Founded in 2010, Cinephilia Productions is a New York-based film production company, development studio, and talent incubator dedicated to championing African, Arab, Southwest Asian, and Latin filmmakers.
Through its incubator programs and development initiatives, Cinephilia has developed over 600 film projects, provided education to more than 5,000 filmmakers, and launched industry programs in collaboration with major international film festivals. Cinephilia Productions has supported 800+ fellows at every stage of their creative journey, from development to distribution. Its award-winning films have been showcased at festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Rotterdam, and DOC NYC, and distributed by Sundance Channel, BBC, The New Yorker, and AMC Networks. Notable projects include "Goodbye Julia," "You Will Die at Twenty," "Snow and the Bear," "Their Algeria," "Afloat," "Yalla Parkour", and "Dead Dog", among others. Check Cinephilia Releases.
By bridging literature and cinema, Cinephilia fosters genre-driven storytelling and supports emerging voices through mentorship, training, and production initiatives, ensuring underrepresented filmmakers have a platform to bring their visions to life.
Founder & CEO
Darine Hotait is a writer, director, and the founder of Cinephilia Productions. Her work focuses on the politics of identity, Arab & African diaspora, and genres like science fiction and magical realism.
Named on Disney’s List of Directors on the Rise in 2022, Darine’s films can be seen on Sundance Channel, The New Yorker, AMC Networks, BBC, Forbes, Outfest, and at numerous international film festivals. She is the recipient of the New York Council on the Arts Artist Award, the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, the Jerome Hill Finalist Award, the North Manhattan Arts Alliance Artist Award, and the 40 under 40 Arab America Award.