AmericanEast

Mustafa is an Egyptian immigrant, owner of Habibi’s Cafe, a hangout for Los Angeles with Middle Eastern backgrounds. He provides his children with a moral upbringing despite urban life pressures and finds himself cast in the role of protector to his unwed sister Salweh, forwhom he must find a suitor. His respect for tradition contradicts his aspirations to live the American Dream: he wants to open a restaurant with a Jewish partner. Mustafa’s friend Omar is a struggling actor, an Egyptianwho supports himself byworking as a cab driver. Because of hisMiddle Eastern looks, he is typecast in terrorist roles. Finally, an opportunity for a non-racially designated role arrives. But prejudices related to his background conspire against him, pushing Omar to make an irrational decision that sets off a violent finale which affects all the characters.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Script: Hesham Issawi, Sayed Badreya, Brian Cox, based on the story by Hesham Issawi, Sayed Badreya

Cinematography: Michael G. Wojciechowski

Editing: Chris Wright

Sound: Harry Snodgrass, Mark Linden

Music: Tony Humecke

Actors: Sayed Badreya (Mustafa Marzoke), Sarah Shahi (Salwah Marzoke), Kais Nashif (Omar), Tony Shalhoub (Sam), Al Faris (Sabir), Tim Guinee (Dr. Westerman), Amanda Detmer (Kate)

Production: Distant Horizon

Producers: Anant Singh, Brian Cox, Ahmad Zahra

Art Direction: Amanda Rosbrook

Costumes: Swinda Reichelt

Production Design: Frank Bollinger

Format: 35mm Color

Production Country: USA

Production Year: 2007

Duration: 110

Contact: Maximum Films International, CanadaT. +1 416 960 0300F. +1 416 960 8656www.maximumfilms.ca

Hesham Issawi

He was born in Egypt, where he grew up with an insatiable appetite for American movies. He moved to the States in 1990 to study Anthropology, but after taking classes in photography he changed his major to Film Directing. In 1996, he graduated from the Columbia College Chicago Film School, and began his career working at a local TV station. His film The Interrogation won the Best Creative Short Film Award at the New York FF, while T for Terrorist won the Best Short Film Award at both the Boston and San Francisco film festivals.