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ScreenCraft Film Fund Recipient A GIRL FROM MOGADISHU Premieres in Edinburgh

by ScreenCraft on May 31, 2019

A ScreenCraft Film Fund winner is headed to the Edinburgh International Film Festival!

Based on the true story of Ifrah Ahmed, A Girl From Mogadishu is a dramatic feature film that is set in war-torn Somalia.

Written and directed by Mary McGuckian, the film is set to premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in Scotland on June 18th, 2019.

A Girl From Mogadishu was one of two recipients that received the Spring 2018 ScreenCraft Film Fund.

In partnership with BondIt Media Capital, the ScreenCraft Film Fund selects the recipients every cycle, which run twice a year, back to back.

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The film is based on the testimony of Ifrah Ahmed, who – having made the extraordinary journey to escape war-torn Somalia – emerged as one of the world’s foremost international activists against Gender-Based Violence and female genital mutilation. Female genital mutilation is a barbaric act affecting over 200 million women across the world. For so long a taboo topic, the appropriate world health organizations have now recognized the shocking extent of the practice, endeavored quite successfully to bring it to the attention of the relevant authorities.

This inspiring true story of female empowerment with Aja Naomi King (How to Get Away with Murder, Birth of a Nation) will have its international premiere at the prestigious Edinburgh International Film Festival (June 19th – June 30th). The screening will be on Friday, June 28th at 8:45 PM at The Odeon. There will be a follow-up screening on Saturday, June 29th at 5:30 PM at Filmhouse.

Written and directed by Mary McGuckian, A Girl From Mogadishu tells the story of Ifrah's astonishing and powerful journey to the global stage as one of the world’s foremost activists against Female Genital Mutilation. Fleeing war-torn Somalia in 2006, she is trafficked to Ireland where a traumatic medical examination reveals the extent of her mutilation as a child. Traumatized by the memory, she channels the experience into a force for change and emerges as a formidable campaigner at the highest political echelons.

Ifrah Ahmed says, “I hope A Girl from Mogadishu can impact the global conversation around FGM/C in the way that Philadelphia did for HIV/AIDS”.

A Girl From Mogadishu also features Martha Cango Antonio (Black) and Barkhad Abdi (Blade Runner, Eye of the Storm, Captain Phillips) as well as Somali icon, Maryam Mursal with an original score by Nitin Sawhney and featuring Quiet by Milck.

Producer, writer and director, Mary McGuckian (Man on the Train & The Price of Desire) adds, “Ifrah is an immensely inspiring person and her extraordinary story speaks to all of refugee status, sexual violence in conflict, gender-based violence, the asylum system as well as FGM. A Girl from Mogadishu celebrates the power of testimony. How, when women find the courage to stand up, speak out and tell their truth, the impact can be more than inspiring and empowering, and act as a meaningful catalyst for change. The Edinburgh International Film Festival has always been ahead of the curve in terms of presenting films for, by and about women so we are delighted by the invitation to host A Girl from Mogadishu’s international premiere there in June." This year the Edinburgh International Film Festival will screen around 121 new features, including 18 feature film World Premieres, 12 International Premieres, 8 European Premieres, and 78 UK Premieres from 42 countries across the globe.


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