#Fawz Mirza

[13thgenfilm]

Sending a big THANK YOU to Frameline for an incredible U.S. premiere of Sandra Itäinen’s groundbreaking documentary COMING AROUND! We couldn't have asked for a better festival to celebrate this important milestone in our film's journey. Let's keep centering and celebrating queer muslim voices in our LGBTQIA communities! ❤️🏳️‍🌈🎬

Now through July 2nd, you can watch COMING AROUND virtually in Frameline's Digital Screening Room: 👉 https://bit.ly/41P8jld

📷 Photos: Zach Franzen for Frameline

[anissapierce]

God this picture the sheer talent in this picture ...

(Janet Yang,Tan France,Fawzia Mirza & Jenny yang)

[bellabooks]

Fawzia Mirza’s “Signature Move” has all the right moves indeed

If you are wondering why out actress/writer/producer Fawzia Mirza looks so familiar, it’s probably because she’s played supporting roles in some of your favorite webseries like Her Story, Easy Abby, and Kiss Me I’m Famous. Innately likable and charming, it was just a matter of time before Mirza got her chance as the leading lady of a feature film. In Signature Move (which Mirza co wrote with Lisa Donato, and directed by Jennifer Reader), she stars as Zaynab, a closeted Pakistani American immigration lawyer who lives in Chicago with her mother. Her mother Parveen is played by the legendary actress Shabana Azmi, who viewers will no doubt remember from her stunning performance in the lesbian film Fire. (I may have let out a shriek of delight when she appeared on-screen.) Mother and daughter have a co-dependent relationship, amplified by the fact that Zaynab’s father passed away the year before and her mother won’t leave the house now. She spends her days watching Pakistani soap operas, and using a pair of binoculars to spy out the window for a potential husband for Zaynab. Zaynab, however, isn’t looking for a husband because she’s a lesbian, equip with a little red scooter and a knockout smile. Speaking of knockouts, the film’s title comes from Zaynab’s new hobby: wrestling. A former female pro-wrestler barters lessons for Zaynab’s legal services, and launches the slightly awkward and small framed lawyer into a world of body slams and cheering fans. Things get extra complicated when she meets Alma (Sari Sanchez), an outgoing woman who only intends to have a one night stand or two with Zaynab. Unlike Zaynab, Alma is out and proud to her mother, although they are not void of mother/daughter drama. Once Alma and Zaynab start spending more time together, it becomes clear that something real could happen if both women can stop sabotaging things for themselves. I don’t want to give away much more because it’s a delightful story that raises real questions about personal choice, family, and the things we do to protect the people we love. Mirza is dynamite as Zaynab, playing up the wonderful physical comedy of the wrestling scenes with perfect timing and unabashed exuberance. She also nails the more intimate emotional scenes which give the film a layer of levity and meshes nicely with the lesbian rom/com elements. She and Sanchez have an easy chemistry which will have you rooting for them. Azmi, who speaks in Urdu for a majority of the film, can tell a hundred stories with just a look. There’s a reason she’s a legend! As much as Signature Move is a love story, it’s also a story about the deep connections of family. The respect, the frustrations, lies and truths we tell ourselves and others.   Signature Move is currently on the festival circuit, so catch it when it’s in a town near you, and follow them for updates on when the film will be available for rental and purchase. Also, if you are a fan of Fawzia Mirza, consider supporting her Seed and Spark campaign to turn her one woman show, Me, My Mom and Sharmila, into film. “Me, My Mom & Sharmila explores the intersection of identity, family & being South Asian in pre/post partition India, 60’s Pakistan & now N. America,” according to Mirza.     http://dlvr.it/P0WjjY

[jasonstuart]

Watch my special guest Fawz Mirza the star and co writer an producer of Signature Move | Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival on Friday night https://livestream.com/accounts/5644803/events/5035094/videos/159726022

[weareadvocates]

AfterEllen’s Chat Room: “Meeting Women” (Episode 2)

[13thgenfilm]

This past October, COMING AROUND took home the audience award at NewFest for Best Documentary Feature, and the Director's Choice Award at Cinema Diverse, Palm Springs' LGBTQ Film Festival.

Congratulations to our team, director/producer/editor Sandra Itäinen, producer Chelsi Bullard, EPs Fawz Mirza and Andria Wilson, and to our most amazing centerpiece stars, Eman Abdelhadi and her mother Fatten!

Catch a virtual encore for award winners, running Nov. 24th-30th: 👉 https://newfest.org/nf35-encores

Follow the film's festival journey into 2024 at comingaroundfilm.com and for more fall news from Marc Smolowitz and 13th Gen, check out our latest newsletter: 👉 https://bit.ly/4779wYE ❤️🎬

[13thgenfilm]

** WORLD PREMIERE ** Marc Smolowitz and 13th Gen are thrilled to announce the World Premiere of feature documentary COMING AROUND!

Directed by Sandra Itäinen, produced by Chelsi Bullard, and executive produced by Marc, Fawz Mirza, and Andria Wilson, the film will screen in the Newcomers Competition at this year's 25th Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece in March.

Read the full press release: 👉 https://bit.ly/13thGenAtTiDF25

It's such an honor to make this announcement, especially given that this festival is recognized worldwide as one of the most prestigious documentary showcases in Europe, and it's Oscar-qualifying too! So please stay close in the coming days and weeks as we document the many milestones from the festival journey of COMING AROUND! ❤️🏳️‍🌈🎬

[13thgenfilm]

Sending warm congratulations to Neelu Bhuman, recipient of a Film Fund grant from beloved trailblazer @TasveerOrg for their feature length documentary in progress CHIRAGU about trans pilot Adam Harry. ❤️🏳️‍🌈🎬🏆

CHIRAGU is 3 years in the making with DPs Fowzia Fathima, Prathish Nair, & Neo R Paulus. Executive produced by 13th Gen’s Marc Smolowitz, CHIRAGU is supported by Ander Finn at GLAAD, Fawz Mirza & Andria Wilson Mirza.

Recent press about Adam’s struggle: 👉 https://bit.ly/3P8Hzqi

[13thgenfilm]

We’re excited to announce the * North American Premiere * of Sandra Itäinen’s COMING AROUND, screening as part of the “Rated Y For Youth” program on Tuesday, May 9th at 12:15pm at DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver, Canada. ❤️🏳️‍🌈🎬

Produced by Chelsi Bullard, and executive produced by Marc Smolowitz, Fawz Mirza, and Andria Wilson, the film follows 28-year-old Eman as she weighs the decision to come out to her devout Muslim mother.

Watch the trailer: 👉 https://vimeo.com/804515658

Screening details: 👉 https://bit.ly/ComingAroundAtDoxa

[13thgenfilm]

We had a wonderful * world premiere * of Sandra Itäinen’s COMING AROUND in Greece at Thessaloniki International Film Festival, made extra special by the presence of Eman & Fatten, daughter and mother respectively, and centerpiece characters of the film. ❤️🏳️‍🌈🎬

Produced by Chelsi Bullard, and executive produced by Marc Smolowitz, Fawz Mirza, and Andria Wilson, the film follows 28-year-old Eman as she weighs the decision to come out to her devout Muslim mother, Fatten.

Watch the trailer: 👉 https://youtu.be/of6mMxgnZ6A

Stay close for more updates from this team in the coming days and weeks.

[13thgenfilm]

More great news for our friend and colleague, Neelu Bhuman! In addition to being selected for a Film Fund grant from Tasveer, Neelu has also been selected to participate in Firelight Media's latest cohort of Fellows for its flagship mentoring program, the Firelight Documentary Lab. ❤️🏳️‍🌈🎬🏆

Read more about it via @deadlinecom: 👉 https://bit.ly/3Y7SIwu

Neelu is currently working on their feature length documentary in progress CHIRAGU (Wing) about trans pilot Adam Harry, with 13th Gen's Marc Smolowitz on board as executive producer, supported by Ander Finn at GLAAD, Fawz Mirza & Andria Wilson Mirza.

Recent press about Adam’s struggle: 👉 https://bit.ly/3P8Hzqi

[13thgenfilm]

Great news for our friend and colleague, Neelu Bhuman! CHIRAGU (Wing) has been selected to participate in Sheffield DocFest’s MeetMarket, one of the world’s largest documentary pitching forums, this June. ❤️🏳️‍🌈🎬🏆

Read more about it via ScreenDaily here.

Neelu is currently working on their feature length documentary in progress CHIRAGU (Wing) about trans pilot Adam Harry, with 13th Gen’s Marc Smolowitz on board as executive producer, supported by Ander Finn at GLAAD, Fawz Mirza & Andria Wilson Mirza.

Read more about Adam’s struggle in this recent article published by The Washington Blade.

[13thgenfilm]

We're excited for the * world premiere * of Sandra Itäinen's COMING AROUND, screening in the “Newcomers” International Competition on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. ❤️🏳️‍🌈🎬

Produced by Chelsi Bullard, and executive produced by Marc Smolowitz, Fawz Mirza, and Andria Wilson, the film follows 28-year-old Eman as she weighs the decision to come out to her devout Muslim mother.

Watch the trailer: 👉 https://youtu.be/of6mMxgnZ6A

Screening details: 👉 https://bit.ly/3ZHycTi

[13thgenfilm]

📣 As the press heats up around transman Adam Harry's story and the world learns of his impeded dream to become a commercial pilot, we're taking the opportunity to share director Neelu Bhuman's new poster for their work-in-progress feature length documentary film CHIRAGU, designed by Forest  "All Weather".

CHIRAGU -- which translates to "wing" -- tells the story of young Muslim transman Adam Harry who seeks to fulfil his dream to become a Commercial Pilot with a scholarship from the progressive Kerala government, having already overcome pernicious family persecution. As his fanbase and media presence grows, he develops into a high profile activist. On the frontlines of Indian Aviation Authority’s bureaucratic discrimination, will Adam defy all odds to become the first transman Commercial Pilot of Indian origin?

Neelu has been working on CHIRAGU for the past 2.5 years with crew in Kerala and Johannesburg, including DPs Fowzia Fathima, Prathish Nair, and Neo R Paulus. Executive produced by 13th Gen's Marc Smolowitz, CHIRAGU is supported by Ander Finn at GLAAD, Fawz Mirza and Andria Wilson Mirza.

Read recent press: 👉 https://bit.ly/3P8Hzqi  💜🏳️‍🌈🎬

AND stay close for a new web site and pitch trailer, coming soon!

  #chiragu #documentary #film #LGBTQ #queerfilm