About Us
Close Up is a training, development, and mentorship program for documentary filmmakers from
Southwest Asia and North Africa.
Positioned at the intersection of arts, media, social change, and peace-building, Close Up is the only initiative of its kind in the region, creating a transformational experience for emerging filmmakers, coming from diverse ethnic, religious, cultural, and political backgrounds, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
Close Up was founded as a non-profit organization in Brussels, Belgium by five independent partners who collectively believe that working with emerging filmmakers from our region is essential to creating and maintaining cultural awareness and protecting our future. The partners include: Sigal Yehuda, Ahmet Boyacioglu, Bruni Burres, John Appel and Vincent Melilli.
Our Program
We support filmmakers in developing and creating compelling documentaries that illuminate the social and political realities of our complex and ever-changing region.
News & Newsletter
Join our mailing list to hear updates about our program and activities
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News about Baghdad on Fire!
We are really happy to announce that BAGHDAD ON FIRE is selected for Slamdance Film Festival that will take place from January 20-26 in Park City […]
SAVOY will compete in the 2023 FIPADOC documentary section!
Congratulations to Zohar Wagner director of SAVOY – on the film’s selection to the International documentary section of FIPADOC. After a successful premiere at the Jerusalem […]
Happy New Year 2023!
The Close Up team wishes you a happy new year 2023!✨✨✨ May this upcoming year help us in our mission of encouraging, strengthening, and inspiring emerging […]
The first 2022-2023 Close Up workshop was a success!
The first 2022-2023 Close Up workshop was a success! Joining us in Jordan from December 9th to 16th, the seventeen selected filmmakers came from all around […]
Two Close Up projects have been selected to participate at the FIFDH Impact Days in Geneva!
We are proud to announce that two Close Up projects have been selected to participate at the FIFDH Impact Days in Geneva! Among the 110 international […]
Close Up gathering at IDFA 2022!
Greetings from Amsterdam! ✨✨ We are very happy to share with you that we had a Close Up alumni gathering in Amsterdam earlier in November! It […]
Mariam Al-Dhubhani and Mohammed Al-Jaberi at the Silver Sun Foundation in Woodstock NY!
This is the end of the two weeks long residency fellowship offered by Silver Sun Foundation in Woodstock NY, to the project team of LET’S PLAY […]
She was not Alone and Concrete Land selected to participate in the Project Market of the Red Sea Film Festival
Congratulations to director Hussein Al-Assadi and producer Huda Al-Kadhimi! Their project SHE WAS NOT ALONE was selected to participate in the Project Market of the Red […]