Acclaimed journalist, documentarian in Cinema Verite

He is a Welsh writer, reporter and television producer who has specialized in international relations. Rees is the Director of Investigative Journalism at Al Jazeera. Jazeera's Investigative Unit. He has produced or reported over 60 documentaries and won over a dozen international awards.

He has covered Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas during a 30-year career in journalism.

He has won a dozen international awards, including two from the Royal Television Society. For nine years he was a BBC foreign correspondent and senior producer on the BBC’s flagship global affairs programme.

In 2006, Phil set up an independent TV production company based in London,  Out of Office Films.

Phil appears regularly as a commentator on international issues relating to the Middle East , al-Qa’eda, the war in Afghanistan, and so forth for international broadcasters. He also regularly addresses students and academic bodies and presents a weekly international affairs show on the Uk cable station, the Islam Channel, concerning events in the Muslim world.

Phil has reported on conflicts all over the world. He has been particularly successful in meeting armed groups and insurgents in order to understand and explain why they chose a violent path.

In his book, Dining with Terrorists, he wrote that journalism should provide a platform for dialogue between warring parties and offer a pathway toward resolution.

Noam Chomsky called it ‘an amazing tour de force’.

The former British Cabinet Minister, Clare Short, described the book as ‘pointing the way to resolving the conflicts which are tearing the world apart.

It is a most important as well as a readable book and highly recommended for those who are looking for a way out of the present quagmire.’

According to The British Journalism Review, ‘This thoughtful, controversial book should be compulsory reading for every editor, journalist and politician – before it is too late.’

Directed by Mohammad Hamidi-Moqadam, the “Cinema Verite” is scheduled to be held in Tehran on Dec 8-14, 2020 in online format via utilizing the national platform.

The national competition section comprises the short, mid-length and feature-length documentaries and the international section of this edition will be held in non-competition format due to the spread of coronavirus .

The international section of the festival also enjoys numerous non-competition sections such Special Displays, Mirror of a Festival, Portrait, Perspective of One Country Documentary Cinema, Chile Documentary Cinema, Masters of 2020 as well as 13 Editions & 13 Films.

MH