The Citizen is a 2013 American drama independent film directed by Sam Kadi, written by Sam Kadi, Samir Younis, Jazmen Darnell Brown, and starring Khaled El Nabawy, Agnes Bruckner, Rizwan Manji, William Atherton, and Cary Elwes. The Citizen was filmed in New York City, Detroit Masonic Temple in Detroit Michigan, and the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan. The film premiered on September 20, 2012, at the Boston Film Festival.
| The Citizen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Sam Kadi |
| Written by | Sam Kadi Jazmen Darnell Brown Samir Younis |
| Produced by | Sam Kadi Noel Alan Vega Chris Wyatt |
| Starring | Khaled El Nabawy Agnes Bruckner Rizwan Manji William Atherton Cary Elwes Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad |
| Cinematography | Joseph White |
| Edited by | Mike Saenz |
| Music by | Christopher Brady |
Production company | 3K Pictures |
| Distributed by | Monterey Media (US) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English/Arabic |
Plot
editThe Citizen integrates many true stories of the difficulties and triumphs that Arab-Americans face in 21st-century America. The story follows an Arab immigrant who wins the American green card lottery and arrives in New York City on September 10, 2001 (the day before the September 11th terrorist attacks). The events of 9/11 change the struggles he faces on his way to live out the American Dream.
Cast
edit- Khaled El Nabawy.... Ibrahim
- Agnes Bruckner.... Diane
- Rizwan Manji.... Mo
- William Atherton.... Winston
- Cary Elwes.... Miller
- Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad as Rajiv
- Cole Corey.... Josh
- Kerry Birmingham.... Nancy
Production
editDevelopment
editThe Citizen is Sam Kadi's feature film debut. The film was written by director/producer Sam Kadi, Samir Younis, and Jazmen Darnell Brown.
Filming
editThe film was shot in New York City, Detroit Masonic Temple in Detroit Michigan, and the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan.
Release
editIn May 2013, Monterey Media brought the United States distribution rights from the production company 3K Pictures. Radiant Films International handles the foreign rights to the film. Radiant Films International CEO Mimi Steinbauer and President presented the film to buyers in Cannes in 2013.[1] The film was released on DVD and VOD in the United States and Canada on November 12, 2013.[2]
Festivals and awards
editThe Citizen was selected to screen at the following film festivals:
- 2012 Boston Film Festival[3] - Winner Best Ensemble Cast & Mass Impact Award
- 2013 International Family Film Festival[4] - Winner Best Feature Drama
- 2012 Tri Media Film Festival[5] - Winner Director's Choice Award & Best Actor Award Agnes Bruckner
- 2012 Hollywood Film Festival[6] - Nominated for Discovery Award
- 2013 Cinequest Film Festival[7] - Nominated for Audience Choice Award
- 2012 Abu Dhabi Film Festival[8]
- 2012 Heartland Film Festival[9]
- 2012 Gotham Screen International Film Festival[10]
- 2013 Shanghai International Film Festival
References
edit- ^ "Monterey takes The Citizen for North America". World News. wn.com. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "DVD, Digital Release: The Citizen". DiscDish. DiscDish.com. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
- ^ "28th Annual Boston Film Festival Awards". www.bostonfilmfestival.org/. Boston Film Festival. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "2013 IFFF FEATURE FILM WINNERS & FINALISTS". iffilmfest.org. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "The TriMedia Film Festival congratulates the winners of the awards for 2012". trimediafestival.org. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "16TH ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL". hollywoodfest.com. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "Cinequest FILM FESTIVAL". cinequest.org. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "Abu Dhabi Film Festival New Horizons". abudhabifilmfestival.ae. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "The Citizen Comes to Heartland Film Festival". trulymovingpictures.org. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "Gotham Screen International Film Festival 2012 Schedule". gsiff.com. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
