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First Muslim Film Festival Graces US West Coast
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Subject matter was not
limited to Islam or Muslim culture and no films with gratuitous violence,
nudity or profanity were allowed
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Juveria
Aleem was very careful about explaining the purpose of the Muslim Film
Festival-perhaps the first ever US Muslim film series currently traveling the
campuses of California colleges and universities. “People shouldn’t think
it’s an Islamic conference,” the festival’s director said. In addition,
the films, though they must follow basic moral guidelines, are not
representative of all the tenets and facets of Islam.
“We
had to consider a lot of dynamics,” Aleem said in an interview. "In general, film festivals are geared towards those interested in film-making. Most Muslims, as a general audience, don't have experiences in attending a film festival, and for them to come to a day of just films might be overwhelming."If one takes into account walking the fine line
between seeking audience approval and maintaining the artistic integrity of the
films, then suddenly there are many issues to consider in staging a Muslim film
event. Nevertheless, judging from the large gathering in mid-March at University
of California, Berkeley, and the overwhelming support offered to Aleem and her
team, the fledging Muslim Film Festival is slowly gaining respect on the
festival circuit.
According
to Aleem, more than 400 people came to UC Berkeley, in northern California, for
a one-day viewing of ten films by Muslim directors. Although she and other
volunteers experienced a variety of unanticipated difficulties, the sheer
numbers painted a picture of success. Of course, success is relative to Aleem,
for whom making a difference in one person was reason enough to call the
festival a hit. “Success is when you have shown a comedy that made them laugh,
a music video that inspired a local Muslim artist to do one also,” Aleem said.
She added that for the Muslim film festival, success came from “giving Muslims
a sense of empowerment, inspiration, entertainment or joy in celebrating their
Muslim identity.”
From
more than 30 international and US entries, ten films were chosen, representing a
variety of genres such as documentaries, comedies, animated films and music
videos. Subject matter was not limited to Islam or Muslim culture and no films
with gratuitous violence, nudity or profanity were allowed. Yet some movies did
have profanity, Aleem acknowledged, but the language came in an appropriate
contextual facet; one such film, a dark comedy called T is for Terrorist,
explored the typecasting of Arabs in Hollywood. “This movie had profanity, but
it was necessary to the background of the characters,” Aleem said. “When we
got back the audience survey forms, some didn’t like it.”
The
issue of balancing audience appreciation and approval with thought-provoking and
entertaining cinema is something all festivals struggle with-perhaps more so for
newcomers like Aleem and the festival organizers. “How do we let Muslims know
that everything you see at the festival won’t be something you’ll enjoy?
Every movie won’t cater to their liking?” she said, “but that happens, and
you just have to get used to it.” These problems are par for the course,
especially in the birth of such a festival. Whereas other cultures and religions
have sported film festivals for years-Asian, Jewish, Middle Eastern and so
on-this is new territory for Muslim culture.
For
this very reason, Aleem believed it was high time to organize such as festival
for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The 1999 UC Berkeley graduate was inspired by
a film she made in college about wearing the hijab. “The film was widely and
positively received by more than 7,000 people through a variety of showings
across the country”, Aleem said.
However,
as Aleem was making plans to show the film to all the employees at Apple
Computers, where she was doing an internship, the tragedy of 9/11 occurred.
“After that there was such a need to know all things about Muslims that I felt
the time was right to showcase Muslim films and features,” she said. Aleem
cranked the gears and gathered a group of like-minded people to help organize
the event.
After
a year of hard work, with funds coming from their own pockets, the festival’s
organizers were ready to show the films. “It was an amazing experience,”
said Aleem. The organizers are taking the festival on the road with a second
showing planned for May at Santa Clara University. It will then go around “key
metropolitan areas of California,” she explained. “We plan to have one in
the Bay Area and another one in the Los Angeles area next year. Eventually it
will move out to other states such as Texas and New York.” Aleem added.
Ultimately,
she hopes that the festival will become an annual, profit-making event that will
be taken seriously by other major film festivals and the Hollywood film
industry. “It’s a necessary undertaking to bring the standing of Muslims to
a higher level in the US,” Aleem stated.
She
added, “If you research on the Internet, you won't find any other Muslim Film
Festival in the United States. We are the first, al-hamdu lillah. [And]
by Muslim, we mean anyone who asserts their identity as a Muslim, regardless of
their ethnic background or level of practice or sect.”
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Dilshad D. Ali's writing reaches across the United States to address
lifestyle topics pertinent for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Ali has covered
movie premieres, film festivals, art exhibits, concerts and numerous other
cultural stories, including 9/11’s affect on New York ’s cultural landscape
for Islam Online. Ali, a 1997 University of Maryland journalism graduate,
resides in New York with her husband and two children.
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