The Southern California Friends of the Arab American National Museum (AANM) will host a private film screening and reception on Saturday, May 3, 2014 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The event will bring together the director and stars of a new romantic comedy set in Michigan’s Arab American community. Detroit Unleaded, by Lebanese-born director Rola Nashef, recently had its red carpet premiere at the Detroit Institute of Arts, where it attracted critical acclaim as a fun and inspiring experience.
The New York Times review salutes Nashef as creating “a surprisingly affective examination of one aspect of the Arab-American experience: the dissonance between American hookup culture and home country traditions."
Joining Nashef at the event will be the three leading actors: E.J. Assi, Nada Shouhayib and Mike Batayeh. Members of the AANM National Advisory Board will also be in attendance, along with guests from the entertainment industry and a cross section of the region’s Arab American business and professional leadership.
The evening will be an opportunity for the film to gain exposure in Los Angeles and at the same time benefit the AANM and its programs that promote Arab American culture and heritage.
This event builds on the successful launch of the SoCal Friends of the AANM committee in 2013, when it hosted a multimedia exhibition on national service (Patriots & Peacemakers) at the University of California-Irvine and the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.
The AANM is proud to be partnering with the director and cast of Detroit Unleaded and its supporters in California for an event that demonstrates the universality and creativity of the Arab American experience, and furthers the Museum’s mission to educate and enlighten the public about our role in American society.
Sponsorships and tickets to the private film screening, which includes a reception and interaction with the cast, may be reserved online. Parking for the event is complimentary in the theater garage.
For more information, contact Helen Hatab Samhan, AANM senior outreach advisor, in Washington, D.C., at 202-494-9141, or email hsamhan@verizon.net.
The Arab American National Museum is offering a special "screening only" $50 rate for young professionals (patrons under 40) who wish to attend the May 3 event. This ticket admits you to the film screening of Detroit Unleaded, the Q&A with the director and cast moderated by Asaad Kelada, and the post-screening dessert reception. Those with a screening-only reservation may arrive at the theater at 5:30 p.m. to be seated for the 5:45 p.m. screening; note that this discounted rate does not include the pre-screening reception which begins at 5 p.m.