Who Speaks for Islam?: Muslims on Screen

Film Screening and Discussion Session with - Lisa Aliferis, Co-producer, “Who Speaks for Islam?: Muslims on Screen” -Ronnie Khalil, Co-producer, Middle Eastern Comedy Festival -Jisha Menon, Assistant Professor of Drama, Stanford University - Michael Wolfe, President, Unity Productions Foundation "Who Speaks for Islam?: Muslims on Screen” features interviews with various Hollywood actors, writers and producers about the evolving portrayal of Muslims in American film and television. Panelists will shed light on the production process and also critically engage with depiction of Muslims in contemporary films and television programs. The event will provide essential insights into identifying, challenging and changing the deep-rooted stereotypes against racial, ethnic and religious groups in contemporary United States. Panelists: Lisa Aliferis is co-producer of “Who Speaks for Islam.” Her other projects include “Joint Use,” a series of short videos about a public health effort to encourage public schools to share their play structures and green space with the larger community, and “With Eyes Open,” a TV series exploring issues related to end-of-life care. “With Eyes Open” aired nationally on PBS stations and was a national Emmy Award finalist. Lisa also worked at Dateline NBC and KPIX-TV, where her work was frequently nominated for Emmy awards. Ronnie Khalil is co-producer of the first Middle Eastern Comedy Festival held in Los Angeles in 2009. As a stand-up comedian, he performed in numerous comedy festivals, including Amman, New York Underground, NY Arab-American, South Beach, Los Angeles and Boston Comedy Festivals. Ronnie has been featured on Conan O'Brian Show, ABC News, NPR, Air America, CNN and Al Jazeera, as well as on Comedy Central's online show “The Watch List,” and A&E's “15 Films About Madonna.” Jisha Menon is Assistant Professor of Drama at Stanford University. She specializes in postcolonial theory and performance studies. She has published essays on the Indian partition, transnational feminist theatre, and sexual and political violence in South Asia. Her current project, Bordering on Drama: Community and Nation in Postcolonial India, focuses on embodied political performances to examine the theatricality of nationalism in South Asia. Michael Wolfe is co-founder and president of Unity Productions Foundation. He has co-produced “Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet,” “Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain,” and “Prince Among Slaves,” “Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think,” and a trio of documentaries on individual Muslims in modern-day America. Michael edited the Wilbur-award-winning book Taking Back Islam: American Muslims Reclaim their Faith, and his television work is nominated for Peabody and Emmy awards.