LFS graduate Ali F. Mostafa brings his third feature film, THE WORTHY, to the BFI for its world premiere, continuing his collaboration with Image Nation Abu Dhabi.
Described as a “dystopian horror set in a post-apocalyptic Arab world”, a small group of survivors seek refuge next to the only clean remaining water source in the area. When two visitors infiltrate their compound, they soon become pawns in a test for survival, where only one of them shall be chosen worthy. Part social commentary, and part sheer thrill ride, THE WORTHY rips up the script of what to expect from an Arabic language film.
Such an ambitious project may have seemed daunting, but Ali found the process thoroughly enjoyable, knowing that making the first apocalyptic Arab film gave him a lot of room to play with. He went on to admit that some of the locations did, however, prove rather gruelling.
There will be three screenings of THE WORTHY, attended by Ali Mostafa, on the 8th, 9th and 15th October at various cinemas around London. Click here to buy tickets, or follow on Facebook and Instagram.
Since graduating in 2005, Ali F. Mostafa has been extremely busy writing, producing and directing short and feature films, along with commercials. In 2006 he set up his own production company, AFM Films, to have the creative freedom to produce and write cutting edge work.
Mostafa’s career to date has had its fair share of firsts. In 2009, his feature film CITY OF LIFE broke box office records for an Emirati film, while in 2011, he was asked to develop the first ever online series in the UAE region for a brand as part of his partnership with Range Rover.
Despite everything, he still looks back at his time at the London Film School fondly, a time when he learnt to respect, appreciate and understand every crew member’s role on set: "As I always knew I wanted to direct as a career, I made it a point not to direct in film school and do everything else. I learnt a lot from that”.
When asked if he had any advice for current filmmakers at the LFS, his response was short and to the point: "I call it the three P's! [The] only way to be able to make films is to have passion, be patient, and always persevere!"
Follow Ali on Twitter and Instagram.
Written by Ben Corbett
Photo Credit: Adrian Silisteanu.