With Two International Awards… Snow White: First Film to Globally Address Dwarfism in Arab Societies,Featuring a Female Protagonist with Dwarfism

On the sidelines of the Red Sea International Film Festival, the film “Snow White”, produced by “ChiaroScuro Film Productions”, will be screened on the 9^th and 10^th of this month. The film takes the lead globally in casting a female actress with dwarfism in the lead role. It revolves around the heroine’s love story, and highlights the daily challenges of dwarfism, raising an important social issue in Arab societies.

The film received wide international recognition, winning in 2020 the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Award, the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA) Award at the Cairo International Film Festival, and was selected to participate in the "American Film Showcase" at El Gouna Film Festival in 2019.

The storyline follows Iman, a young Egyptian woman with dwarfism pursuing her dream of love and marriage, just like any other girl. She faces challenges due to traditional beauty standards imposed by society. In pursuit of her dream, Iman turns to online dating sites, hoping to express herself freely beyond the constraints of daily social life, all while struggling to help her sister get married.

Directed by Taghrid Abouelhassan, the film combines light drama with realism. Young actress Mariam Sherif portrays Iman, co-starring Mohamed Mamdouh as Amad, Mohamed Gomaa, Khaled Sarhan, and Safwa, along with a special appearance by Karim Fahmy.

Taghrid Abouelhassan, Film Director and co-founder of ChiaroScuro Film Productions, said: “In the film, Iman represents the strong-willed Egyptian woman who strives to achieve her life goals. Our message is to reconcile with oneself and accept others because even if this ‘other’ person looks different, we all share the same human needs and desires. Our film is not just a work of art, but also a tool to highlight real social issues and stimulate discussions on topics that society often avoids addressing or finding solutions for.”

In turn, Mohamed Agamy, Film Producer and co-founder of ChiaroScuro Film Productions, stated: “We believe that our culture is full of stories worth telling—stories that society often overlooks, whether they concern marginalized groups, minorities, or underrepresented issues. What distinguishes our films is that we are constantly trying to search for and present new artistic talents, and we strive to develop their skills through acting workshops so that they can deliver their roles professionally and authentically, just like our heroine Mariam Sherif did. Through this artwork, ChiaroScuro encourages the audiences to think differently.” He added: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the entire cast and crew and all our partners who helped bring this film to life.”

The film marks a major milestone in ChiaroScuro Film Productions' journey to produce humanistic films with a deep cultural dimension, in continuation of the journey we began with co-producing “Chronicles of Her”, which received funding from UNESCO, the European Union, UN Women, and the Royal Film Commission – Jordan. The film won six international awards and was nominated for fourteen others.

***About ChiaroScuro Film Productions***

Founded in Cairo in 2019 by producer Mohamed Agamy and director/screenwriter Taghrid Abouelhassan, ChiaroScuro Film Productions supports the independent film industry in Egypt and the Arab world. The company focuses on promoting realistic filmmaking that reflects stories usually overlooked by society and the cultural identity of their heroes, with a special interest in underlining the role of women in independent filmmaking and presenting films that feature strong female leads with stories that reflect cultural and social realities.