BAFTA has unveiled the documentary and factual filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds participating in its two-year career development programme Elevate. The cohort includes Mr Gay Syria director Ayse Toprak whose 2017 documentary picked up awards at Sarajevo, Krakow and Seville festivals. Mr
BAFTA has unveiled the documentary and factual filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds participating in its two-year career development programme Elevate.
The cohort includes Mr Gay Syria director Ayse Toprak whose 2017 documentary picked up awards at Sarajevo, Krakow and Seville festivals.
Mr Gay Syria follows two gay Syrian refugees who are trying to rebuild their lives. Husein is a barber in Istanbul, living a double life between his conservative family and his gay identity.
Mahmoud is the founder of Syria’s LGBTQ+ movement and is a refugee in Berlin. What brings them together is a dream: to participate in an international beauty contest as an escape from their trapped lives and an answer to their invisibility. Will the dream come true or will the refugee crisis and the harsh consequences of being gay in the Muslim world shatter it to pieces?
The 20 individuals will receive a tailored programme comprising networking opportunities, masterclasses, workshops and panel discussions.
