Screenings are updated regularly as dates and venues become finalized. Please keep checking this page for further information. To set up a screening, please contact us on Facebook (Neelum Films) or visit the Contact page on this website.
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June 13, 2024
Screening of Return to Sender: Women of Color in Colonial Postcards & the Politics of Representation and a presentation by director Mara Ahmed at the New Orleans Museum of Art on Thursday, June 13, 3:15-4:15 pm, as part of Kolaj Fest organized by the Kolaj Institute.
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May 4, 2024
Return to Sender premiere in Rochester, 12-2pm, at ROC Cinema, 957 South Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY. The film screening will be followed by a discussion with panelists Urvashi Bhattacharya, Sumayia Islam, and Hernease Davis.
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April 11, 2024
Stony Brook University is screening Return to Sender: Women of Color in Colonial Postcards & the Politics of Representation on April 11 at 4:30 pm. The screening is a collab between Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, History, the Mattoo Center for India Studies, and the Humanities Institute at Stony Brook. There will be a panel discussion with Avina Mathias, Emelyn Pareja-Garcia and myself. Both Avina and Emelyn did an internship focused on this project, put together an exhibition catalog, and wrote moving essays about how this work intersects with their own identities and their own life-long decolonization journeys. The convo will be moderated by Liz Montegary. No registration is needed. Pls join us and share widely. Room 1006 Humanities
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March 3, 2024
Screening of Return to Sender and community discussion at Montauk Library, 2:30-4:00 pm. This event is free and open to the public.
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February 23 – 25, 2024
Arthshila Ahmedabad’s Film Showcase this week features A Thin Wall by Mara Ahmed
23 Feb 2024 | 5:30 pm
24 – 25 Feb 2024 | 11:30 am
Venue: Arthshila Ahmedabad, 2-G, opposite Ahmedabad Management Association, Panjrapol, Ambawadi – 380015
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February 11, 2024
The Black Hole (a non-profit, open-to-all, educational and cultural space in Islamabad, Pakistan) screened A Thin Wall at 5:30pm. The film’s director, Mara Ahmed, zoomed in from New York for a lively Q&A. The discussion was moderated by Osama Malik.
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January 27, 2024
The Partition Museum presents a film screening of A Thin Wall, a documentary about memory, history and the possibility of reconciliation, with co-producer Surbhi Dewan who will be in conversation with a panel consisting of author Dinesh Shrinet, film critic Murtaza Ali Khan and poet Roshni Gupta. The discussion will be moderated by educator Pallavi Singh. The screening and discussion will be held on Saturday, 27th January, from 10:30am to 1:30pm at the Dara Shukoh Auditorium, Partition Museum, Delhi.
Registration is needed. Location: Dara Shukoh Library, inside Dr. BR Ambedkar University, Lothian Road. Queries: eventsdslb@gmail.com, Website: www.partitionmuseum.org
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November 19, 2023
Join us for a screening of my new film, Return to Sender: Women of Color in Colonial Postcards & the Politics of Representation at Southampton Arts Center (25 Jobs Lane, Southampton, NY 11968), on Sunday November 19th, 2:00-4:00 pm. The film delves into colonial representations of people of color (especially women) and discusses Eurocentric beauty standards and imperial narratives, stereotypes and the process of othering, and the complexities of identity and belonging. The screening will be followed by a community discussion led by Jeremy Dennis (Fine art photographer, Lead Artist & President of Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio), Minerva Perez (Executive Director of Organizacion Latino-Americana of Eastern Long Island), and Brenda Simmons (Executive Director and Founder of Southampton African American Museum). This event is free and open to the public, but registration is needed. Please register at SouthamptonArtsCenter.org
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October 13, 2023
A THIN WALL will be screened at Westbury Arts on October 13 at 7:00 pm. Nilofar Saleem, one of the stars of the film, will be in attendance. Address: 255 Schenck Ave, Westbury, NY 11590
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October 1, 2023
Come to the premiere of a brand new film about colonial postcards and representation at Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, 2-4 pm. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Nia Adams, Farhana Huda Islam and Madeline del Toro Cherney. Earlier, 12-1 pm, join us for the opening of an art exhibition at Huntington’s History & Decorative Arts Museum. I will give an artist talk there. The Huntington Art Walk will be on and it will be a sunny day. This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York Legislature and administered by The Huntington Arts Council, Inc.
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September 7, 2023
My talk is coming up on Thursday Sept 7 at 12pm at Matteo’s of Huntington. I will be sharing beautiful art and the work of Malek Alloula, Ramon Grosfoguel, Laura Mulvey, Jean Paul Sartre, John Berger, Edward Said, Gilles Teulie, Frantz Fanon, Lalla Essaydi, and Aida Muluneh. We will be talking about the male gaze, the colonial lens, Orientalist postcards, and ways of subverting or ‘returning’ that gaze. You can register at huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org
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August 26, 2023
A Thin Wall will be screened at the Museum At One Garden City in the UK. The screenings will be at 12pm, 3pm, and 6pm on Saturday August 26. These screenings are part of South Asian Heritage Month at the Museum organized by ReelN.
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June 17, 2023
The Kohinoor Collective presents Winnipeg’s first Punjabi Film Festival, featuring films about Punjabi histories, politics, and diasporas. Funding for the Punjabi Film Festival is provided by the Manitoba Arts Council and University of Manitoba Community Engagement/Prairie Asian Organizers. A Thin Wall will be screened on Saturday Jun 17th at 5:15 pm and will be followed by a discussion. You can buy tickets online and then head to the Dave Barber Cinematheque in Winnipeg.
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August 2022
Arthshila Ahmedabad, a multi-arts space with a focus on architecture, design, and visual culture, is screening A Thin Wall: Aug 16-19, and then again Aug 20-21, 2022.
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August 13-20, 2021
To mark South Asian Heritage Month in the UK and celebrate both India & Pakistan Independence Day, reelN and Modern Films will be screening A THIN WALL.
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July 28, 2021
Zoom presentation for a New York-based law firm’s Diversity Committee Speaker Series including a preview of THE INJURED BODY.
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June 3, 2021
Preview of THE INJURED BODY for the ARTs + Change Conference presented by the University of Rochester Institute for the Performing Arts, partnering with the University of Rochester Office of Equity and Inclusion, The Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center, the anti-racism group 540WMain, the performing arts platform Create A Space NOW and the Rochester Fringe Festival. ARTs is an acronym for Activate, Reimagine, Transform.
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March 15 – May 15, 2021
In 2021, Mara Ahmed’s Le Mot Juste [Part One] was selected for a juried exhibition by the South Asia Institute in Chicago. Diasporic Rhizome, their first virtual exhibition, ran from March 15th – May 15th 2021.
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February 25, 2021
A THIN WALL will be part of the Bandra Film Festival organized by FilmKaravan in collaboration with YouTube. The launch date of the festival is February 25th, 2021.
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January 8, 2021
Presentation for the University of Rochester’s Medical Humanities Noon Conference including a preview of THE INJURED BODY.
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August 14-18, 2020
A THIN WALL streamed as Free Weekend Watch for Independence Day (Aug 14 for Pakistan and Aug 15 for India) curated by Kriti Film Club.
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August 14, 2020
A THIN WALL becomes ‘film of the day’ for MUBI India. Now available for streaming on that platform. MUBI is a global film platform that provides a hand-curated selection of films on demand, in over 190 countries.
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November 26, 2019
Brilliant screening of A Thin Wall, a film about the 1947 partition of British India, at Harrow Auditorium, University of Westminster, in London. It was organized by Tongues On Fire, the wonderful team behind the UK Asian Film Festival. Great attendance and interview by Rosie Thomas, and so lovely to do the first screening ever with my co-producer and friend Surbhi Dewan.
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March 28, 2019
RIT conference today on the Uses and Abuses of History in the Trump era. Will be screening A Thin Wall at 1:00pm, Campus Center, Room 2050. My topic is: Borders, Nationalism and the Construction of the Other: Lessons from the Partition of India.
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March 8, 2019, 2:15 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL at the UGC Sponsored National Conference on “Nostalgia in Twentieth Century Literature, Cinema and Art” at Seminar Hall, Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi. Co-Producer Surbhi Dewan will be present for Q&A. Address: Plot No 5, Benito Juarez Marg, South Campus, Anand Niketan, New Delhi, Delhi 110021, India.
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March 2, 2019, 6:00 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL at the Conflictorium, a participatory museum in Ahmedabad, India. Part of Artists Unite Ahmedabad, a festival that took place on the weekend of March 2-3. Co-Producer Surbhi Dewan was present for a post-screening discussion. Address: Gool Lodge Opposite R.C High School of Commerce, Delhi Chakla, Ahmedabad, India 380001.
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December 28, 2018, 7:00 pm
A THIN WALL was screened at Raah – Literacy & Cultural Centre, Lulla Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411040, India.
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November 9, 2018, 8:00 pm
A THIN WALL was screened as part of the WEAPONIZING PEOPLE: Militarization and Armed Conflict Conference at Binghamton University, Tioga Room, Holiday Inn, 2 Hawley St, Binghamton, NY.
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October 7 and 9, 2018
A THIN WALL is coming to Taipei, Taiwan, with Chinese subtitles, as part of New Narratives Film Festival: ‘Every edition of NNFF includes the “History Re/Vision” series, in which we present films that highlight forgotten or overlooked historical and political events. This year’s series continues to focus on Southeast Asia, and extends to the Indian subcontinent with the screening of “A Thin Wall.” This film looks back at the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan and the historical scars that linger today, affecting national identity, religion, and class.’
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August 6, 2018
Screening of A THIN WALL hosted by South Asian University, New Delhi, India, for Professor Mallika Shakya’s class on Nationalism and Regionalism. Diverse audience including students from Afghanistan, Bhutan, and some with roots in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
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June 6, 2018, 6:30 pm
A THIN WALL was screened at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), No. 197/36, 2nd Main Road, 16th Cross Rd, Sadashiva Nagar, Armane Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560080, Bangalore, India. The screening was followed by a video conference call with co-producer Surbhi Dewan.
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May 12, 2018, 7:00 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL was hosted by the Kriti Film Club at Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. A discussion with co-producer Surbhi Dewan, moderated by Aanchal Kapur of Kriti Film Club, followed the screening.
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April 29, 2018, 9:30 am and 12:30 pm
Mara Ahmed presented at the Third Church Sunday Seminar at 9:30am. She spoke about about Islamophobia and racism. THE MUSLIMS I KNOW was shown at 12:30pm, followed by Q&A. These events were organized by Martha Langford, Associate Pastor for Congregational Care. Third Presbyterian Church is located at 4 Meigs Street, in Rochester, NY.
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April 25, 2018, 2:00 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL took place at Akbar Bhavan, New Delhi. It was a part of the weekly screenings program organized by Prof. Mallika Shakya, Department of Sociology at South Asian University, New Delhi. A discussion with Surbhi Dewan, moderated by Prof. Shakya, followed the film.
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April 24, 2018, 7:00 pm
THE MUSLIMS I KNOW was screened at COTA – Church of the Assumption, 20 East Avenue in Fairport, NY. The screening was organized by Pastoral Associate Deni Mack and followed by a discussion with the film director.
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April 10, 2018, 6:00 pm
THE MUSLIMS I KNOW was screened at Minnesota State University Mankato, Taylor Center, Rm 080. It was organized by Pao L. Vue, Director of Asian American Affairs. The screening was followed by Q&A with the director.
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April 10, 2018, 3:00 pm
A THIN WALL was screened at Azim Premji University, Electronic City, Bangalore. The film was hosted by Assistant Prof. Himanshu Upadhyaya, School of Development, Azim Premji University, in association with Kriti Film Club. The screening was followed by a discussion with co-producer Surbhi Dewan.
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April 8, 2018, 5:00 pm
A THIN WALL was screened at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Palace Road, Bangalore. It was a collaborative event organized by the Bangalore Film Society, Maraa and 1 Shanthi Road. After the screening, there was a discussion with co-producer Surbhi Dewan, moderated by Ram Bhat, co-founder at Maraa.
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April 6, 2018, 6:00 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL took place at PartlyPurple, an intimate art space run by artist Avnit Kaur. The venue caters to art and film students of Yelahanka, New Town, Bangalore. A discussion with co-producer Surbhi Dewan and cinematographer Mithun Gomes followed the screening.A THIN WALL was invited to be a part of the film show at The Irregulars Art Fair organized by Studio Khirki and Bridge Studios. The film was screened on all three afternoons at Studio Khirki, Khirki Extension, New Delhi.
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March 20, 2018
Mara Ahmed spoke at a women’s club on the topic of “Demystifying Muslim Women in America” by unpacking Islamophobia, as American Muslim women exist within that political context, along with Muslim men, not in a state of non-mixité outside of it.
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March 16, 2018, 5:00 pm
A THIN WALL was screened at the University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road. It was organized by UTM/TV, Pakistan Development Fund (PDF), Pakistani Students Association (PSA), and the ICCIT Council, with Fizza Akhzar providing the impetus for the event. Great questions about filmmaking during the Q&A and a rich discussion about the partition and what it means for Indians and Pakistanis.
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March 8, 2018, 5:00 pm
Mara Ahmed spoke as a panelist at an event celebrating international women’s day and immigration, organized by the Association for American University Women and Rochester Global Connections. She was joined by Caridad Sosa-Blackwell, freelance consultant and research associate, and Princesse Nabintu-Kabaya, care manager at Catholic Charities USA.
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February 7-9, 2018, 12:00 pm
A THIN WALL was invited to be a part of the film show at The Irregulars Art Fair organized by Studio Khirki and Bridge Studios. The film was screened on all three afternoons at Studio Khirki, Khirki Extension, New Delhi.
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February 8, 2018, 6:30 pm
Mara Ahmed gave a lecture about her work in activism and filmmaking for Huma Dar’s class on Gender, Sexuality and Race in Global Political Issues at Berkeley, in the afternoon.
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St, Oakland, in California, that evening. The screening was followed by a discussion with director Mara Ahmed. Thanks to Programming Director Donna Khorsheed for organizing these events at OACC.
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February 7, 2018, 7:15 pm
The 6:30 pm opening of Mara Ahmed’s art series “This Heirloom,” which continued to be on display until April 26th at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, was accompanied by Afghan food, ghoraybe cookies made by Reem’s Bakery, Ghalib’s poetry sung by Jagjit Singh, and beautiful photographs of South Asian life prior to the partition. A THIN WALL was screened at 7:15 pm and was followed by a conversation between director Mara Ahmed and Aarti Kohli, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and the audience.
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January 30, 2018, 4:00 pm
Mara Ahmed screened A THIN WALL as the speaker for Colorado College’s first annual campus and community-wide event, the Gaylord Endowed Lecture in Pacific and Area Studies. Cornerstone 131 (Screening Room), Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave, Colorado Springs.
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January 29, 2018, 9:00 am
A THIN WALL will be screened by the English Literary Association, at Sri Venkateswara College, New Delhi, India. Dr. Meenakshi Bharat and Ms. Ritika Singh, faculty members of the Department of English, were in attendance and participated in the post-screening discussion with co-producer Surbhi Dewan.
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January 22, 2018
Mara Ahmed spoke about Islamophobia and racism at a SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) meeting at the Out Alliance and highlighted connections between racism, capitalism, and militarism.
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January 21, 2018, 7:30 pm
A THIN WALL was screened at the 5th Kolkata People’s Film Festival on Sunday, January 21 at 7.30pm. The screening was followed by a discussion with co-producer Surbhi Dewan and moderated by Kasturi from the People’s Film Collective. Location: Jogesh Mime Academy, 95 Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road, Anami Sangha, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026.
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January 19 and 20, 2018
(Dis)placement, Memory and Colonial Partitions will be sponsored by the University of Rochester Humanities Center and the India Community Center of Rochester and will include readings by Pakistani novelist Uzma Aslam Khan and Indian American writer Sejal Shah (Friday, January 19, 7:00-9:00 pm, Welles-Brown Room, Rush Rhees Library, University of Rochester), followed by screenings of MILANGE BABEY RATAN DE MELE TE directed by Ajay Bhardwaj and A THIN WALL directed by Mara Ahmed (on Saturday, January 20, 2:30–6:30 pm, India Community Center, 2171 Monroe County Line Road, Macedon, New York).
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January 3, 2018, 7:00 pm
A THIN WALL will be part of “India @ 70 Memories and Histories,” a seminar organized by the department of Humanities & Social Sciences at IIT Kharagpur. This Seminar aims to complement and supplement the history of Independence through an exploration of the long-term repercussions of one of the most tragic events in Indian history. By reconstructing the personal stories of Partition survivors through literary, filmic, autobiographical and cultural representations as well as historical and testimonial narratives – the seminar hopes to create a better understanding of the afterlife of Partition in the personal, political and cultural spheres. The seminar was sponsored by ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Science Research) and ICHR (Indian Council of Historical Research). The conference conveners were Prof. Anjali Gera Roy (IIT, Kharagpur) and Prof. Nandi Bhatia (University of Western Ontario, Canada). A discussion with co-producer Surbhi Dewan and cinematographer Mithun Gomes, moderated by Prof. Nandi Bhatia, followed the screening of A THIN WALL at the Maitree Auditorium.
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November 30, 2017, 5:30 pm
A THIN WALL will be screened at the inaugural ‘Film for Thought’ festival organized by the South Asia Study Group at the University of Sydney. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion including Dr Mridula Nath Chakraborty (Deputy Director of Monash Asia Institute), Dr Jim Masselos from the University of Sydney, Deborah Nixon from the University of Technology Sydney, and Ms Kimberley Layton from University of New South Wales Canberra. New Law Annexe Seminar Room 346, University of Sydney, Australia.
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November 13, 2017, 7:00 pm
A THIN WALL will be screened at Lafayette College on Monday, November 13, 2017 at 7pm, at Landis Cinema, Buck Hall, 219 N. 3rd St, Easton, PA 18042. This screening, which is sponsored by the departments of History and Film and Media Studies, is part of Tapestries: Voices Within Contemporary Muslim Cultures, a series of programs and presentations that celebrate arts and culture with roots in Muslim-majority regions of the world.
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November 8, 2017, 4:00 pm
A THIN WALL will be screened as part of the Human Rights Film Series at the Dodd Center, Konover Auditorium, University of Connecticut at Storrs. The screening will be followed by an interview with director Mara Ahmed, conducted by Professor Kathryn Myers from the Department of Art at UConn.
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October 8, 2017, 12:00 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL, along with Ajay Bhardwaj’s Milange Babey Ratan De Mele Te and Sarah Singh’s The Sky Below, organized by the South Asian Film Education Society. Screenings start at 12:00 pm at Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 149 W Hastings St, Vancouver, Canada.
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August 20, 2017, 10:30 am
Screening of A THIN WALL at the Mustard Seed Film Festival in Philadelphia, William Street Common, 3900 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
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July 1, 2017
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at the 54th Annual ISNA Convention in Chicago.
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June 21, 2017
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at the Dharma Refuge, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, 1100 South Goodman Street, Rochester, NY 14620. Organized by Sue Gaile.
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April 30, 2017
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Rochester, NY. Organized by Judy Toyer.
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April 27, 2017
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW as part of the Pfaudler Lecture at RIT’s Osher Institute, organized by Nita Bledsoe Genova.
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April 6, 2017, 5:30 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL, West Lecture Hall, Hampshire College, Amherst, MA. Sponsored by South Asian Studies Program, the Eqbal Ahmad Initiative, the School of Critical Social Inquiry, the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Education, the Law Program, and Third World Studies.
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March 30, 2017, 7:00 pm
Film and Discussion “The Muslims I Know” (Closed Captioned): RIT’s Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, the College of Liberal Arts, Center for Religious Life, and the Muslim Student Association present “The Muslims I Know,” followed by Q&A with Director/Producer Mara Ahmed. RIT Allen Chapel, Interfaith Center, One Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623.
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March 14, 2017
Screening of clips from THE MUSLIMS I KNOW and lecture on feminism and intersectionality (including the work of Lila Abu Lughod, Saba Mahmoud, Houria Boutelja, Audre Lorde, Nadine Naber and Anu Ramdas), Basil Hall, St John Fisher College.
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March 13, 2017, 7:30 pm
Agape Latte: “A life without borders with Mara Ahmed” at St John Fisher College, Mainstage. Sponsored by Campus Ministry and Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Programs.
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March 8, 2017
A reflection on borders, art and film by Mara Ahmed at the Pittsford Rotary meeting, on International Women’s Day, Pittsford Library. Organized by Jeanne Strazzabosco.
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March 3, 2017
TEDxRochester talk by Mara Ahmed at Geva Theatre Center. “The edges that blur”conformed to the theme of “flipping” ideas and concepts by providing an alternative perspective on borders.
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January 31, 2017
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at SUNY Brockport for Johannes Bockwoldt’s film class.
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January 23, 2017
Screening of A THIN WALL at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at RIT, organized by Nita Genova.
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January 15, 2017, 11:00 am
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at Temple Emanu-El of Rochester, 2956 St Paul Boulevard, Rochester, NY.
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November 28, 2016
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at St John Fisher College for Roja Singh’s anthropology class where students are discussing globalization, immigration, ethnocentrism and cultural relativism.
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November 18, 2016, 5:00 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL as part of International Education Week, Gowen Room, River Campus, University of Rochester.
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November 17, 2016, 11:00 am
Screening of A THIN WALL at the University of Rochester, for Stewart Weaver’s class on India and South Asia, Gleason Theater screening room in Rush Rhees Library.
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November 5, 2016, 12:00 pm
A THIN WALL screened as part of the South Asian Film Festival of Montréal 2016 at Montreal’s Concordia University. “A THIN WALL est un documentaire qui raconte les souvenirs, l’histoire et la possibilité d’une réconciliation. C’est un regard vers la partition de l’Inde en 1947, mais les leçons qu’on tire restent pertinentes aujourd’hui. Le film est un recueil des pensées des individus qui les transmettent d’une génération à l’autre. Mara Ahmed est la réalisatrice et Surbhi Dewan est la réalisatrice associée, ces deux personnes étant des descendantes des familles déchirées par la partition. Le film est également une œuvre d’art avec de l’animation originale, de la musique et de l’écriture littéraire.”
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June 3, 2016, 6:30 pm
Opening night of the Utica Social Forum with a screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW, Q&A with director Mara Ahmed and panel discussion with local Muslims and activists: kick-off event of the Utica Social Forum as local activists see the need to continue organizing against the rise of Islamobhobia and bigotry directed towards Muslims, refugees and immigrants, both locally and nationally. Cornerstone Community Church, 500 Plant St, Utica, New York 13502.
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May 10, 2016, 7:00 pm
A THIN WALL was selected by the New York Indian Film Festival and will be screened on Tuesday May 10, 6.30 pm, at Theater 5, Village East Cinemas, 2nd Ave at 12th Street, NYC. Check out NYIFF’s film schedule here.
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May 2, 2016, 7:00 pm
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at the Irondequoit Public Library organized by Judith Bello, facilitated by George Payne, and sponsored by Gandhi Earth Keepers International, Metro Justice Peace Action and Education, and the Fellowship of Reconciliation’s Rochester Chapter.
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April 9 to April 16, 2016
A Thin Wall is coming to Europe in April 2016. Screenings in London, Dublin, Brussels and Amsterdam. Hope to see you there! Details about times and venues here.
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April 2, 2016, 2:15 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL, Festival Cinema Invisible, Proctor’s GE Theatre, 432 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305.
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March 31, 2016, 7:00 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL, Fingerlakes Environmental Film Festival, Ithaca, NY.
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March 23, 2016, 8:00 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL, Brennan Room of the Interfaith Chapel, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
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March 5, 2016, 12:00 pm
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW, Women of Color Conference, SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, NY.
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March 1, 2016, 12:00 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL followed by Q&A and a networking reception in celebration of Women’s History Month at RIT, organized by APAA (Asia/Pacific Islander/American Association). A sampling of Mara Ahmed’s artwork will be installed in the MOSAIC room.
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February 11, 2016, 6:30 pm
Screening of A THIN WALL followed by Q&A with director via Skype, organized by Tasveer Reels, at Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Belllevue Way NE, Bellevue, Washington 98004. Tasveer and BAM have teamed up to present a series of films for people to discover, experience, and enjoy a range of South Asian films, arts and culture.
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January 20, 2016, 11:00 am
Talk about A THIN WALL along with screening of film’s first 20 minutes for the Women’s Council of RIT, at Oak Hill Country Club (President’s Room), 145 Kilbourn Road, Rochester, NY 14618.
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Week of January 18, 2016
Multiple screenings of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at Asbury First United Methodist Church, 1050 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607. The schedule is as follows:
Monday, January 18, 6:30 pm, Dining Room
Wednesday, January 20, 10:30 am, Red Room
Wednesday, January 20, 6:30 pm, Red Room
Saturday, January 23, 10:30 am, Dining Room
Sunday, January 24, 9:45 am, Fellowship Hall (lower floor)
Discussion: Sunday, January 24, 1:00 pm, Sanctuary
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November 11, 2015, 7:00 pm
Screening of A Thin Wall at Otto A. Shults Community Center (Forum), Nazareth College. Co-sponsored by Department of Religious Studies, Center for Spirituality, Department of History and Political Science, Center for International Education, and College Lecture Committee. More here.
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November 2, 2015, 3:00 pm
A Thin Wall was screened at University of California, Berkeley, 691 Barrows Hall, CRG Conference Room. The screening was organized by the Center for Race and Gender working group “Muslim Identities & Cultures.” It was open to the public and followed by Q&A with the Director. More here.
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November 1, 2015, 12:00 pm
A Thin Wall was selected by the San Francisco based Third i Film Festival and screened at CineArts in Palo Alto. The film was part of the program “Voices of Partition.” The screening was followed by Q&A with the Director and a discussion organized by the 1947 Partition Archive. More here.
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October 27, 2015, 7:00 pm
A Thin Wall was screened at Langara College in Vancouver, Canada, by Indira Prahst, Department of Sociology & Anthropology. The screening was open to the public and followed by Q&A with the Director.
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October 25, 2015, 2:00 pm
A Thin Wall was selected by the Seattle South Asian Film Festival and screened at Carco Theater, in Renton. More here. Nabeeha Chaudhary wrote about the film in the Seattle Globalist in her article: Tasveer’s 10th film festival brings South Asian geopolitics home.
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May 17, 2015, 6:30 pm
A Thin Wall was screened as part of the Bradford Literature Festival, in Bradford, UK. The film was introduced by poet John Siddique. “The consequences of independence and the partition of India and Pakistan have resonated through the generations since 1947. A Thin Wall builds an oral history through interviews on both sides of the Pakistani-Indian border. The narrative is told in two different voices – one Pakistani and one Indian, both second generation citizens of their respective countries, whose families were affected by Partition. A Thin Wall is written and directed by Mara Ahmed and co-produced by Surbhi Dewan. Both filmmakers are descendants of families torn apart by Partition. The film features original animation, music and literary writing and weaves together poetic, personal and political stories to convey a universal ache. With contributions from Urvashi Butalia, Jimmy Engineer, Uzma Aslam Khan and poet John Siddique, and many others. John Siddique will be introducing the film and giving a reading at the film’s premiere.” More here.
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April 20, 2015, 6:30 pm
As part of the YWCA’s Stand Against Racism, Metro Justice and Downtown United Presbyterian Church present the film THE MUSLIMS I KNOW followed by talkback featuring filmmaker Mara Ahmed on Monday, April 20, 2015 6:30 pm, at the Downtown United Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh Street. Admission is free. This personal documentary focuses on the Pakistani American community in Rochester and addresses serious issues in an edgy, fast-paced, tightly edited, modern format. It is a much needed platform for Muslims to express their views about what’s happening in the world. Being both American and Muslim they have a unique insight into the complex inner workings of American foreign policy and the role of the media. Filmmaker Mara Ahmed acts as the film’s narrator, taking the audience on a journey into a little-known, but much talked about American community. The Muslims I Know premiered at the Dryden Theatre in 2008. It was part of the High Falls Film Festival in 2009 and broadcast on PBS in the Rochester area. YWCA Stand Against Racism is an annual event in the month of April to raise awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism. For information call Metro Justice at 585-325-2560.
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April 10, 2015, 7:00 pm
A THIN WALL will be screened at the Little Theatre at 7:00 pm on Friday April 10, 2015. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the Director, Dr Thomas Gibson and Dr Aitezaz Ahmed. Here is a review of A THIN WALL by Adam Lubitow in City News. Discounted tickets can be bought online at the Little’s website here.
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January 15, 2015, 1:00 pm
Screened THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at an OASIS class, 259 Monroe Ave, Rochester, NY 14607.
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October 15, 2014, 2:15 pm
Invited as a panelist, along with Gabrielle Hermosa and Margie Lovett-Scott, to discuss “Cultural Competence Requires Cultural Intelligence” at the Rochester Women’s Network Summit, the Strathallan, 550 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607. The discussion was moderated by Karen Schuhle-Williams. More about the Summit here.
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October 9, 2014, 6:45 pm
Spoke at a meeting of the Pittsford Women’s Club about my film work. Screened the first ten minutes of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW and a trailer for the upcoming documentary PARTITION STORIES. The meeting and my presentation took place at the Senior Center, 3750 Monroe Avenue, Pittsford, NY.
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October 2, 2014, 2:00 pm
THE MUSLIMS I KNOW was screened as part of the Diversity Conference 2014 at SUNY Brockport, Seymour College Union, Rm 220 (2nd floor). The screening was followed by a Q&A moderated by Dr James Spiller, Dean of the Graduate School. This year’s theme for the conference was “Building Community through Diversity: Respecting Difference.” It aimed to highlight diversity as an important value in building and nurturing a community through dialogue that addresses the myriad of challenges facing our society, as well as our growth in understanding and acting upon issues of diversity. The conference sought to promote open-mindedness, celebrate diversity, and promote awareness of divergent views on the Brockport campus and within the community.
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May 7, 2014, 7:00 pm
Women of the Silk Road [3 Films from Pakistan, Turkey and Iran] showing on May 7, 14, and 21 at the Gandhi Institute, 929 South Plymouth Avenue, Rochester.
On May 7 at 7:00 pm: Silent Waters – a film about a woman caught between 2 revolutionary moments: Pakistan after Partition, and later at the beginning of a fundamentalist transformation under Zia al Haq. Following the film, independent filmmaker, Mara Ahmed, will answer questions and speak about Pakistan, the Partition and her latest film. Silent Waters is a film by Sabiha Sumar. “Partition Stories” producer Surbhi Dewan is also one of the producers for Sabiha’s next film.
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April 10, 2014, 6:00 pm
THE MUSLIMS I KNOW was screened at SUNY Geneseo, as part of their Islam Awareness Week. Newton 206. More here.
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April 5, 2014, 7:00 and 8:00 pm
THE MUSLIMS I KNOW and PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE will be screened at the Progressive Film Club’s film festival in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday April 5th. More info here.
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February 28, 2014, 12:00 pm
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at the Drake Library, Suny Brockport. I will be there to discuss. It’s free and open to the public. More here.
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February 11, 2014, 7:00 pm
Discussed Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq’s “These birds walk” with Linda Moroney and the audience at the Little Theatre, in Rochester. The film documents the struggles of wayward street children and the samaritans looking out for them. It’s an ethereal and inspirational story of resilience.
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February 6, 2014, 1:15 pm
Met and talked about my art and film work with students and faculty from the World of Inquiry High School, in the city of Rochester. What wonderful kids and teachers!
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January 24, 2014, 5:30-7:30 pm
Gave an artist’s talk about my multi-media art exhibition “This Heirloom” which was inspired by my film work on Partition Stories, at the Colacino gallery, Nazareth College, Rochester, NY.
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November 21, 2013, 9:00 am
Screened “The Muslims I Know” for a book club in Pittsford. Followed by an excellent discussion about islamophobia, profiling, the hijab, the suspect nature of mainstream media and much more.
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October 30, 2013, 12:00 pm
“Pakistan One on One” was screened at Hunerkada College of Visual & Performing Arts in Islamabad, Pakistan.
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October 22, 2013, 7:00 pm
Screening of “The Muslims I Know” followed by community discussion, Ocean County Library, Toms River Branch, NJ.
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October 6, 2013, 1:00 pm
Seattle South Asian Film Festival: “The Muslims I Know” will be screened as part of Standing out: Challenges of living as a visible minority in the US. “Remembering the Oak Creek Tragedy” by Valarie Kaur will be shown as well. The screenings will be followed by a community discussion for which I will be skyped in from Rochester. More here.
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April 17, 2013
Presented “The Muslims I Know” in honor of the YWCA’s Stand Against Racism 2013 at a meeting of the Monroe County Bar Association’s Diversity Committee. Wonderful comments and questions from all the attorneys who attended, especially one about the need for more solidarity between Muslims, African Americans, Latinos, immigrants, LGBT activists and other Americans fighting for civil rights and another one about the existence of anti-Muslim/anti-Arab racism prior to 9/11. Thanks to David Tang and Louise Spinelli for organizing the screening.
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March 12, 2013, 11:00 am
Discussed “Media and Popular Culture” with high school students at the Global Citizenship Conference at Nazareth College. Used photographs and videos to showcase the power of media in shaping our thinking.
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January 18, 2013, 1:00 pm
Spoke to a PEO chapter, here in Pittsford, about my third film “Partition Stories” and the new series of artwork inspired by it. Showed them clips from the film and a collage from “This heirloom.” Excellent audience, great questions. More about PEO here.
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January 11, 2013
Was interviewed by Andrea Gordon about my activism and film work for TV Apex Studios, Essex, UK. This is studio editor Arkadiusz Kozubek, myself, interviewer Andrea Gordon and producer Nabeel Akhtar.
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December 18, 2012, 10:30 pm
PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE will be broadcast on PBS in the greater Rochester area. Here is more info.
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October 30 – November 3, 2012
PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE has been selected for the International Ruyesh Film Festival, which will take place later this month in the city of Mashhad, Iran. The film is being translated in Farsi.
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October 25, 2012, 12:45 pm
Screening of THE MUSLIMS I KNOW at OASIS community class titled “Descendants of Abraham”. The class is taught by Jewish, Christian and Muslim instructors. They have been using THE MUSLIMS I KNOW in their introductory class for the last three years.
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August 31 – September 3, 2012
PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE has been selected to be screened at the ISNA convention this year, in Washington DC. This is the largest Muslim convention in North America. This year’s theme is “One nation under God, striving for the common good.”
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June 8, 2012, 9:00 pm
Screening of PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE at Transforming Media: A Weekend of Education, Mobilization and Networking. Rochester Indymedia is hosting this regional convergence for independent media makers, grassroots activists and community members. More info here.
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May 11, 2012, 3.00 pm
Screening of trailer from PARTITION STORIES followed by Mara Ahmed’s speech at the Baccalaureate Service, Nazareth College, Rochester, NY.
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April 29, 2012, 3.45 pm
Screening of PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE at the Zizek Conference, organized by SUNY Brockport, NY.
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April 27, 2012, 8:00 am
Screening of PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE organized by the Diversity Committee of the Monroe County Bar Association, Telesca Center for Justice, Rochester, NY, to celebrate the YWCA’s Stand Against Racism national day.
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April 1, 2012, 7:00 pm
Screening of PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE at the Flying Squirrel Community Space at 285 Clarissa Sreet, Rochester NY, 14608.
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April 1, 2012, 9:30 am
Screening of PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE at Third Presbyterian Church, 4 Meigs Street, Rochester, NY 14607.
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March 29, 2012, 7:00 pm
Documentary panel discussion including Linda Moroney and Jack Garner, organized and moderated by Tom Proetti, with focus on the challenges, rewards and opportunities for documentary filmmakers and the role of docs across cultures in setting agendas and popularizing issues. Wegmans School of Nursing, St John Fisher’s College, Rochester, NY.
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March 8, 2012, 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Speaker for International Women’s Day at 5:00 pm (Intercultural Affairs House) followed by screening of PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE at 7:00 pm (Fisher Center, located in Demarest 212), Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
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February 15 2012, 11:15 am and 6:15 pm
Screening of Pakistan One on One, Basil 135, St John Fisher’s College, Rochester, NY.
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February 9, 2012, 7:00
Sneak Peek: An Intro to Mara Ahmed’s Film about the Partition of India – Multi-media presentation centered on an upcoming documentary about the partition of India, followed by a discussion with director Mara Ahmed and guest panelists Dr Victoria Farmer (SUNY Geneseo), Dr Neeta Bhasin (Hobart and William Smith Colleges) and Dr Aitezaz Ahmed.
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January 29, 2012
Screening of Pakistan One on One at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, organized by the Pakistani Students Association.
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November 14, 2011
Screening of Pakistan One on One, SUNY Geneseo.
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November 2, 2011, 11:15 am and 6:15 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Basil 135, St John Fisher’s College, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY.
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October 10, 2011
Panel discussion with Fergus Nicholl, Dr Asma Barlas and Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin, on the subject of “Pakistani culture under siege.”
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October 4, 2011
Post-screening discussion and lecture about “The Muslims I Know,” Perceptions of the new South Asia classes at St John Fisher’s College.
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June, 2011
Screening of “The Muslims I Know,” Class on Islam, Gender and Sexuality, Berkeley, California.
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March 24, 2011, 6:30 pm
World premiere of documentary “PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE” followed by panel discussion. Panelists include Director Mara Ahmed, Dr Aitezaz Ahmed and Dr Thomas Gibson. Little Theatre, 240 East Avenue Rochester, NY 14604, Phone: 585.232.3906.
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April 22, 2010
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 131 West Main Street, Webster, NY 14580, Phone: 585.872.5180.
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February 7, 2010
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Utica College, 1600 Burrstone Road, Utica, NY 13502, Phone: 315.792.3006. Sponsored by Utica College Diversity Committee.
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January 30, 2010, 9:30 am
Third Presbyterian Church, 4 Meigs Street, Rochester, NY 14607, Phone: 585. 271.6513. Clip from “The Muslims I Know” followed by lecture on: “Islamophobia: the new normalcy.”
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January 19, 2010
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Robert Wesleyan College, 2301 Westside Dr. Rochester, NY 14624, Phone: 800.777.4RWC
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November 12, 2010, 10:00 am
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Rundel Memorial Library, 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604, Phone: 585.428.8320. Sponsored by Rochester’s School Without Walls.
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November 10, 2010, 7:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Hamilton College, 198 College Hill Road Clinton, NY 13323, Phone: 800.843.2655. Sponsored by the Muslim Students Association.
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October 28, 2010, 7:00 pm
Mason Middle School Auditorium, 6370 Mason-Montgomery Road, Mason, OH 45040, Phone: 513.398.9035. “The Muslims I Know: Myths, Movements, and the Media” sponsored by Sinclair Community College’s Courseview Campus and Mason High School. More about the screening here.
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October 21, 2010, 7:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Campus Center Auditorium, SUNY Oswego, 7060 Route 104, Oswego, New York 13126, Phone: 315.312.2500
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October 20, 2010
Come Meet a Muslim featuring a screening of “The Muslims I Know,” sponsored by the One Columbus Dialogue Group, at Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road, Georgia. More here.
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February 5, 2010
Chatterbox Club, Rochester, NY, Screening of “The Muslims I Know”
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January 5, 2010
Chatterbox Club, Rochester, NY, Lecture on “The Potent Fusion of Art, Film and Politics”
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December 11, 2009, 7:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Rochester Community Television (RCTV), 21 Gorham Street, Rochester, NY 14605, Phone: 585.325.1238. The screening is sponsored by Peace Action & Education and Rochester Against War.
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September 11, 2009, 5:30 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Rochester Museum & Science Center, 657 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607. The film will be part of the Holiday Celebration series at the Museum.
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August 1, 2009, 6:30 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know at MuslimFest 2009, the Rogers Theater, Living Arts Center, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. This year’s theme is “Creative Activism”.
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July 5, 2009, 5:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know at the ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) Film Festival 2009, Washington DC Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW, Washington DC 20001.
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May 20, 2009
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Bausch Auditorium, Rochester Museum & Science Center, 7:00 pm. Sponsored by APA-HiP (Asian/Pacific Islander/American History Project of Greater Rochester) as part of the film series “Identity and Perspectives”, General Admission: $5 suggested donation.
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May 12, 2009
The Muslims I Know was broadcast on PBS (Rochester) at 8:00 pm. The broadcast was the official kick off for the High Falls International Film Festival, Rochester, New York.
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April 16, 2009, 7:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Hubbell Auditorium in Hutchison Hall, University of Rochester, New York. This event will be sponsored by the English Dept, Frederick Douglass Institute of African and African American Studies, Muslim Students Association, SADACA, Amnesty International UR, ADITI, Cinema Group, and APA-HiP.
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March 25, 2009, 6:00 pm
Arts Center Building, Nazareth College, Room A169. Mara Ahmed talks about film as an art form and as a platform for activism. This event is sponsored by the Art Club at Nazareth College.
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February 10, 2009, 12.45 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, School Without Walls, 480 Broadway, Rochester, New York
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December 11, 2008, 7:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Carlson Auditorium, Rochester Institute of Technology, Organized by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology
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December 4, 2008, 7:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts, Phone: 617.824.8500, Organized by Frame per Second
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November 20, 2008, 6:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, Phone: 315.443.1870
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November 12, 2008, 10:30 am
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Rundell Public Library Auditorium, 115 South Ave, Rochester, NY 14604, Organized by School Without Walls, Rochester City School District
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November 11, 2008, 7:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Nazareth College Shults Center, Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue, Rochester, New York, Phone: 585.389.2963
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November 6, 2008, 6:30 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, University of Rochester Medical College Book Club, Monroe Golf Club, Pittsford, New York, Phone: 585.586.3608
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November 5, 2008, 7:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, 103 Edwards Hall (Gold Room), State University of New York at Brockport, 350 New Campus Drive, Brockport, NY 14420, Phone: 585.395.2211
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October 30, 2008, 4:15 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Keuka College, 141 Central Avenue, Keuka Park, NY 14478, Phone: 315.279.5000
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October 25, 2008
Kinetic Gallery, State University of New York at Geneseo, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454, Phone: 585.245.5211 – Mara Ahmed’s artwork will be on display at the Kinetic Gallery. The exhibit entitled “Synthesis” will include a video montage from “The Muslims I Know” along with music from the film.
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October 20, 2008, 5:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Milne Library, Room 104, State University of New York at Geneseo, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454, Phone: 585.245.5211 – The film will be screened as part of Cultural Harmony Week at SUNY Geneseo.
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October 16, 2008, 7:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY 14454, Phone: 315.781.3000
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October 15, 2008, 5:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Clemens Hall, Room 120, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, Phone: 716.645.2000
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October 14, 2008, noon and evening shows at 12:15 pm and 7:00 pm
Screening of The Muslims I Know, Basil Hall, Room 135, St John Fisher’s College, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618, Phone: 585.385.8000
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June 8, 2008, 1:00 pm
World Premiere of the “Muslims I Know” at the Dryden Theatre, George Eastman House, 900 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607, Phone: 585.271.3361
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