Experiencing Interruptions?

Morphic

Sami, an actor preparing for the role of a teacher who survived a school shooting. He develops a mysterious growth on his back that triggers painful memories of his childhood in a war zone in Baghdad. With his health and career at risk, he must confront his past to heal before it's too late.

The film stars Tarek Bishara, who co-starred in (The Tale) opposite Laura Dern, (Time Out of Mind) with Richard Gere, (The Final Cut) alongside Robin Williams, and more recently, (Freud's Last Session) with Anthony Hopkins.

  • Malik Maliki
    Director
  • Malik Maliki
    Writer
  • Alecia Orsini
    Producer
  • Malik Maliki
    Producer
  • Tarek Bishara
    Key Cast
    "Sami"
  • Marv Novogrodski
    Key Cast
    "Roger "
  • David Wells
    Cinematographer
  • Ramy Allam
    Associate Producer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Mystery, Psychological drama
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Iraq, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Super 16mm
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.66
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Beverly Hills Film Festival

    April 12, 2026
  • Chandler International Film Festival

    Winner |Best Short film
  • Canadian International Film Festival

    Winner |Best Short film
  • Veneto International Film Festival
  • Serbest International Film Festival
  • Austrian Film festival
  • Indigenous Culture Film Festival
  • Ural International Short Film Festival
  • RED MOVIE AWARDS
  • The Santa Clarita International Film Festival
  • Vienna International Film Awards
  • Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival
  • Dunedin International Film Festival
  • Chambal International Film Festival
  • Athens International Art Film Festival
  • The Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
  • Rome Film Awards
  • ORION IFF International Film Festival
Director Biography - Malik Maliki

Malik Maliki is an Iraqi-American screenwriter and director based in Boston, the United States. His work draws from personal experience and a deep interest in the human condition, often exploring themes of identity, conflict, and cultural tension through character-driven stories.

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Director Statement

Morphic is a deeply personal psychological drama that explores identity, trauma, and transformation. The story follows Sami, a method actor who begins to physically and emotionally unravel while preparing for a role rooted in violence. His descent mirrors my attempt to process the trauma of war and displacement experiences that don’t just “inspire” my work, they haunt it.

When I was 14, I was caught in the crossfire during the war in Baghdad, frozen in fear in a marsh field as bullets flew past me.

That moment, and the decision to run for my life, became a defining fracture in my timeline. I carry it the way one carries a scar, not visible but always whispering.

Like Sami, I’ve lived with the weight of survival, the absurdity of having made it out, and all that comes after. Morphic is my effort to translate that emotional and psychological mess onto the screen.

We’ve shot this film as a proof of concept short on 16mm to capture the textured and gritty quality I envision, a blend of realism with surreal elements, as some things don’t make sense, and never will… That’s life. That’s war. That’s art, if we’re being generous.