The 'C' in Allah

Images

Topics

Human Development: Social Exclusion
Human Rights: Civil Rights, Gender, Religion, Social Exclusion
Information & Media: Culture, Freedom of Expression
Peace and Conflict: Conflict Resolution, Peace, Terrorism
Politics: Civil Society, Codes of Conduct, Ethics & Value Systems, Globalization

Project Geography

US: New York, Wisconsin
International: Asia

Identity Niches

Caucasian, Islamic, Religious, Women

Budget

Raised to date: $20,000.00
Estimate to complete: $79,000.00
Total Estimated Budget: $99,000.00
The budget numbers above are accurate as of 04/22/2009

Status

Post Production

Media Type

Video

Project End Use

TV

Key Personnel

Eileen White
Director, Writer, Producer, Camera
Eileen White is an award-winning filmmaker, whose films and videos have been exhibited at numerous festivals, most notably as part of the High Falls Film Festival, the International Festival of Cinema & Technology, and the New Filmmakers Series at Anthology Film Archives. She has worked on other films in such capacities as producer, props, location sound and assistant sound editor as well as camera and editorial work for “In the Life” researcher on "A Day's Work, A Day's Pay," both seen on PBS. Eileen has taught video and multimedia production and theory at York College and Bloomfield College. She currently teaches film theory and history at Queensborough Community College. Recently, Eileen also served as the festival director of the first Neversink Area Valley Film Competition where she has given lectures entitled Silent Innovations on the films of D.W. Griffith, Mack Sennett and Edwin Thanhouser and Minority Representation in D.W. Griffith.

Tom Reid
Producer/Camera
Tom Reid has worked in film and theatre production for many years as an actor, technical director and producer in the New York area. Tom has appeared in over one hundred New York and touring productions ranging from the classics to original roles for new productions by emerging playwrights. His set design and inventive use of PVC poles was written up in Theater Week magazine. He has also appeared in numerous films and music videos. Tom produced Eileen White’s award-wining film, A Girl’s Best Friend. Currently, he is co-producing the sitcom, Bottled Up, and the reality show, Just One Wish.

Daniel McKleinfeld
Editor
Daniel McKleinfeld's editorial credits include two feature-length documentaries, Below the Belt, about the southern-metal band Hellyeah, and Let's Get Free, about the conscious rappers Dead Prez as well as numerous short documentaries, reality shows, advertisements, and movie trailers. Daniel completed his degree at Colombia University Theater Direction, culminating in writing and directing a "documentary for the stage", A Little Piece of the Sun, which juxtaposes Chernobyl and the life of serial killer Andrei Chikatilo.  He has also directed stage productions of plays by Richard Foreman, T.S. Eliot, and Shakespeare, as well as writing and directing a number of short films. Daniel is currently is as a director of "machinimas," movies created within video-game engines. 

Outreach/Engagement Plan(s)

The ‘C’ in Allah fits with the mission of individual Public Television stations in areas with a large Muslim population such as Detroit, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, the D.C. area and California. The potential for airing in these outlets is great as the film provides a different angle on the American Muslim experience and interfaith relationships previously unexplored on broadcast television. The film will also be aggressively marketed to festivals, particularly those that deal with the Middle East, issues such as immigration, spirituality and diversity as well as foreign outlets that have an interest in the Islamic and cultural aspects of the project. With triple digit growth in the television industry, as well as the proliferation of television directed specifically to the market, the Middle East has a growing appetite for programs and films dealing with the society in a global context. The U.A.E. hosts film festivals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and neighboring Qatar has entered into a partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival to host a satellite festival in Doha. Sharjah, Cecie’s adopted home, has many cultural initiatives including a new Islamic art museum as well as theatrical and media presentations dealing with Arab culture.

The educational market will be pursued, as the film is appropriate for a number of academic disciplines such as comparative religion, women’s studies, Arabic studies as well as diversity initiatives. My goal is to do outreach and diversity training with a number of these organizations concerned with stereotypes, religious choice and tolerance. The ‘C’ in Allah would be an excellent center for interfaith “dialogue parties.” I foresee community-based screenings in mosques, synagogues, and churches in select key cities across the country where there is a large Muslim population such as Detroit, Los Angeles and New York. The anticipated audience for the film is rural and urban Americans, especially women, in their twenties to nineties who have a curiosity about the world’s fastest growing religion. The film will also be of interest to anyone who has immigrated and tried to assimilate into a dramatically different culture. A web site with a study guide for different aspects of the film has always been a part of how I envision the film reaching an audience. While the film is a personal story of two women, it contains several different themes for outreach such as religion, women’s identity, and assimilation as well as what an American family really is.

Funders

Location