Born in 1988 in Qamichli, Syria, Mamo/Mohammad Shaikhow is a writer-director and cinematographer based in Paris. He graduated from ENSAV - National Film school (École Nationale Supérieure d’Audiovisuel) in 2017. His latest short film, HEVI, premiered at the 29th edition of the Carthage Film Festival in competition and has been selected for the Tampere Film Festival 2020, Qumra 2019, HIFF 2019, Les Nuits de Med in Paris, FIFOG in Geneva, Duhok International Film Festival, Cambodia International Film Festival, and more than 50 other festivals around the world. HEVI has won several awards.

HAWAR, Our Banished Children, 74' documentary, he is the co-writer and director of photography. World premiere at Vision du Réel 2023 in competition. The film was selected for the BRIFF 2023, the Sarajevo Festival, Verzio 2023, and the French premiere at FIPADOC 2024. It is co-produced by Iota production and Louise productions Laussan with the support of WB Image, RTBF, Swiss OFC, Eurimages, TV5 Monde and proximus.

Since 2010, he has also worked as a cinematographer for film and television, including several 26-minute reports in Iraqi and Syrian Kurdistan for ARTE.

Currently, he is developing his first feature film "The Dream Betrayed Me," produced by Camille Laemlé, within the company Les Film d’Ici in co-production with the Iota Proudction in Belguim and Mitos Films in Germany. The project was selected for the Ateliers de l'Atlas at the 2020 Marrakech Film Festival, received support from CNC - Aide aux Cinémas du Monde, the Göteborg Film Festival, and won the pitch award at Cinemed - Mediterranean Film Festival of Montpellier 2021, followed by a writing residency at Moulin d'Andé.

BIOGRAPHY