Kamal Hachkar is a French-Moroccan independent filmmaker. Born in Morocco, he left his native land with his mother at the age of 6 months to join his father who had immigrated to France. His childhood was punctuated by the frequent relocations of his father which engendered in him empathy feelings for the uprooted. Hachkar holds an MA in history from Sorbonne University and later became a history teacher. In 2012, he released his feature documentary TINGHIR JERUSALEM: ECHOS FROM THE MELLAH; this film has been selected at several international film festivals across the world, winning numerous awards and stirring a fruitful national debate in Morocco over the plurality of identity. As an NYSJFF alum, Kamal received the Rising Star Pomegranate Award in 2015.