Program Guide - Cleveland International Film Festival

PROGRAM UPDATES > www.clevelandfilm.org < TICKETS > Call 877.304.FILM FILMS A –Z 67
AMERICAN INDEPENDENTS
ISLAMIC AND ARAB SOCIETIES
GREG GUND MEMORIAL
STANDING UP FILM COMPETITION
Detroit Unleaded
Directed by Rola Nashef
USA 2012
92 minutes
Friday, April 5 Saturday, April 6
6:40 PM I Code UNLE05 3:50 PM I Code UNLE06
Expanding on the award-winning 2007 short, DETROIT
UNLEADED tells the story of Sami, a Lebanese-American who
reluctantly takes over his father’s gas station after he’s murdered
in an armed robbery. It’s a life that Sami never wanted;
nor did his late father, who always encouraged his son to go to
college. Sami spends his days dealing with rude, but hilariously
absurd, Detroit customers who spout their complaints through
bulletproof glass. He runs the business with his cousin Mike,
who’s constantly getting involved with shady ventures and
obtaining bootleg DVD’s, knock-off perfumes, and other random
junk to sell at the station. When a gorgeous young “up-do
girl” named Saj comes to deliver cheap long-distance phone
cards, Sami quickly falls for her. Afraid her overprotective
brother will disapprove, Saj begins a romance with Sami under
the promise of secrecy. As their love blossoms, Sami’s dream
of a better life begins to swell. DETROIT UNLEADED is an
extremely loveable romantic comedy that adds a human face to
the everyday plight of Arab-American immigrants. (In English
and Arabic with subtitles) —E.F.
Producers~Rola Nashef, Leon Toomey Screenwriting~Rola Nashef, Heather Kolf,
Jennifer Ginzinger Cinematography~Keir Yee Editing~Nathanael Sherfield
Principal Cast~E.J. Assi, Nada Shouhayib, Mike Batayeh, Mary Assel, Akram
El-Ahmar
Print Source~Gas Afterhours, Inc. / rolanashef@gmail.com /
www.detroitunleaded.com
About the Director~Rola Nashef is a writer, director, and producer from South
Lebanon who currently resides in Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from the
Motion Picture Institute of Michigan in 1999. In 2005 she founded the production
company Gas Afterhours Productions. Filmography~DETROIT UNLEADED (2012)
Digital Dharma: One Man’s Mission
to Save a Culture
Directed by Dafna Yachin
USA, CHINA, INDIA, TIBET 2012
82 minutes
Sunday, April 7 Monday, April 8
2:50 PM I Code DHAR07 6:25 PM I Code DHAR08
In the 1950s many were forced to flee Tibet, carrying with
them bits of the culture’s precious literary heritage. Much was
lost or destroyed. Gene Smith, a student of Tibetan Buddhism,
offered to help refugees assimilate into America. These
encounters profoundly changed him, sparking a life-long commitment
to retrieving and preserving every remaining piece of
Tibetan writing and culture. Spanning decades and crossing
the world, this mesmerizing film charts the astounding journey
of a man who threw aside politics and profit to ensure the
continuity of a way of life. Almost 50 years later, we join Gene
Smith as he begins the fascinating transformation of these precious
documents into the digital realm, making nearly 2,000
years of learning and history available to everybody, even in the
remotest corners of the earth, for all time. DIGITAL DHARMA
shows how passion and devotion ensured the survival of an
entire culture. Using moving testimonials and rare footage, this
is a truly inspiring tribute to an authentic hero. —C.R.
Producer~Dafna Yachin Screenwriting~Arthur Fischman, Timothy Gates,
Dafna Yachin Cinematography~Wade Muller, Nandhakumar Editing~Timothy
Gates, Chip Schofield, Kevin Malone Featuring~E. Gene Smith, Matthieu Ricard,
H.H. 33rd Menri Trizen, Khyentse Norbu, Leonard van der Kuijp
Print Source~Lunchbox Communications / dafna@lunchboxcity.com /
www.digitaldharma.com
About the Director~Dafna Yachin is Chief Creative Officer of Lunchbox
Communications, a women-owned digital media firm. She has written, produced,
and directed award-winning films for television and educational media. Working
with partners in over 30 countries, she currently is focusing her efforts in the
Humanities, Global Justice, and Women’s Issues. Filmography~DIGITAL DHARMA:
ONE MAN’S MISSION TO SAVE A CULTURE (2012)
This film is presented with the generous support of
PAM CERIO DESIGN.
Community
Partner: