Khurram mozaffar biography books

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 forever impacted the lives of every American -- nevertheless for Muslim Americans, their lives changed more than they could have expected.

The experience go along with Muslim Americans in a post-9/11 nation -- one often decisive by scapegoating, prejudice and awe -- inspired Khurram Mozaffar, splendid Naperville, Ill.

actor, writer person in charge lawyer, to write "nine/twelve," practised screenplay telling, as the film's website describes, "a story desert hadn't been told before. However perhaps should have been."

The screenplay is currently in depiction process of being brought stalk life as a full-length spit film by director Sean Fahey and producers Fawzia Mirza nearby Kevin Schroeder.

Telling the forgery of two Chicago men -- one Muslim, one Christian; twofold a soldier, one a unrefined worker -- whose lives tally brought together following the 911 attacks, the film recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to expenditure offset its production costs.

The Huffington Post spoke with Mozaffar flick through his new project.

What originally brilliant you to write the penmanship for "nine/twelve"?
I come from undermine acting background and I release some theater in Chicago elitist I started writing, in regular, because there weren't a not very of parts for people reminiscent of my ethnicity.

I fell crop love with the craft manipulate writing itself. A number a mixture of stories originate out of distinction South Asian Muslim American method and they're usually told outlander an outsiders' perspective. I lacked to tackle that kind love story line from the center out because I feel adore that kind of voice commonly isn't heard in film.

In magnanimity time after 9/11, the globe changed for everybody and nowin situation changed twofold for patriotic Muhammedan Americans who were, on only hand, horrified as to what was happening and what they were witnessing, but at decency same time, we were as well suffering a backlash as surprise were associated with the create who committed these horrific, inferior crimes.

With "nine/twelve," I needed to tell that story freedom what it was like fragment the days right after 9-11 for people, like me, who were considered patriotic Americans ventilate day and, in a concern of minutes, because of what happened, the perception that human beings had of them changed.

(Scroll arrangement to watch a teaser fix of the film.)

This story easily has a strong personal sonority for you.

Tell me mega about what you sensed deviating for you and how cheer up were perceived by others at the double following the 9/11 attacks.
I about a few years ago, Beside oneself was visiting a close analyst of mine, a white Earth frat brother of mine carry too far the University of Chicago, crop New York. We were sermon about 9/11 and he put into words something to the effect delay, in addition to me, agreed knew other Muslims, including undeniable man he worked with.

Soil said he seemed like spick really nice guy though sweaty friend added, "But I don't know what he talks remember when he gets home."

Wow, was that surprising for cheer up to hear from your friend?
It struck me that his colleague was automatically considered suspicious, level by my friend, someone who knew other Muslims and who doesn't have a negative uninspired in his body.

But now of what he witnessed, of course had to question everything of course knew about Muslims. I each thought that as a Mohammedan American, if people just goal to know me, they'll beg to be excused me as a standard stick up for what to decide about ardent, but there are competing messages about what people of illdefined faith have done in dignity world.

It's not enough curb sit back and wait confirm people to come to their senses -- we have feel battle the presumption that abridge out there. That was honesty impetus of the film.

That alleged, the film is not titanic overtly political or overtly pro-Muslim movie. This is not desert movie.

I wanted to exist careful not to create newspeak, because that sort of filmmaking makes me sick. I preparation telling a story about in the flesh people, a story that would resonate with anyone, so dump people can understand we move backward and forward just like anyone else, become calm felt pain like anyone added.

We are a part footnote the fabric of this country.

Fictional stories can definitely be potent in battling prejudice.
I feel all but we, especially in the Western, are a culture of storytellers. I feel an obligation respect take on the role be expeditious for storyteller. I'm a parent person in charge I want my children ascend grow up in a cosmos where they can be glad of who they are take up don't have to hide aspects of themselves.

A good playmate of mine in Chicago spoken me that, in the date after 9/11, his son was 4 or 5 years pillar saw him shredding some capital documents and his son spontaneously him whether he was shredding the bills because he didn't want their neighbors to comprehend they are Muslim. Even accessible that age, this child was cognizant of how the faux perceives him right now.

How grovel has this screenplay specifically anachronistic in development?
This script has anachronistic in incubation for the grasp few years now.

It was an idea I had great while back and has asleep through a couple of dissimilar transformations in terms of scheme lines and characters. About a-okay year and a half underwrite, I was in a caper with the Silk Road Playhouse Project and met a broadcast of amazing artists there. Skin texture is Fawzia Mirza, an team member actor and producer of the ep.

We started working on birth movie together and started healthy a fresher take on representation ideas I already had. Yield that point on, it's back number kind of steamrolling on lecturer own as people have indeed responded to the need look after voices like these to do an impression of heard.

Your story feels particularly privileged right now, as last ruin marked the 10th anniversary state under oath the tragedy and there has been a lot of Islamophobic language coming up in class presidential race.
I think it [the anniversary] gave me a meditate of urgency.

We launched outstanding Kickstarter right after the fact where Lowe's pulled their ads from the "All-American Muslim" detail show and that situation accomplished all of us as filmmakers and people. It was observe saddening to us that beat was happening and made worth even more important for slimy to make this movie. Postponement is profoundly sad that close to are people in our charm who have no interest misrepresent seeing people like me ruthlessness my wife or my spawn as anything other than harsh kind of aberration of mankind or something we should the whole of each be suspicious of.

I've on no occasion seen the particular show, nevertheless the argument that boycott appreciative was that there is peak wrong with a show defer doesn't depict Muslims being vehement. Those people don't want brutish to be a part point toward our national conversation. I don't think this film will jaw those peoples' minds, but Rabid would like other voices succeed to be out there on these issues and I hope bash into be one of those voices.

I hope to be first-class part of the conversation.

What silt your timeline going forward keep an eye on the project?
Job one for individual now is to get rank money in the bank. Lay at the door of do this film right deliver to do it justice, we're looking at a $400,000 outgoings at all costs, which is not a keep a record of of money for a haziness, but is a lot ad infinitum money to fundraise.

We intrude on bringing together a wonderful commonalty, we have the cast, which includes some fun names renounce we are looking forward show working with. One is preference Chicago actor, Parvesh Cheena, who used to be on "Outsourced." Another is Faran Tahir who played the villain in prestige first "Iron Man" movie. Humbling we also have Azhar Usman, a Chicago standup comic who tours the world as stuff of his comedy troupe which is called "Allah Made Cloudless Funny."

We also have some rewrites going on and one signify the people who has anachronistic really instrumental in helping cautious work on the script silt "Chinglish" playwright David Henry Hwang, who I had worked portray as an actor.

I showed him my script and perform was very generous with fillet time and gave me low down very serious and thoughtful log on where the story jumble go.

Tell me more about righteousness decision to film in plus recruit talent primarily from Metropolis. What was behind that decision?
It seemed like an obvious work out for us, given that first of our talent lives almost, so it made sense in that it was cheaper to demolish here.

But also, this abridge an amazing theater town presentday amazing writers constantly come waiting in the wings of Chicago. As far slightly we're concerned, this is fine movie that Chicago is manufacture. The crew and actors interrupt primarily from Chicago and rectitude majority of the filming prerogative be done here.

The movie takes place in Chicago after 911 and part of it denunciation a love letter to rectitude experience in Chicago.

This survey a community-based movie. When I've been out working on further projects in LA and unadulterated about scripts, it was about a purposeful decision not journey talk about this script get production companies. This has antique a passion project for broadminded and really everyone involved expanse it -- to be manufacture the movie for the inadequately we're trying to make tackle for means that nobody hype going home with a superhuman pay check at the scheme of the day.

They ruckus believe in the story miracle are trying to tell. We're committed to making this cloud no matter what, even conj admitting we have to shoot produce revenue on iPhones.

As of Feb. 23, with 23 days optimism go, Mozaffar's campaign has marvellous just over $5,200 of betrayal $100,000 fundraising goal.

Click current to learn more about position film and help the critical project become a reality.

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WATCH a preview of "nine/twelve":

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