Artist Biography
Alex El Dahdah (born in Byblos, Lebanon - lives in Baltimore, MD.) is a filmmaker and visual artist primarily focusing on collective identities, space, and memory themes. His oeuvre encompasses independent films, video art, photography, and graphic prints, examining introspectively ancestry, linguistic metaphors, and expressions of faith and identity. El Dahdah's work has been screened and exhibited in numerous film festivals and galleries in major cities such as Los Angeles, Saint Petersburg, Mumbai, Beijing, Tokyo, London, and Montreal. His film "Āh" garnered significant recognition, earning awards at IndieX Film Fest and Screen Power Film Festival. His participation in NewFilmmakers LA, hosted by the Academy Awards, further underscores his achievements.
El Dahdah's artistic journey has led him to work and study in various locations, including Byblos, Beirut, Salzburg, Dubai, San Francisco, and Baltimore. He holds a BA in Television and Film, a minor in Performing Arts, and is completing an MFA in Multidisciplinary Arts. His extensive art portfolio displays his proficiency in various media, including film/video, digital photography, and performing arts. Having worked in the film industry as an actor, director, editor, production designer, producer, and assistant director, he demonstrates both artistic versatility and a unique perspective. In his work, El Dahdah frequently works with the intersection of layered identities. His film "Āh" (2020) portrays a homosexual love story set in early post-feudal Lebanon. Other films, such as "Flash News" (2018), delve into complex relationships and societal perceptions of reality. In digital photography, "What Do You Remember from the Future?" and "Terminal X" probe memory, temporality, and the merging of space and time. With diverse experiences and an academically grounded approach, El Dahdah's interests also encompass visual identity systems and examining bureaucratic documentation as an artistic medium. Through exploring medium-specificity, art and nationalism, color symbolism, and blending cultural and religious symbols, he seeks to challenge conventional narratives and provide alternative perspectives on culture, religion, and identity.
Education
Master of Fine Arts in Multidisciplinary Art - Maryland Institute College of Art (in progress)
Bachelor of Arts in Television and Film and Minor in Performing Arts - Lebanese American University (2019)
For more information about academic qualifications and work experience, check LinkedIn.
Bachelor of Arts in Television and Film and Minor in Performing Arts - Lebanese American University (2019)
For more information about academic qualifications and work experience, check LinkedIn.
Screenings and Exhibitions
Film screenings, selections and awards: Asia North (Screening and Panel Discussion, United States, 2023), IndieX Film Fest (Annual Award Nominee, United States, 2022); Las Cruces International Film Festival (Official Selection, United States, 2022); Top Indie Film Awards (Official Selection, Japan, 2021); Watersprite Film Festival (Official Selection, United Kingdom, 2021); First-Time Filmmaker Sessions (Official Selection, United Kingdom, 2021); Karnavati International Film Festival (Official Selection, India, 2021); ISAFF Saint Petersburg (Honorable Mention, Russia, 2021); KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (Official Selection, India, 2021); Tracce Cinematografiche Film Fest (Official Selection, Italy, 2021); Alvsbyn Film Festival (Official Selection, Sweden, 2021); Spring Grove Caledonia Film Festival (Official Selection, United States, 2021); QueerX Los Angeles (Official Selection, United States, 2021); Queer Global Arts Fest (Official Selection, United States, 2021); Internacional Queer Film Festival Playa del Carmen (Official Selection, Mexico, 2021); Lebanese Independent Film Festival (Official Selection, Lebanon, 2021); Beijing Queer Film Festival (Official Selection, China, 2021); Las Vegas Queer Arts Film Festival (Official Selection, United States, 2021); Global Youth Film Festival (Official Selection, Bangladesh, 2021); Aurora Film Festival (Official Selection, Italy, 2020); GlennFest Film Festival (Official Selection, United States, 2020); IndieX Film Fest (Award of Excellence, Special Jury Mention, United States, 2020); IndieX Film Fest (Best LGBTQ Short, United States, 2020); Hilltop Film Festival of Diversity and Inclusion (Official Selection, United States, 2020); Screen Power Film Festival (Best LGBTQ+ Film, United Kingdom, 2020); Andromeda Film Festival (Official Selection, Turkey, 2020); Hidalgo Film Fest (Official Selection, Mexico, 2020); image+nation festival (Official Selection, Canada, 2020); LIFFT (Nominee, India, 2020); NewFilmmakers LA (Official Selection for InFocus: Middle Eastern Cinema, United States, 2020, hosted by the Academy Awards).
Gallery Exhibitions: TRANSITION/TRANSformation/TRANScendence (Group Show, The Parlor, Baltimore, MD, United States, 2023), Artists United Times Square Equibition (Time Square, New York, NY, United States, 2023), Mount Royal Thesis Exhibition (Group Show, Fanny Fox Decker and Meyerhoff Galleries, Baltimore, MD, United States, 2023), Holding Tension (Group Show, Leidy Gallery, Baltimore, MD, United States, 2022); You Are Here (Group Show, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco, CA, United States, 2022); It’s About Time (Group Show, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco, CA, United States, 2021).
Press
Interview on LBCI - on Flash News | Watch on Youtube
Interview with MovieMakers LA - on ÃH | Read Article & Watch Interview
Article by Revry TV - on ÃH | Read Article