We are proud to announce that our film The Desire is an official selection at the 27th Chicago Underground Film Festival. Single tickets start at $10 and the full program can be found here: https://watch.eventive.org/cuff. Ticket prices go up after Halloween so snag one sooner rather than later.
Watch here: The Desire (by Talia Watrous and Usama Alshaibi) plays November 22nd for Shorts Program 14
This film program is part of the annual Arab Festival in Washington, supported and led by the Rachel Corrie Foundation.
Filmmakers Respond to COVID-19
Presented in Association with
Anthology Film Archives
Northwest Film Forum
Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge
Filmmakers In Order of Appearance:
Courtney Stephens
Kalpana Subramanian
Usama Alshaibi
Scott Cummings
Lori Felker
Matt McCormick
Eman Akram Nader & Alex Megaro
Christin Turner
Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa
Kelly Gallagher
Sarah Ema Friedland
William Brown & Mila Zuo
Amir George
Adam Sekuler
Filmmakers Usama Alshaibi and Adam Sekuler announce CINEMA-19, a collection of 190 second short films commissioned in response to COVID-19.
The films in CINEMA-19 do not attempt to summarize the pandemic, but instead focus on the personal, the political, the sensual, the distant, the abstract, and the absurd.
With new works by Sarah Ema Friedland, Matt McCormick, Kalpana Subramanian, Christin Turner, Mila Zuo, William Brown, Kelly Gallagher, Lori Felker, Courtney Stephens, Scott Cummings, Amir George, Eman Akram Nader, Alex Megaro, Mehrnaz Saeedvafa, as well as the two commissioning artists; Usama Alshaibi and Adam Sekuler.
The films are presented in association … Read the rest
‘Usama’s Alshaibi’s experimental short film Baba Boom Boom (2016) takes us to the heart of the city, where we listen to folkloric music from Iraq performed by Alshaibi’s characterful father and meditate on the rich oral traditions within Iraqi culture’
Coming soon! Go to https://iiffestival.com/
Today is my Q and A for the Best of Chicago Underground Film Festival for my documentary American Arab. Join me at 7pm Chicago time. Click here.
The Chicago Underground Film Festival has been playing my films since 1998! Holy shit. If it wasn’t for Bryan and CUFF I would not be who I am today. They asked me if I had any fun stories about CUFF… and I have so many. Some are epic and shall not be repeated and others I can barely remember, lol. But it was my friendships and connections with all the wonderful folks at CUFF, and the filmmakers that I feel a kinship with– it was an extension of everything that I loved about Chicago and this more fringe set of … Read the rest
The Desire will be having a virtual world premiere at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival COUCHED program which will run online from July 9-19.
COUCHED offers tailored viewing experiences to 30+ of the finest features and documentaries from across the world. In addition, it will feature live panels, talks, presentations and short films. In fact, as close to a full festival experience as possible.
Films will be available for rent for a 24 hour period through the fest. Tickets and passes are on sale now. https://revcouched.eventive.org/films/5ef80077e44f0f004c5fb7e6
Audio stories and reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic from March 14th to April 26th, 2020.
Voices from Usama Alshaibi, Talia Watrous and Muneera Alshaibi. Additional media clips include Doctor Facui, Doctor Suraj Saggar and Donald Trump with reporters.
