Lebanese Filmmaker Cyril Aris Soars with Acclaimed Debut Feature

In a significant development, Lebanese filmmaker Cyril Aris has signed with the Dubai-based management and production company 75East. This comes as Aris' debut feature film, 'A Sad and Beautiful World', has been making a strong impression on the festival circuit.

The sweeping romance, set across three decades in Beirut, has already won the Audience Award at the prestigious Venice Film Festival's parallel section, Giornate degli Autori, in September. Since then, the film has gone on to screen at a number of other festivals, including those in London, Athens, and Montpellier, and is now set to embark on the MENA autumn festival circuit.

Adding to its accolades, 'A Sad and Beautiful World' has also been selected as Lebanon's submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards. The film, co-written by Aris and Bane Fakih, stars Hassan Akil and Mounia Akl as Nino and Yasmina, a pair of star-crossed lovers navigating the challenges of love and survival in their tumultuous homeland.

Aris, a Columbia University MFA graduate, is also known for his previous work, including the documentary 'Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano' and his award-winning debut, 'The Swing'. With this latest signing and the growing acclaim for 'A Sad and Beautiful World', Cyril Aris is poised to make a significant impact on the global film landscape.