Filmography

Fish Above Sea Level

2011 · Fiction · 70 min · Writer / Director

The story of an urban professional from West Amman and a young farmer from the Dead Sea, both seeking to change their lives. Bitar's first feature-length film.

Into the Belly of the Whale

2010 · Drama · 25 min · Writer / Director

Younis attempts to cross from Gaza to Egypt through a tunnel. When he becomes trapped underground, he faces a struggle for survival.

• Official Selection — IDFA 2010, Amsterdam
• Official Selection — Clermont-Ferrand ISFF 2011
• Official Selection — Tampere Film Festival 2011
• Toronto Palestine Film Festival
• Chicago Palestine Film Festival
• London Palestine Film Festival
• Kazan Film Festival
• Ayam Beirut al-Cinema'iya

The View

2008 · Short Film · Student co-director: Rifqi Assaf · Writer / Producer

An Israeli sniper observes a Palestinian couple through his rifle scope, leading to a conflict between his mission and his conscience.

• Black Pearl Award, Best Short — Abu Dhabi IFF ($25,000)
• Best Short Film — Franco-Arab Film Festival 2008
• Best Script — Golden Taghit Film Festival 2008
• Tampere Film Festival 2009
• Ismailia Film Festival 2008
• Boston Palestine Film Festival 2008
• San Francisco Arab Film Festival 2008
• Golden Menbar Film Festival 2008, Russia

Growing Up in Amman's Suburbia

2006 · Documentary · 9 min · Writer / Director

A documentary observing how children in Amman find ways to play regardless of their environment.

• Best Documentary — Magma Film Festival 2006, Italy
• Huesca Film Festival 2006 (Academy-certified), Spain
• Tampere Film Festival 2008 (Academy-certified), Finland
• Seagate Foyle Film Festival 2006 (Academy-certified), Ireland
• Con-Can Film Festival 2007, Japan
• Izmir ISFF 2006, Turkey
• Jordan Short Film Festival 2006

Sharar

2006 · Drama · 17 min · Writer / Director · Student co-directors: Ammar Qutteneh, Saleh Kasem

A drama about a blue-collar worker facing limited choices and a difficult decision. Screened at the Academy-certified Locarno and Clermont-Ferrand international film festivals.

• Locarno International Film Festival (Academy-certified), Switzerland
• Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival (Academy-certified), France
• Biennial des cinémas arabes, Paris
• Tangier Short Film Festival, Morocco
• Jordan Short Film Festival, Jordan
• 5ème Festival Signes de Nuit, Paris
• San Francisco Arab Film Festival, USA
• Brussels Arab Film Festival, Belgium
• KAN Amateur and Independent Cinema Festival, Poland
• Emirates Film Competition, UAE
• Azru Film Festival, Morocco
• International Panorama of Independent Film and Video, Greece
• Warda Short Film Festival, Syria

Winds of Change

2009 · Drama · Writer / Director

A drama about a daughter and her ill father coming to a mutual understanding in a village by the Dead Sea.

Overdose

2005 · Comedy · 13 min · Writer / Producer · Student co-director: Ammar Qutteneh

A comedy examining social issues and taboos within modern Jordanian society.

Jerusalem's High Cost of Living

2000 · Documentary · Writer / Director

A filmmaker returns to Jerusalem during the Second Intifada, documenting the experiences of families at Makassed Hospital.

• Ismailiyah International Film Festival 2004, Egypt
• Carthage Film Festival 2004, Tunisia
• Dreams of a Nation Film Festival 2002, USA
• San Francisco Arab Film Festival 2001, USA
• Chicago Palestine Film Festival 2001, USA
• Honorary Award — National Coalition to Protect Political Freedoms 2001, USA

Uncivil Liberties: Secret Trials in America

1999 · Documentary · Writer / Director

A documentary about the use of "secret evidence" in US courts, focusing on the case of Mazen Al-Najjar.