Josef Fares
Josef Fares (born 19 September 1977) is a Lebanese-Swedish film director and video game designer.[1][2] His brother is the actor Fares Fares, who has appeared in many of his films, including one of his major hits, A Way Out (2018).[3] He is the founder of Hazelight Studios. He was presented "The Game Of The Year Award" for his game It Takes Two at The Game Awards in 2021. He also directed the game Split Fiction (2025).
Biography
Josef Fares moved to Sweden when he was 10 years old, fleeing the Lebanese Civil War with his family.[4] Variety declared him one of ten upcoming directors to watch in 2006.[5] The same year he won the Nordic Council Film Prize for his film Zozo.[6] In 2013, he directed his first video game, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. The game was well received by critics. Its focus is on the interaction between two brothers and their journey to save their father. He next formed his own development company, named Hazelight Studios, and partnered with publisher Electronic Arts for his next video game, A Way Out, which was released 23 March 2018.[7]
On 7 December 2017 Fares appeared on The Game Awards 2017 and gave a speech while on stage with host Geoff Keighley, where he strongly criticized the Oscars due to their ranking films above video games.[8]
Fares includes the speech as an Easter egg in his 2021 game It Takes Two.[9] His comments were censored, and he referenced the speech, while saying that the "Oscars got fucked", as he accepted the Game of the Year Award at The Game Awards 2021.[10]
Industry perspective
In an interview to The Washington Post following It Takes Two's win at The Game Awards 2021, Fares expressed his perspective on several topics in the game industry. He said he would "rather get shot in the knee" than include NFTs in future games, he also put forward that adjusting game design to make the player pay is wrong, and stated "For me, gaming is art". Fares has also commented on the topic of sexual harassment within the gaming industry which was brought up at The Game Awards 2021 with respect to Activision Blizzard and its CEO Bobby Kotick, saying "I think sometimes you need to go through some shit to get to the other side. That’s what’s happening", as well as that unions help "but that’s just one of the things. I don’t think it solves everything. Education and knowledge, I think that’s most important."[11]
Personal life
Fares has two daughters, Mio and Zoe. The protagonists of Split Fiction are named after his daughters.[4]
Filmography
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Jalla! Jalla! |
| 2003 | Kopps |
| 2005 | Zozo |
| 2007 | Leo |
| 2010 | Balls |
Ludography
| Year | Game | Role | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons | Director | Starbreeze Studios |
| 2018 | A Way Out | Director | Hazelight Studios |
| 2021 | It Takes Two | Director | Hazelight Studios |
| 2025 | Split Fiction | Director | Hazelight Studios |
References
- ^ "Josef Fares – The Swedish Film Database". 19 September 1977. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
- ^ "Josef Fares – Svensk Filmdatabas". 19 September 1977. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
- ^ Mahardy, Mike (2013-10-27). "Brothers: How a film director shook up Starbreeze". Polygon. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Harold (8 March 2025). "Raised in a Civil War, He Makes Games to Bring People Together". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ "Consulate General of Sweden New York - Zozo by Josef Fares at Scandinavia House". Archived from the original on 2009-08-08. Retrieved 2010-01-28.
- ^ "Zozo wins Nordic Council Film prize". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 12 October 2006. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
- ^ "A Way Out | Metacritic". metacritic.com. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
- ^ Sarkar, Samit (December 12, 2017). "Developer defends 'fuck the Oscars' rant from The Game Awards". Polygon. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (March 29, 2021). "It Takes Two Has A Great "F**k The Oscars" Easter Egg". GameSpot. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^ Van Der Velde, Issy (December 9, 2021). "It Takes Two Wins Game Of The Year At The Game Awards". Thegamer.
- ^ "Years after viral Game Awards rant, 'It Takes Two' director says he doesn't hate the Oscars". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
