Amjad Abu Alala is a UAE-born Sudanese director and producer, who honed his craft at UAE University, creating notable short films under Abbas Kiarostami’s mentorship. His feature film, You Will Die at Twenty, triumphed with the Lion of the Future at the Venice International Film Festival, marking Sudan’s inaugural Oscars submission. He has been the Head of Programming at the Sudan Independent Film Festival since 2014 and has driven impactful productions through his company, Station Films, including the Berlinale premiered Yemeni film, The Burdened, and the Cannes 2023 Freedom award-winning film, Goodbye Julia.