Lights, camera, action! Amrou Al-Kadhi, a writer and filmmaker, shares the journey of taking their debut film, Layla, to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival this month. After years of hard work and dedication, the film has been invited to premiere at the renowned festival, marking a significant milestone in Al-Kadhi’s career.

The journey of making a film is a truly magical and often nonsensical process, as described by Al-Kadhi. The concept for Layla was pitched to Film4 at the end of 2017, and after securing financing, the scriptwriting continued for four and a half years, culminating in the invitation to Sundance.

Throughout the development process, Al-Kadhi and their team faced numerous challenges, including extensive re-writes and character examinations. Despite the frustrations that often accompany the development phase, Al-Kadhi expresses gratitude for the time it took, emphasizing the importance of allowing the characters to be fully realized and complex.

Al-Kadhi acknowledges that the creation of a film is only made possible through the extraordinary diversity of talent that comes together. The journey to Sundance serves as a testament to the dedication and perseverance of the entire team behind Layla, and Al-Kadhi takes a moment to celebrate this significant achievement.

As the anticipation builds for the premiere at Sundance, Al-Kadhi’s journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring filmmakers, highlighting the resilience and determination required to bring a vision to life on the big screen.