Kassem Hawal
Film Director and writer
He was borne 1940 in Almdaina - Basra, Iraq.
He began to work at theatre in his early youth.
1957 He founded a theatre group in Basrah. He wrote, directed and acted in many plays.
1959 he joined the “Institute of Fine Arts” in Baghdad where he studied acting and directing for five years.
During his study time he wrote many Teleplays and stage plays acting in some of them himself. At that time he was responsible for the culture pages in many newspapers.
After graduating from the art institute he found together with some of his friends a company called (Film Today) which produced the film (Al – Haris – The Guard) for which he wrote the story and played one of the major roles. The film was directed by Khalil Shouki and won a prize in silver at Cartage film festival, 1968.
The company “Film Today” brought out a magazine (Cinema today) of which Hawal was the editor in chief. The magazine was closed down later on for political reason.
Together with other artists he founded a group called (Theatre Today) which produced many plays for the stage in addition to some Teleplays.
In 1969 he founded (Sununu Film Foundation).
1970 he left his country Iraq for Lebanon because of Political reasons.
1975 he returned back to Iraq and directed a long documentary film (The Marshes – Al Ahwar) and a feature film called (Houses at the slums)
He contributed to the founding of the “Arab Cinematography Union” and was elected to the General Secretariat and to the executive committee of the union.
1977 He returned back to Lebanon.
1979 He was elected as a chairman of the Iraqi writers, Journalists and artist’s league in exile held in Lebanon and later as a member of its General Secretariat and executive committee.
He was elected as a member of the Jury of the “Moscow Film Festival” 1983 and a member of the Jury of the “Arab Film Festival” in Rotterdam 2001, and as a Chairman of the Jury of the “Etiuda Film Festival” 2003 in Krakow in Poland.
He is author and director of over 20 feature and documentary films which successfully took part in many international film festivals. His films won many Prizes including two in silver and one in gold.
He wrote about cinema and theatre and published many short stories. As well as writing several screenplays. At the same time he was in charge of several cultural pages at many Iraqi and Arab Newspapers and magazines.
One of the founders of the movement” the alternative Arab cinema” in Damascus 1972, one of the founders of the Union of Arab Documentalists and a member of the General Secretariat and to the executive committee of the union.


His name and work is to be found in several Arabic and European studies and books dealing with the history of Arab film.
He recently wrote a screenplay titled “The Singer” whish deals with the Iraqi dictatorship. Now he is preparing to direct this story to be a feature film.