Aziz Tazi
Tazi at a screening of Night Walk in Los Angeles (2021)
Born
Casablanca, Morocco
NationalityMoroccan
EducationUniversity of California, Berkeley
Ecole Centrale Paris
Occupation(s)Film director, Film Producer, and Screenwriter
Years active2004–present
Notable workNight Walk

Aziz Tazi is a Moroccan film writer, director and producer featured in Forbes Africa's 30 Under 30.[1] Tazi made his directorial debut with the feature film Night Walk. The crime drama was acquired by Lionsgate and is the first Moroccan film in history to get Hollywood distribution.[2][3]

Prior to Night Walk, Tazi's short film Imago opened the Arab Film Festival in 2013. His documentary Arab Stories aired on PBS in 2014. Tazi has also directed music videos for French rapper La Fouine.[4] Variety and The Huffington Post have covered his work as well. [5]

Early life

Aziz Tazi grew up in Casablanca, Morocco. At 14, he used Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects, along with 3D Studio Max to create 15-min short videos based on the game Counter-Strike. The videos went viral and some were awarded "Best Visual Effects" and "Most Innovative" by a gaming website after he turned 15.[6]

At age 17, Tazi moved to France and worked with Denis Freyd on Les Cinq Parties du Monde directed by Gerard Mordillat.[7] Eventually, Tazi settled in California after graduating with two Masters of Science from Ecole Centrale Paris and UC Berkeley.[7]

Career

In 2011, Tazi directed a documentary short called "Emilie" about France's first-ever female Olympic champion in gymnastics Emilie Le Pennec. The short won the "Orange Reporter" Award for Highest Achievement in Creativity.[7]

In 2012, he received funding from his engineering school Ecole Centrale Paris and French bank BNP Paribas to direct and produce his first narrative short Imago. This psychological thriller opened the Arab Film Festival in Los Angeles in 2013.[8] In 2013, while attending the University of California at Berkeley, he made a documentary about successful Arab leaders in the U.S. called "Arab Stories: Bay Area," which aired on PBS.

After working as a creative director for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, working to make UC Berkeley's entrepreneurship education available online, Tazi moved to Los Angeles where he became the festival manager of the Arab Film Festival. He has been featured on the cover of Morocco's Challenge magazine.[9]

Tazi also worked on his first feature film Night Walk as director.[7] The film had its World Premiere at the Moscow International Film Festival in April 2019.[10] Later that year, Tazi won the "Best Screenplay" award at the Prague Independent Film Festival.[11] In a 2019 interview with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain, Mickey Rourke spoke of his experience working with Tazi, praising "the enthusiasm of this guy who was only 28" and added that “he wasn't terrified to work with me, he was just very excited to work with me."[12]

Recognition

In 2013, Tazi was voted among "Top 50 Men of the Year 2013" by VH Magazine.[13]

Tazi was also featured on Forbes Africa's 30 Under 30 in 2016 as a leading change-maker under the age of 30.[1]

In 2021, Spectrum News aired a 2-min segment on Tazi's work as a director challenging the stereotypes around the Arab and Muslim community in the West that played nationwide every hour for a day.[14] The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly also included his film Night Walk in their "Movies to Stream this Week" list.

Filmography

Features

Shorts

  • Emilie (2011)
  • Imago (2013)
  • Arab Stories (2014)
  • The Passing (2014)

Music videos

  • "Stop" by Imad Kotbi featuring Ryan McTogy (2017)
  • "Love & Devotion" by Imad Kotbi featuring Ryan McTogy (2017)
  • "African Queen" by La Fouine (2018)
  • "Daqqat Qelbi (My Heartbeat)" by Ghita Lahmamssi (2019)

Awards and nominations

Year Award Nominated Work Category Role Result
2011 Orange Reporter Emilie Highest Achievement in Creativity Director/Producer Won[7]
2013 Arab Film Festival Imago Festival Prize Writer/Director/Producer Nominated[8]
2019 Moscow International Film Festival Night Walk Audience Award Writer/Director/Producer Nominated[10]
2019 Prague Independent Film Festival Night Walk Best Screenplay Director/Producer Won[11]
2019 Prague Independent Film Festival Night Walk Best Director Writer/Director/Producer Nominated[11]
2019 Prague Independent Film Festival Night Walk Golden Eagle / Grand Prix Director/Producer Nominated[11]

References

  1. 1 2 Dardar, Jihad (18 July 2020). "Moroccan Filmmaker Aziz Tazi on His Rise to Hollywood Fame". Morocco World News. Rabat, Morocco. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  2. ↑ Mounafia, Mohammed (11 May 2018). "عزيز التازي..أول مخرج مغربي يقتحم هوليود من خلال عمله "نايت وولك"" [Aziz Tazi, the first Moroccan director to break into Hollywood with his film “Night Walk”]. Al Ayam 24 (in Arabic). Casablanca, Morocco. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Kahi, Jamila (25 May 2018). "عزيز التازي..أول مخرج مغربي يقتحم هوليود من خلال "نايت وولك"" [Aziz Tazi, the first Moroccan director to conquer Hollywood with “Night Walk”]. Lalla Fatima (in Arabic). Casablanca, Morocco. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  4. ↑ El Abbassi, Noredine (13 December 2013). "Aziz Tazi, Réalisateur, Ingénieur de l'Ecole Centrale" [Aziz Tazi, filmmaker, engineer with an Ecole Centrale degree]. Challenge (in French). Casablanca, Morocco.
  5. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (7 June 2021). "Moroccan Thriller 'Night Walk' With Mickey Rourke Scores International Sales". Variety. Los Angeles, CA.
  6. ↑ Dendoune, Nadir (31 December 2015). "Aziz Tazi, ce réalisateur marocain qui veut changer l'image des Arabes à Hollywood" [Aziz Tazi, the Moroccan director who wants to change the representation of Arabs in Hollywood]. Le Courrier de l'Atlas (in French). Paris. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Sefraoui, Nadia (2 August 2013). "Aziz Tazi, un Marocain à la conquête de Hollywood" [Aziz Tazi, a Moroccan on the quest of Hollywood]. VH Magazine (in French). Casablanca.
  8. 1 2 Nelson, Brianna (9 October 2013). "AFF2013 – Program of The Nation's Oldest and Largest Festival of Arab Films". Arab Film Festival. Los Angeles, CA.
  9. ↑ El Abbassi, Noredine (13 December 2013). "Challenge – L'hebdo marocain des décideurs" [Challenge – The Moroccan weekly for decision-makers]. Challenge (in French). Casablanca.
  10. 1 2 Karpyuk, Dmitry (25 April 2019). "Крестоносцы, призраки, мальчики-автоматчики и Микки Рурк: 6 занятных жанровых фильмов 41-го ММКФ" [Crusaders, ghosts, submachine gunners and Mickey Rourke: 6 entertaining genre films from the 41st MIFF]. Kinoreporter (in Russian). Moscow. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Ramsay, Angela (10 August 2019). "'M' 'NIGHT WALK' Among Winners of 2019 Prague Independent Film Festival". Vimooz. New York, NY. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  12. ↑ Morgan, Piers (host) (2 September 2019). "Good Morning Britain". Interview with Mickey Rourke. iTV.
  13. ↑ Najib, Abdelhak (1 February 2014). "VH Magazine – Les Hommes de l'Année 2013" [VH magazine – The Men of the Year 2013]. Version Homme Magazine (in French). Casablanca.
  14. ↑ Ayyoub, Loureen (10 May 2021). "Filmmaker dispels Muslim stereotypes with movie 'Night Walk'". Spectrum News 1. Los Angeles,CA. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
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