http://www.dreamsofdaraa.com/new-cover-page daily 1.0 2022-10-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1582893180743-QWFDDOTX60T8Q4SHQ82Y/DREAMSOFDARAA_1-29_NEW_PubStill_Hanadi+Signature+Image.jpeg Home http://www.dreamsofdaraa.com/the-team daily 0.75 2021-09-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1641336139356-Z468JP6O819EM2IZJ5RE/IMG_2799.JPG The Team - Reilly Dowd - Director & Producer Reilly is the director and producer of DREAMS OF DARAA. In bringing this project to life, she was a fellow in the Fledgling Engagement Lab, a highly selective program which supports projects that are focused on issues affecting vulnerable populations that are poised for action. During the one-year lab, she worked alongside a handful of other social issue documentary film teams to design a social impact campaign focused on Syrian women and girls. Reilly is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where she focused her studies on investigative journalism and international politics. She has worked at SnagFilms (indieWIRE), CNN, ABC News, Al Jazeera America, The Fiscal Times as well as for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Obama White House Office of Presidential Correspondence. In 2020, Reilly received an MBA from Oxford University's Said Business School. She was recently named one of Poets&Quants' Best & Brightest MBAs of 2020. Reilly was 1 of 24 selected for the prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program of USC's School of Cinematic Arts. During her first year, she was awarded the Peter Stark Filmmaker Award for her role as director of a short film, THE LAST RIDE. In May 2021, Reilly received her MFA degree in producing for film, television and new media. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522273906697-Q7ESMBENEHJ2K1A6FRWL/Juli+Vizza.jpg The Team - Juli Vizza - Editor & Producer Juli is an award-winning editor and producer with two decades of experience in both fiction and non-fiction filmmaking. Their films have premiered at the world’s top film festivals, including Sundance, Berlin, and Tribeca and have aired on PBS, Showtime, and The History Channel. They received an Emmy Award for editing on the 2002 Winter Olympics for NBC. Juli is the editor and producer of DREAMS OF DARAA, a feature documentary exploring the Syrian conflict through the eyes of a young mother named Hanadi. They are also currently editing AND SHE COULD BE NEXT, a 3-part series about women of color running for office in the 2016 midterms and the New American Majority fueling their campaigns. Recently, Juli edited THE WORLDS OF URSULA K. LE GUIN (American Masters, August 2019) and CIRCLES (Hot Docs 2018). They co-produced and edited XMAS WITHOUT CHINA (SXSW 2013, PBS) and produced NINE TO NINETY (HotDocs 2015, PBS), which was nominated for an IDA Award. Prior to their work in documentary editing, Juli worked at Sony Pictures Entertainment, where they edited global publicity segments for big-budget movies including THE DA VINCI CODE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1664225338225-35YV8BZX7QK90Q0CWI8J/1d36d23b156ead252433d4ce2c21c387_XL.jpg The Team - Emelie Mahdavian - Editor Emelie Mahdavian is an Emmy, Peabody, and Sundance Award-winning filmmaker who was selected for DOCNYC’s 2020 “40 Under 40” list. Her nonfiction feature BITTERBRUSH screened at Telluride Film Festival, Doc Fortnight at the MoMA, and will be released theatrically by Magnolia Pictures in June 2022. She produced, wrote, and edited MIDNIGHT TRAVELER, which won numerous international prizes and was nominated for a Gotham Award for Best Documentary. Emelie was previously a professional dancer. She was Assistant Director of Ballet Afsaneh and a company member of Isadora Duncan Award-nominated Wan-Chao Dance. Her dance film work has screened at museums and international festivals including the Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum and Dance on Camera at Lincoln Center. Emelie has a Ph.D. in Performance Studies with an emphasis on Film Practice as Research from the University of California, Davis. As a scholar, Emelie focuses on dance and film, often in the context of gender and cultural performance. She has published on dance performance of gender in the context of rising nationalism in Tajikistan. She often follows a “practice as research” approach in her work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522818093817-38R77PPK0V0OF46CBGUA/joe-berlinger.jpg The Team - Joe Berlinger - Executive Producer Academy Award-nominated and Emmy and Peabody-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger has been a leading voice in nonfiction film and television for two decades. Berlinger’s films include the landmark documentaries BROTHER'S KEEPER, PARADISE LOST, and METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER. CRUDE, about oil pollution in the Amazon Rainforest, won 22 human rights, environmental and film festival awards. Berlinger’s more recent films include UNDER AFRICAN SKIES, HANK: 5 YEARS FROM THE BRINK, and WHITEY: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V. JAMES J. BULGER. Berlinger’s latest film, TONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT YOUR GURU, premiered at SXSW 2016 and was released internationally by Netflix. Six of Berlinger’s documentary features have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, earning three Grand Jury Prize nominations. He is currently directing the upcoming feature EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE, which tells the story of Ted Bundy, one of America’s most prolific serial killers. Berlinger has received multiple awards from the Directors Guild of America, the National Board of Review and the Independent Spirit Awards. In addition to his feature documentary work, Berlinger, a two-time Emmy and Peabody winner (and five additional Emmy nominations), has created many hours of television as both a producer and director. Berlinger is a member of the DGA, the WGA, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the National Board of Review. Third Eye Motion Picture Company is Berlinger's film and television development company which partners with RadicalMedia on Berlinger's nonfiction productions.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522274076602-WKZ6BNVQGKOVDFI0I6LH/Wanjiku+Ngare.jpg The Team - Wanjiku Ngare - Impact Strategist A graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Wanjiku Ngare has been engaged in human rights advocacy and economic empowerment for over 10 years. She developed curriculum to engage students at historically black colleges and universities in Amnesty International’s campaign on behalf of refugees in Darfur, particularly girls and women who were at risk of sexual violence. She also spent time working with UNICEF USA’s development office in Boston, MA to fundraise for their many global initiatives. After college, Wanjiku took her passion for women’s empowerment in emerging market countries like her native Kenya to strategy consulting in the social impact space. She tackled broad problems--from designing inclusive agricultural financing for smallholder farmers and renewable energy funds to women’s economic empowerment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1668804938693-Y4L2RI0VFIZ9B9J5NIIJ/https___cdn.cnn.com_cnnnext_dam_assets_211019134946-john-king.jpg The Team - John King - Executive Producer John King is CNN's chief national correspondent and anchor of Inside Politics, an hour-long program featuring a panel of top-tier political correspondents that airs weekdays at noon. An award-winning journalist, King has covered the past nine presidential elections and has reported from all 50 states and more than 70 countries. King is pivotal to the network's daily reporting and breaking news coverage and participates in major events such as CNN's 2020 Election Night in America coverage. Past campaign experience includes moderating three presidential primary debates in 2012. This past election was the fourth cycle in which King's reporting included use of CNN's "Magic Wall," which was first introduced in 2008 and was also integral part of the network's Emmy award-winning 2012 election night coverage. King joined CNN in May 1997 and became chief national correspondent in April 2005. He served as CNN's senior White House correspondent from 1999 to 2005, where his duties included reporting on the Iraq war and the September 11th terrorist attacks. Before joining CNN, King was an Associated Press correspondent for 12 years. His AP duties included several major international events, including the Persian Gulf War, and serving as lead political correspondent for the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522817946670-9AZGMW7KPDX99BNISR9K/thierry.jpg The Team - Thierry Humeau - Director Of Photography Thierry Humeau is a director of photography and owner of Télécam Films, a full production company located in Washington, D.C. In the late eighties, he turned photography, a long-time hobby, into a professional career working for Sigma Photo Agency in Paris. Thierry later moved to the United States and migrated to television and film production. He has traveled around the globe for often, difficult and challenging assignments covering wars, social conflicts, environmental and development issues. His work can be seen worldwide in award winning TV programs on networks such as National Geographic and Al Jazeera. He also consults with Sony and AVID Technology on the development and testing of large sensor cameras and file-based editing products. Thierry pursued a 10-year career in the sport of whitewater kayaking culminating with a participation in the 1992 summer Olympic Games. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1631046842971-LTFAUGWCQ00KKNR8GAXJ/LV-for-Craig-900x1200.jpg The Team - Lois Vossen - Executive Producer Lois Vossen is the Executive Producer of Independent Lens and has been with the show since its inception as a primetime series on PBS. Lois is responsible for commissioning new films, programming the series and working with filmmakers on editorial and broadcast issues. Independent Lens films have received 25 Emmy Awards, 23 George Foster Peabody Awards, 5 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Journalism Awards and 9 Academy Award nominations. The series was honored in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 with the International Documentary Association (IDA) Award for Best Series. Before joining ITVS, Lois was the Associate Managing Director of Sundance Film Festival and Sundance Labs. Lois is on the Television Academy Board of Governors, representing the documentary branch and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS). She has served on the jury at Shanghai Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, SXSW, DOC New Zealand and Palm Springs International Film Festival, among others. Under her leadership, films funded or co-produced by Independent Lens include I Am Not Your Negro, Always in Season, Bedlam, One Child Nation, Black Memorabilia, The King, People’s Republic of Desire, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, TOWER, Newtown, Best of Enemies, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, (T)ERROR, The House I Live In, The Invisible War, and The Trials of Muhammad Ali, among many others. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1567637856250-FKGTR1KYES0K2OQSD7UM/MV5BMzgwNGNhOTAtYjViZS00ZDA5LWJjMzEtZDA2OWY0MjMwZGE5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng%40%40._V1_SY1000_CR0%2C0%2C666%2C1000_AL_.jpg The Team - Srdjan Stakic - Producer Having fled to the U.S. from former Yugoslavia at a young age, Srdjan is no stranger to the refugee experience. He went on to complete his doctorate in health education at Columbia University, where he was recruited by the United Nations to work on using media for social development. He executive and line-produced programming around the globe that bridged education and entertainment. After receiving an MFA degree from the prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California, Srdjan spent time in the Film Finance and Creative Development divisions of Universal Pictures. After that, he joined YOMYOMF, a YouTube network started by Justin Lin [FAST & FURIOUS director] as his in house line producer. Srdjan’s first feature film (executive produced with Lin) YELLOW FACE, based on a Pulitzer Prize nominated play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang, won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival. His second feature, NEWCOMER, starring Anthony LaPaglia, executive produced by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, premiered as the Opening Night Gala presentation at London’s Raindance Film Festival. His third movie, ST. AGATHA, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman [SAW 2-4] will screen as the centerpiece selection of the Overlook Film Festival, in New Orleans in April 2018. Additionally, Srdjan line produced two seasons of SWEEDISH DICKS, a Lionsgate half-hour comedy for Pop TV starring Peter Stormare, Johan Glans and Keanu Reeves. In addition to his film and television work, Srdjan is a prolific commercial producer. In 2017, he won the Gold American Advertising Award for best commercial campaign. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1621975635767-WVUXDACXELZURNDGK9VM/MV5BMTQ1NzU1NDM4MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzEwNjM5NA%2540%2540._V1_UY317_CR6%252C0%252C214%252C317_AL_.jpg The Team - Gingger Shankar - Composer Gingger Shankar is a singer, virtuoso violinist, composer, model and songwriter, and was born into one of the world's most acclaimed and influential musical families. Her accomplishments include working with top producers and film composers including Mel Gibson, The Smashing Pumpkins, Trent Reznor, Mike Nichols, Mike Myers, and James Newton Howard. An accomplished artist and performer, Gingger is the only female in the world that has mastered the 10- string Double Violin, an instrument that covers the entire range of the orchestra. She debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as a soprano in Osvaldo Golijov's opera "Ainadamar" and later performed it at Carnegie Hall. The multi-talented powerhouse transitioned from opera to rock, Gingger then toured with the Smashing Pumpkins as a special guest on their 20th Anniversary tour. In 2011 she was chosen as one of Filmmaker Magazine's '25 New Faces to Watch', as well as becoming a member of the Advisory Board for the Sundance Film Festival. Gingger composed music for the critically acclaimed 2011 Sundance U.S. Dramatic Audience Award Winner 'Circumstance' directed by Maryam Keshavarz. In addition to being the artist and co-composer behind the poignant score of Mel Gibson's blockbuster "Passion of the Christ", Gingger's music can be heard in Mike Nichol's film, "Charlie Wilson's War". Her multimedia project 'Himalaya Song' premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was named one of the '10 Best Music Films at Sundance 2012' by Rolling Stone. Her film 'Monsoon Shootout' premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. She guested on the new Katy Perry album 'Prism'. She debuted her multi-media project 'Nari' at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015 and the Sundance Film Festival in 2016. She has also been touring her upcoming electro-pop record 'Beautiful Imperfections' which features co-writes by Linda Perry (Christina Aguilera). She is working on a new film called 'Heartbeats' directed by Duane Adler with Jay-Z and Roc Nation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1621976484480-FNCWUDA7PE3AZNAUHEQO/gettyimages-1174911178-2048x2048.jpg The Team - Joe Beal - Supervising Sound Editor and Sound Designer Supervising Sound Editor and Sound Designer at Boom Post. LIPA Sound Technology graduate. www.imdb.com/name/nm6145359 Photo Credit: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 15: Stefan Henrix, Joe Beal, Harry Barnes, Philip Clements, and Anna Wright pose with the Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie or Special Award for 'Chernobyl' in the press room during the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 15, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522274011281-Z22GS0Y23QVYDAZV12ZM/Will+Kim.jpg The Team - Will Kim - Art Direction & Animation Will Kim is a Los Angeles based artist and filmmaker. He currently teaches animation at Riverside City College where he directs Riverside City College Animation Showcase. Will received an MFA ('09) in Animation from UCLA and a BFA ('07) in Character Animation from CalArts. Will’s work has showed in over 100 international film/animation festivals and auditoriums including Directors Guild of America (DGA) Theater, Academy of TV Arts and Sciences Theater, The Getty Center, The USC Arts and Humanities Initiative, and Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego. As an animation supervisor and a lead animator, Will has participated in various feature and short live action films that were selected for the New York Times' Critics Pick, the UN Climate Change Conference, Los Angeles Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and Cannes. Will has also animated and illustrated for companies like Coca-Cola, Ito-En & Adidas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1631047207448-Z7JNLY196FWKP2811B46/download-2.jpg The Team - Sally Jo Fifer - Executive Producer Sally Jo Fifer is President and CEO of Independent Television Service (ITVS), the leading provider of independently produced programs for PBS. Since 1991, ITVS has funded and presented more than 500 shows for public television—shows that explore complex issues, represent diverse communities, and express points-of-view seldom seen on television. Sally oversees ITVS’s core operations which include funding, production management, distribution, promotion, and outreach services. She is also Executive Producer of Independent Lens, a 29-week national series for PBS. Prior to taking the helm at ITVS, she spent nine years as the executive director of Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC). She is the co-editor with Doug Hall of Illuminating Video, a widely used textbook on video art. She has received fellowships for executive training from Stanford and Harvard Business Schools, her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and M.A. from Stanford University. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1567637702970-FUUYXXWD5RUS8NYZ4UUA/MichaelE_0445.jpg The Team - Michael Ehrenzweig - Supervising Producer Michael Ehrenzweig is a Supervising Producer at ITVS and joined the organization in 2015. Before ITVS, Michael produced, line-produced, and managed production for numerous award-winning documentaries and nonfiction films for PBS, the History channel, HBO, National Geographic channel, ARTE Europe, Channel 4 UK, Canal Plus France, and Germany’s ZDF. Focusing on international productions and co-productions, he has produced in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Michael’s work has been shown in theaters and on television worldwide and includes such seminal works as The Celluloid Closet, Paragraph 175, Howl, Here’s Looking At You Boy, The Royal Road, Life 360, and Unseen Enemy, a feature documentary for CNN Films. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1664039722372-06AGQ7Q4MJ0XP7UBSPHU/yazan+headshot.jpg The Team - Yazan AlJarrah - Associate Producer/Translator Yazan AlJarrah was born and raised in Damascus, Syria. Shortly after the conflict broke out, he was forced to flee his home and sought safety in Jordan. Separated from his family, Yazan went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems from the University of Jordan in Amman. In the summer of 2014, he was granted a student Visa and migrated to the U.S. to attend Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where he successfully completed an MBA program. Yazan currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts, where he works at Information Resources, Inc. as a Client Solution Analyst at their client's site - CVS Health. He also works as a volunteer, teaching Arabic to non-native speakers throughout New England. Yazan’s responsibilities on the film team are wide ranging--from providing key Arabic translations, to finding archival video footage, to offering a deeper cultural and political context based on his own firsthand experience. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1631652644214-DBIAHUTLS8ITXXJJVD61/Jessica+Hische+Headshot.jpg The Team - Jessica Hische - Title Designer Jessica Hische is a lettering artist and New York Times Best-selling author based in Oakland, California. She specializes in typographical work for logos, film, books, and other commercial applications. Her clients include Wes Anderson, The United States Postal Service, Target, Hallmark, and Penguin Books and her work has been featured again and again in design and illustration annuals both in the US and internationally. She’s been named a Print Magazine New Visual Artist (20 under 30), one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Art and Design, an ADC Young Gun, a “Person to Watch” by GD USA, and an Adweek “Creative 100”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522705545407-WGGTK0ARES60HN1L562P/1466421452-96079504.jpg The Team - Jennifer Arnold - Consultant Jennifer Arnold is an Emmy nominated director working in both narrative and documentary formats. She grew up in Santa Barbara, California and began world traveling at age 16. Jennifer is the winner of the Humanitas prize, a NAMIC Vision Award and the Adrienne Shelly Director’s Award among others. Her projects have premiered at prestigious festivals, including four separate appearances at Sundance. She’s been a participant in Sundance’s Film Forward program, an advisor at Film Independent, Sundance and CNEX and has presented story workshops in the US, Kenya, Taiwan and China. Her directing credits include acclaimed feature documentaries A SMALL ACT (HBO), THE DIPLOMAT (ESPN) and TIG (Netflix). She has also directed the feature comedy FAT CAMP (BET) and has most recently directed the television shows LAST MAN ON EARTH (Fox) and GHOSTED (Fox). Jennifer’s work runs the gamut from comedy to drama and fiction to non-fiction. She still travels the world, believing that stories bind us together. Her home base is Los Angeles, California where she lives with her wife, the esteemed cinematographer Patti Lee. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522705597024-H1QAP1GX3IAE7C72JJCE/21F73A35_F24A_9F74_C613B08D45E77D40.jpg The Team - Johanna Demetrakas - Consultant Demetrakas directed and produced CRAZY WISDOM: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, RINPOCHE. Her first documentary, WOMANHOUSE, about a ground-breaking feminist art installation, won the AFI Independent Filmmakers Grant and a place in the Whitney Museum’s New American Filmmaker Series. Her second doc, RIGHT OUT OF HISTORY: THE MAKING OF JUDY CHICAGO'S DINNER PARTY, aired on PBS and the BBC after acclaim at the London and Berlin Film Festivals. Her documentaries have been in many museum collections and shows, including the major exhibit, “Los Angeles 1955 – 1985,” at the Pompidou Museum in Paris, 2006. Since winning the Discovery Program Award and making the dramatic short HOMESICK in 1989 (Sundance, Houston Fest winner, Showtime broadcast), her dramatic fiction credits include LA LAW, DOOGIE HOWSER, MD, and the Lifetime television feature OUT OF LINE, starring Jennifer Beals. In 2004, Demetrakas produced, directed, and edited a two-hour special Biography of Richard Gere for A&E. Her editing credits include AMANDLA! A REVOLUTION IN FOUR PART HARMONY, which won both the Audience and Freedom of Expression Awards at Sundance (2002) and was nominated for an Emmy for editing. She co-directed and edited Busrider’s UNION with the legendary cinematographer Haskell Wexler. She has collaborated with Renee Tajima-Pena on several films, including MY AMERICA, OR HONK IF YOU LOVE BUDDHA, and the upcoming NO MAS BEBES. Her most recent film, FEMINISTS-WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?, will be distributed worldwide by Netflix. She has taught at Cal Arts and is now on the faculty at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1524001934844-P5684YFGXRGMJXHYKD03/cliff.jpg The Team - Cliff Hackel - Additional Editor Cliff Hackel is an award-winning producer/director/editor with over 25 years of documentary experience. Hackel has led international teams, been both an innovator and mentor, and performed nearly every job in television production at the highest professional level. Hackel has edited five documentaries that were winners of the National News and Documentary Emmy awards. In 2007, as a producer/director/editor, he was awarded a George Foster Peabody award and an Alfred I. DuPont award for CNN’s God’s Warriors, hosted by Christiane Amanpour. Hackel’s films have appeared on CNN, PBS, ABC, CBS, NatGeo TV and Discovery Channel. His most recent film, a feature documentary entitled MY DEAR CHILDREN, follows the tragedy of the Pogroms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522697362717-VYUUZR2VOD1HQAR6WMPW/Dana.jpg The Team - Dana Zureikat Daoud - Executive Producer Dana currently serves as director of the Jordan Information Bureau at the Jordanian embassy in Washington, D.C. Her past experience includes working in public relations, communications, as well as print and broadcast journalism. Dana previously worked for the U.S. State Department, where she helped launch Radio Sawa and Alhurra television, both publicly funded stations by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). Prior to that she worked as an Executive Producer with Arab Radio and Television in Jerusalem and Amman and as a Reporter for the Jordan Radio and Television's News Channel. Dana also served as Press Officer for Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdallah. She holds a Masters of Arts in Television Journalism from the American University in Cairo (AUC) and a Bachelors of Arts from High Point University in North Carolina. Her interests are in social media, Middle East politics and U.S. foreign policy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522705279925-EDJOVMQ5ECONSA117HTF/Aaron_B_086_Retouched-WEB.jpg The Team - Aaron Butler - Consulting Editor Aaron I. Butler, A.C.E. is an Emmy award winning, ACE Eddie award nominated and PGA award nominated editor and producer. His previous projects include the Emmy winning documentary OUT OF IRAQ, the Emmy nominated documentary series THE SIXTIES, the IDA award winning Showtime documentary series TIME OF DEATH, the GLAAD award winning documentary L WORD MISSISSIPPI: HATE THE SIN, the Emmy and Eddie nominated HBO documentary AMERICAN WINTER, and the Emmy nominated and Peabody award winning documentary series THE RISE AND FALL OF JIM CROW. His most recent documentary was the HBO theatrical film CRIES FROM SYRIA, which was directed by Oscar nominee Evgeny Afineevsky and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was nominated for an ACE Eddie award, a PGA award and a Satellite award, and won a Critic’s Choice award, the IDA’s Courage Under Fire Award, the Cinema for Peace award and the Humanitas Prize. His feature work includes I AM MICHAEL, starring James Franco, Zachary Quinto and Emma Roberts. The film was executive produced by Gus Van Sant and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and was nominated for Best First Feature at the Berlin International Film Festival. He also edited IN DUBIOUS BATTLE, directed by James Franco and starring Bryan Cranston, Robert Duvall, Ed Harris, Sam Shepard, and Vincent D’Onofrio. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was awarded the Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award. He is currently editing JT LEROY starring Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern and Diane Kruger. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522706849684-BI9CHN2Q8KFBT06BEWSB/1467581926-11990457_10206642415155023_4484782800045555125_n.jpg The Team - Gregory Franklin - Assistant Producer Gregory Franklin and John Wall are Managing Members of Franklin Theatrical Investors funding over 20 theatrical productions including Broadway, Off Broadway, regional theatre, film and television. Wall additionally serves as FTI Accountant. Franklin Theatrical has produced on Broadway including; The Velocity of Autumn, Side Show, The Visit and Waitress the Musical. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522782315509-MCZN4U48P5A8RMN93LAA/jian.jpeg The Team - Jian Lee - Digital Composition & Animation Jian Lee is a Los Angeles based puppet artist, painter and illustrator. She is originally from Seoul, South Korea, where she received a BFA in Visual Information Design at Ewha Womans University. Jian moved to California in 2005 to study at California Institute of the Arts, where she went on to earn an MFA in Experimental Animation (Film & Video). Since then, she has been directing short animated films which have screened and won awards at various international film festivals. Jian teaches animation, art, and digital art courses at Riverside City College and has taught Media Arts and Figure Drawing at CalArts, Community Arts Partnership. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522782999004-H3HX2WNH7ID85PE4MYBE/glen.jpg The Team - Glen Piegari - Audio Recordist Glen has extensive experience from sound stages to sub-Saharan run-and-gun. A partial list of his credits includes Bamazon (History), Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment (Discovery), Survivor (9 seasons, CBS), Doomsday Preppers, Iran and the West and the Emmy-winning film, War Dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522792200147-4P51CY2EIF1XHTW4OAQE/sami.jpg The Team - Sami Al-Dous - Production Assistant After being separated from his family and fleeing his war-torn homeland of Syria, Sami lived as a refugee in Zaatari Camp for nearly two years. In the camp, he worked as an NGO volunteer in one of MercyCorps youth centers where he helped train young men and boys in physical fitness. During each of our trips to Jordan, Sami was an instrumental member of the team. In November 2015, he was able to relocate to Canada as a permanent resident. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522783542168-TN6AEB4T9BXN4C4ZRV05/Cloyd_Chris.png The Team - Chris Cloyd - Assistant Editor Director’s Guild of America Student Film Award recognized and internationally renowned filmmaker, Chris completed his M.F.A. from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. While at USC, he was awarded the Jeffery Jones Scholarship for his work on the screenplay Yasin, which screened at the Berlinale International Film Festival as well as the Dubai International Film Festival. His graduate thesis ‘coons‘ has screened in over 30 film festivals around the world including the LA Shorts Fest, the Montréal World Film Festival, and the Bilbao International Film Festival. He was awarded an Honorable Mention from the Director’s Guild of America for his work on coons. In 2010, Chris was a fellow at Film Independent’s Project: Involve. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522706182596-WXTSANJIGMZ4Y2KW1OYJ/1467141749-XBtCE2Pv.jpg The Team - Amir Ghonim - Assistant Editor Born in Doha, Qatar, Amir Ghonim is an Egyptian producer who works on a variety of different content platforms. His lifelong passion for storytelling has led him to career opportunities across the globe, including in Los Angeles, New York, Egypt, Jordon, Dubai and Qatar. Amir has trained and worked in highly respected commercial and cultural organizations, such as the Tribeca Film Festival, Disney International, Associated Press, TEDx (Doha), UN COP 18, MOMA, the Doha Film Institute, and Al Rayyan TV. Amir has worked on short films, web series, documentary series, commercials, festival trailers and daily news coverage, as well as feature narrative films. In 2016, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he currently works as a digital community manager and on-air host at MBN.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522791918474-F3AY7YR6V18Y0SIF92BG/chad.jpg The Team - Chad Davis - Intern Chad Davis is an undergraduate student in the Walsh School of Foreign Service, class of 2019, majoring in culture and politics with a focus on political and cultural ecology and film. At Georgetown, Davis enjoys leading the Georgetown Independent Film Society, giving tours to prospective students through Blue and Gray, advocating for environmental initiatives with the Environmental Futures Initiative, and participating in conversations on spirituality with friends in Chi Alpha. For the spring 2018 semester, he is studying in Havana, Cuba through a program with Brown University. He is also extensively involved in programs combatting issues related to social justice, such as Back On My Feet, an organization that uses running to develop a sense of community and purpose amongst former addicts and homeless men and women. http://www.dreamsofdaraa.com/the-film daily 0.75 2022-10-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522699876372-0WXZ75E5FUUOQRPW1LOQ/Animation+1.png The Film - Drawings by Retaj, Bissan, & Limar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522699876128-5IGO7WC05FOXY74VRLLS/Animation+2.png The Film - Drawings by Retaj, Bissan, & Limar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522784893852-ZQIKIK5BZT2MJP6TQZW3/Screen+Shot+2018-04-03+at+12.40.20+PM.png The Film - Sample: Film Animation Still https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1522699900380-NYKE3HRHHVGHT8LYD4HB/Animation+5.png The Film - Sample: Film Animation Still http://www.dreamsofdaraa.com/the-impact daily 0.75 2022-10-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54d50fbce4b0a922dc83a8a9/1546974464451-85FUUMR5VHT7RM1G3KIU/hanadi+at+un.png The Impact UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, GENEVA Once Hanadi decided to return to Syria, the threat of airstrikes was constant—and increasingly close to home. It was almost two more years before she learned of her husband’s fate as a detainee, a revelation that led to a rare invitation to testify before the United Nations. Determined to share her story and speak on behalf of the women of Syria, Hanadi once again leaves everything behind, smuggling her and her daughters out of the country in the middle of the night. http://www.dreamsofdaraa.com/other-tv-airdates daily 0.75 2021-09-15 http://www.dreamsofdaraa.com/the-trailer daily 0.75 2022-10-25