"I was born in Baghdad - the land of A Thousand and One Nights, the region where the first written words came to exist and where storytelling, myths and legends began. Storytelling is a beautiful medium to convey our deepest feelings and using music evokes our senses and emotions. Combined, they transcend borders and time, taking us all to that place where we are united in our common journey and our understanding of what it is to be human."
- Rawaa Barnes

Awards

5 won, 14 nominations for Rawaa Barnes

Event	Award
2021 Dubai International Film Festival	Won, Best First Time Filmmaker, Best Short
2021 Dubai International Film Festival	Won, Best Short Screenplay, Best Script in Short
2021 Cairo International Film Festival	Won, Best First Time Filmmaker, Best Short
2021 Ealing Film Festival	Won, Judges' Award, The Phyllis Crocker Award
Sacramento World Film Festival	Won. Festival Prize, Best First Time Filmmaker
2021 Berlin Shorts Award	2nd place, December Award, Best First Time Short Filmmaker
2021 Paris Short Film Festival	2nd place, Paris Short Film, Best Short Film
2021 Roma Short Film Festival	2nd place, Roma Short Film Festival Award, Best Short
Tokyo Shorts	2nd Place. Honorable Mention, Best International Short
Vancouver Independent Film Festival	2nd Place. October Award, Best First Time Director (Short)

About Rawaa

Rawaa Barnes is a British multi-award winning writer of Middle Eastern origin. She is an author, director, songwriter and educator, whose film writing and directing debut short film ‘The Bench’ won five international awards and over a dozen nominations. She is also the composer behind The Most Wanted Man in Sweden - a BBC Radio 4 Drama, and also composed and sang on the Arts Council Funded stage adaptation of the same title, written by Danny Robbins.

Rawaa Barnes is interested in spirituality, cultural diversity and languages and often written with an east-west perspective. Rawaa is currently working on Cleopatra the Musical where she has written the book and is the composer and lyricist of 20 original songs. She also has The Young Cleopatra - a children’s book series which will be out for sale Christmas 2023. Her debut novel I am Rumi has been adapted for stage and is now in pre-production. It will show in London and then tour internationally.

Picture of Rawaa