Documentary filmmaker James Longley’s projects have focused on amplifying the voices and perspectives of the most vulnerable through cinema. He has spent the past 20 years witnessing and documenting the struggles of communities in Gaza Iraq, and Afghanistan living under challenging circumstances. Capturing post-war Iraq, his film Iraq in Fragments was awarded three jury awards at the Sundance Film Festival (2006). His short film Sari's Mother premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (2006) and was nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Short. He is Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2007–present). His works can be found in the collections of Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Academy Film Archive, Los Angeles; Duke University Archive; Wesleyan University Archive; and United States Library of Congress. His grants and residencies include Duke University artist residency, North Carolina (2018); Sundance Film Institute production grant (2015); masterclass hosted by FOCAL, Zurich (2015); and masterclass hosted by Goethe Institute, Kigali (2012). Longley studied film and Russian at Wesleyan University (1994) and the All-Russian Institute of Cinematography, Moscow (1993). Born in 1972 in Eugene, Oregon, Longley currently lives and works in Seattle. SAF Participation: Sharjah Film Platform 4 (2021)