Director: Genie Deez Producers: Omar al Dakheel, Coerte
Voorhees
Description:
Once
a successful Syrian actor, Jihad Abdo has now arrived in Hollywood as
a refugee and struggles to reinvent his life and renew his career.
Jihad made an off the record comment against the brutal Assad Regime
which was publicized and widely disseminated. He was then forced to
flee Syria for fear of deadly repercussions. He came to the US to
join his wife Fadia who was studying in Michigan and building upon
her career in abstract art and human rights activism. Jihad in
Hollywood is not only a personal window into the ongoing Syrian
refugee crisis, but the story of one man's quest to reclaim his
career and live the American Dream.
Biography: Eugene
"Genie Deez" Staples is an
American writer, producer, director, comedian, and magician. He
graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in
Marketing and Film and TV Studies. He later completed the M.F.A. at
the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. Genie
directed his debut and award-winning documentary Jihad
in Hollywood.
Omar Al Dakheel moved
to the US from Kuwait after receiving a full merit scholarship to the
University of Miami. After graduating with a BA in Theatre Arts and a
BS in Broadcast Journalism, he went on to earn his MFA at the USC
School of Cinematic Arts where he immersed himself in all aspects of
Filmmaking. He is currently finishing his first feature film for Al
Jazeera Documentary. His goal is to tell diverse stories with
universal values that can bridge the gap between the East and the
West.
Coerte
Voorhees is from Boulder, Colorado and is the writer, producer, and director
of The
First Line along with his older brother John Voorhees. The
First Line released with Netflix in September 2016. Coerte obtained his MFA in
Film & Television Production from USC School of Cinematic Arts in
May 2016. He completed his BA at Georgetown University in History &
Classics in 2012. Coerte is the founder of A Visionary Film and First
Line Films.
