Written by Krista Kleiner
Photographs by Fabian Lopez
Long before becoming an Emmy award-winning film director and producer, Georges N. Chamchoum was born in Niger, West Africa. Being of Lebanese descent, his love for movies and the arts struck at an early age. Georges’ father had a free open-air theater for locals that his mother began taking him to when he was just a few months old. His youth was filled watching Charlie Chaplin, Abbott & Costello, Laurel & Hardy and the Serials. “My brain started to register as young as a few month old when my mother took me every night in Magaria (Niger, West Africa) to the movies. There was nothing else as we lived literally in the bushes. She would tell me that my eyes where riveted to the screen the whole time,” Chamchoum recalls. “My brain kept the data until I grew up and knew that the only thing I wanted to do was to be in films.” Those early movies inspired him as an artform that could not only move the individual, pushing one in new directions, but also affect a broader world. Later in life, his studies took him to schools in Lebanon, France, Germany, Poland, and the U.K. However, his passion for learning notwithstanding, Chamchoum found a broad education at times frustrating. “I hated school. Not because of the learning - I loved languages, history, geography, arts in its every form, but because to get where I wanted, which is a Film School, I had to go through the torture of several years of education.”
Entering the film industry in 1968, Georges went on to create films throughout Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the U.S. By the late 90s, UNESCO honored him for his body of work and dedication to Lebanese cinema. However, 47 years and 40 films into his career, Georges hit a point of frustration in 2015 that he could no longer ignore.
Why, in 73 years, had only 6 movies from Asia won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film? “I could name at least 10 other great Asian movies that were totally ignored by the Academy.” Georges proclaimed. “It was painful because most movies emerging from the continent of Asia had been of an extremely high standard – in particular movies from Japan and India, and especially South Korea,” who Georges credits for reinventing the language of cinema in the early 90s. “These movies could compete with the very best from the rest of the world but weren’t being given a fair chance.”
“I hate to say it, but the members of the Academy loved their comfort zone. They would see a movie from Denmark, France, U.K. or Germany and their antenna would hit the sky, whilst poor Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Georgia, Armenia and Iraq would be relegated to the bottom of the list because they don’t have enough money for marketing and promotion,” George reflected.
It was out of this frustration that the Asian World Film Festival was born – out of a desire to help well deserving talent and films emerging from the over 50 countries of Asia have a fair chance to be shared, appreciated, and honored by the world. “We believe that each movie should receive an equal amount of attention, regardless of how much money is spent on promotion,” he declared. So, he and a group of like-minded colleagues created a film festival during award season (end of October/early November) to provide Asian films with a free platform to showcase, market and promote their projects. Georges stepped up and this nonprofit has played a pivotal role in opening up doors to Asian culture and talent.
Six years later, they’ve celebrated two huge victories – The Salesman, an Iranian movie, won an Academy Award in 2019 for Best Foreign Language Film; and Parasite, a South Korean film, took home not just one but four Academy Awards in 2020 – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film – becoming the first non-English language film to ever win the Academy Award for Best Picture. “Asian films are finally starting to get the attention and credit they deserve,” Georges celebrates. “And we at the Asian World Film Festival would like to believe we are a little part of this history.”
In honor of his contributions, Georges was named one of the 100 Most Influential Lebanese in the World in 2017; and in 2018, the South Korean Ministry of Culture bestowed the coveted DARI Award upon him for bridging and promoting Korean culture in the U.S.
“It has been both a challenging and thrilling experiencing serving as the Executive and Program Director of the Asian World Film Festival,” Georges shared. “Passion at its best!” A volunteer himself, Georges stands in deep gratitude with the entire team of dedicated workers that have put in much time and effort to create and expand the festival’s impact.
Of his numerous accomplishments, he holds the Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) in highest regards. “I can say with all confidence and humility that AWFF will be leaving a great legacy. Finally, the Hollywood Spotlight is on Asian Entertainment. The seed has been planted, but we still have a long way to go,” he acknowledges.
When asked what else he hopes to see moving forward, he says he would also like to see Hollywood go back to what it was – a haven for entertainment and performance, minus the political correctness he feels is being shoved down people’s throats.
Georges’ films have always been socially and politically orientated with a Hollywood flair. The feature films he directed are Inside Out (1968) and Salam, After Death (1970) and the landmark Lebanon... Why? in 1978. The Emmy he won was for ABC Network (USA) – a documentary short titled Hashim's Story in 2010.
Residing in Los Angeles for the past 32 years, Georges has had the opportunity to pursue a number of passions, including photography. From 1984 – 1990, he was the official photographer for Visiora – Christian Dior. Throughout the 70s and 80s, Georges directed several plays in Lebanon and the U.S., along with multiple award-winning music videos. Currently, Georges is still active in movie production with two feature dramas in the works - one out of Kyrgyzstan and the other to be shot entirely in Turkey.
A true advocate for film and undermarketed groups, Georges is also an International Director of the Yakutsk International Film Festival in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), International Relations Executive for the Notre Dame University International Film Festival (Lebanon) and is on the Executive Board of the Beirut International Women Film Festival (Lebanon). In addition, he is the Co-Founder of Film Festivals Cinergy, a union of worldwide film festivals which promotes recognized talent in filmmaking.
In a continued campaign for diversity and inclusion, Georges is proud to share that this upcoming Asian World Film Festival will be launching its support for films from Africa. His passion is for the underdog and remarks, “I believe it is time that the African Continent (54 Countries) should have its place in the Sun too. As simple as this.” -
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For more information on The Asian World Film Festival, please go to www.asianworldfilmfest.org
