Suhell Nafar

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Suhel Nafar is currently the Vice President of Strategy & Market Development- WANA at Empire Distribution, the leading independent label, distributor, and publisher in the US and the first label to open a division in the US to help grow the local scene in West Asia & North Africa and its diaspora.

Most recently, Nafar worked at Spotify as the Global Lead of Arab Music & Culture helping to build and launch in West Asia and North Africa, including an initiative of international curation for the largest cultures in the world. Nafar also built Spotify's Arab Culture Hub and its international programming strategy, curating more than 120 playlists including flagship playlists such as Yalla Today's Top Hits, Arab X, Shisha Lounge and Global X. Additionally, in 2016 he helped launch Complex Snapchat Discover channel, the fastest growing platform in the history of Complex Networks.

In the 90s Nafar co-founded the Hip Hop crew, DAM (band), the first Arab Hip-Hop group out of West Asia. In 2016 was an artist-in-residence at New York University.

Suhel story was featured in the award-winning documentary, Slingshot Hip Hop, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and made its broadcast debut on the Sundance Channel.^[1] His films have been featured internationally including at the Mori Art Museum, Japan; TIFF Kids International Film Festival; Alfilm, Berlin; La Matatena, Mexico and the Asiana International Short Film Festival.

Filmography

• Junction 48 (narrative feature) - story development, co-producer, motion graphics, 2015
• Law Arjaa Bil Zaman (If I Could Go Back in Time) (musical short film) - director, 2012
• Arab American Stories (PBS TV series) - animator, cinematographer, 2012
• The Adi Khalifa Show (comedy show) - director, 2012
• Yala to the Moon (short film) - animator, director, director of photography, 2011
• Green revolution (music video) - cinematographer, director, 2011
• Habibi Rasak Kharban (feature film) - actor, 2010
• Checkpoint Rock (music documentary) - narrator, talent, 2009
• Letters Mahmood (music video) - director, director of photography, 2009
• Letters Tamer (music video) - director, director of photography, 2009
• Slingshot Hip Hop (documentary feature) - narrator, cinematographer, talent, 2008
• My Lady (music video) - talent, 2007
• Forgiveness (feature film) - talent, 2006
• Born Here (music video) - talent, 2005

Film soundtracks[]

• Junction 48, 2016
• Time Out of Mind
• Art/Violence, 2013
• Yala to the Moon, 2011
• Slingshot Hip Hop, 2009
• Checkpoint Rock, 2009
• Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden?, 2009
• Salt of the Sea, 2008
• Forgiveness, 2006
• Local Angel, 2003
• Ford Transit, 2002

Discography[]

• Untouchables / Stop Selling Drugs, 1999
• Who's the terrorist (Meen Irhabi?), 2000
• Ihda', 2006
• Dabke on the Moon, 2013

Awards[]

Junction 48[]

• Audience award at Berlin International Film Festival
• Best International Narrative Feature at Tribeca Film Festival

Slingshot Hip Hop[]

• “Documentary Competition” Sundance Film Festival 2008
• “Audience Award: Best Documentary“ Films de Femmes, France
• “Audience Award: Best Film“ DOX BOX Film Festival, Syria
• “Best Director” Beirut International Film festival, Lebanon
• “Audience Award: Best Film“ Beirut International Film festival, Lebanon
• “Jury Prize” Festival Cinéma et Politique de Tours, Paris, France
• “Silver Hanoman Prize” JAFF film festival, Indonesia
• “Best Mediterranean Film” Granada Festival Cine del Sur, Spain
• “Audience Award: Best Documentary” Cairo Refugee Film Festival, Egypt
• “Audience Award: Best Film” Cairo Refugee Film Festival, Egypt
• “Most Anticipated Film” Cairo Refugee Film Festival, Egypt
• “Audience Award: Best Film“ Toronto Palestine Film Festival, Canada
• “The Festival des Libertés Award” Festival des Libertés festival in Brussels, Belgium
• "Aloha Accolade Winner" Honolulu Film Festival, Hawaii
• “Audience Award: Best Film“ Arabian Sights/Washington DC Int Film Festival
• Top 3 finalist for the IDFA - “DOC U” competition

References[]

External links[]

• EMPIRE Expands in West-Asia north Africa
• billboard International Power Players
• Spotify lead of Arab music and culture
• Spotify in MENA
• Spotify Taps Palestinian Artist Suhel Nafar
• Spotify Taps Palestinian Artist Suhel Nafar To Develop Arab Music & Culture Hub