye Zayed, 2020

  • DOP, The City Will Pursue You, 72’, Documentary, Director: Ahmed Nabil, 2017

  • DOP, I Have a Picture, 74’, Documentary, Director: Mohamed Zedan, 2017

  • Co-cinematographer, Memory of Cinema, 72’, Documentary, Director: Sherif Fathi, 2017

  • DOP, Little Eagles, 90’, Documentary, Director: Mohamed Rashad, 2016

  • Co-cinematographer, Happily Ever After, 85’, Documentary, Director: Nada Ryadh, 2016

  • DOP, A Stroll Down Sunflower Lane, 14', Fiction, Director: Mayye Zayed, 2016

  • DOP, Stepping Out OF The Box?, 33', Documentary, 2015

  • DOP, That Alexandria, 52’, Documentary, Director: Sherif Fathi, 2014

  • Co-cinematographer, The Mice Room, 85’, Fiction, 2013

  • Camera Man, Do As You Said, 20', Fiction, Director: Mark Lotfy, 2012

  • DOP, Revolution of Youth, short fiction, 4', Director: Emad Maher, 2011

  • Camera Man, Hawi, 90’, Fiction, Director: Ibrahim El Batout, 2010

  • DOP, Black Out, 3', Documentary, 2010

Colorist

  • Coming of the real-time for a while, 62’, Documentary, Director: Anna Friedrich, 2019

  • I Have a Picture, 74’, Documentary, Director: Mohamed Zedan, 2017

  • A Stroll Down Sunflower Lane, 14', Fiction, Director: Mayye Zayed, 2016

  • Enta Fin, 3’, Music video, Director: Maysoon El-Massry, 2015

  • Aida, 17', Documentary, Director: Maysoon El-Massry, 2015

PHOTO EXHIBITS

  • “Not-Nostalgic 2” solo exhibition in B'sarya for Arts in Alexandria, Egypt 2020

  • “Not-Nostalgic” solo exhibition in Aberdabei Gallery in Copenhagen, Denmark 2018

  • “Hot December” photography exhibition in the Centre Français de Culture et de Coopération (CFCC) in Alexandria, 2012

  • Egypt Photo Marathon exhibition in the Contemporary image collective (CIC) in Cairo, 2012

  • European Union Photo Contest exhibition, 2011

  • L'Atelier d'Alexandrie photography salon, 2008/2009/2010

  • L'Atelier d'Alexandrie photography international exhibition, 2010

  • RUFY's Fotografie-Ausstellung in Alexandria, 2009

AWARDS

Filmmaking (Selection)

  • Aida, Best Short Documentary Award, BBC Arabic Film Festival, 2017

  • Aida, Best Short Documentary Award, Luxor African Film Festival, 2016

  • Aida, Best Short Documentary Award, 12th Rencontres de l’image Film Festival, 2016

  • Aida, Special Mention from the university jury of MedFilm Festival, 2016

  • 17 Fouad Street, Best Short Documentary, Jesuit Independent Film Festival, 2016

  • 17 Fouad Street, Miquel Porter i Moix award in the Festival Gollut - Amics del Cinema de la Val de Ribes, 2016.

  • El Bostan El Saeed Street, Best Short Film, Malmo Arab Film Festival, 2015

  • El Bostan El Saeed Street, Best Short Film Award, Masr Dot Bokra Film Festival, 2017

  • El Bostan El Saeed Street, Special Jury Prize, 19th National Film Festival for the Egyptian Cinema, 2015

  • Alban Wady El-Neel, Best Short Film Award, 18th National Film Festival for the Egyptian Cinema, 2014

  • El Bostan El Saeed Street, Radwan El Kashef Award, Luxor African Film Festival, 2014

  • 17 Fouad Street, Best Short Documentary Award, 10th Rencontres de l'image Film Festival, 2014

  • 17 Fouad Street, Rafik El Sabban Award, 30th Alexandria Mediterranean Film Festival, 2014

  • Alban Wady El-Neel, Best Short Film Award, 9th Rencontres de l'image Film Festival in Cairo, 2013

Photography

  • Top 100 short listed in Google Photography Prize, 2012

  • Grand Prize in Egypt Photo Marathon, 2012

  • Winner in "New Egypt" European Union Photography Competition, 2011

WORKSHOPS CONDUCTED

Filmmaking

  • Production supervisor at the Jesuit Filmmaking Workshop in Alexandria, 2014 - 2015

  • Collège Saint Marc Filmmaking Workshop for students, Sep 2015 - May 2016

  • Cinematography Workshop at the Jesuit Cinema School of Assiut, July 2018

  • Production Workshop at the Institut Francais in Alexandria, Jan 2019

  • Cinematography Workshop at the Jesuit Cinema School of Alexandria, Sep - Nov 2019

  • Cinematography Workshop at the Jesuit Cinema School of Alexandria, Dec - Feb 2020

Photography

  • Photography Instructor at Rufy’s Photography Workshop, April 2009 - June 2010

  • Kelma Photography Workshop 🔗, April - Dec 2012